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debugging: Definition and Recommended Links

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Debugging is a methodical process of finding and reducing the number of bugs, or defects, in a computer program or a piece of electronic hardware thus making it behave as expected. Debugging tends to be harder when various subsystems are tightly coupled, as changes in one may cause bugs to emerge in another.

There is some controversy over the origin of the term 'debugging.' The terms 'bug' and 'debugging' are both popularly attributed to Admiral Grace Hopper in the 1940s,[1] but the term 'bug' dates back at least to 1878 and Thomas Edison (see the Software bug article for a full discussion), and 'debugging' seems to have been used as a term in aeronautics before entering the world of computers.

Source: Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debugging)

other great electronics sites:ee toolbox site

• • debugging
    • Debugging is a methodical process of finding and reducing the number of bugs, or defects, in a computer program or a piece of electronic hardware thus making it behave as expected. Debugging tends to be harder when various subsystems are tightly coupled, as changes in one may cause bugs to emerge in another.

      There is some controversy over the origin of the term 'debugging.' The terms 'bug' and 'debugging' are both popularly attributed to Admiral Grace Hopper in the 1940s,[1] but the term 'bug' dates back at least to 1878 and Thomas Edison (see the Software bug article for a full discussion), and 'debugging' seems to have been used as a term in aeronautics before entering the world of computers.

      Source: Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debugging)

      (Note: The Electronic Engineers Toolbox provides an alternative set of featured links for this word at http://www.cera2.com/debugging.htm)

      Featured Links:

      IDA Pro Disassembler

      IDA Pro is the only multi-processor, multi-OS, interactive disassembler Interactively Disassemble Windows 3.x, Windows 95, Windows NT3.x and 4.x, DOS, OS/2 1.xx, OS/2 2.xx, OS/2 3.xx binaries,Novell NLMs and more! Any file, any size! IDA Pro now includes FLIRT (Fast Library Identification and Recognition Technology)
      http://www.ccso.com/wantdemo.htm

      Hitex introduces HiTOP 5.40, the latest release of their universal software …

      Hitex introduces HiTOP 5.40, the latest release of their universal software debugger. The major feature in this version is full support for Windows 7 32-/64-bit. Furthermore, HiTOP 5.40 provides additional new features for the „Tantino for Cortex“ debug interface. This includes Cortex-M0 support for LPC1100 as well as support for the STM32 Value Line and the EFM32 Energy Micro. Also the serial wire viewer capabilities have been extended...
      http://www.hitex.com

      KDbg - A Graphical Debugger Interface

      KDbg is a graphical user interface to gdb, the GNU debugger. It provides an intuitive interface for setting breakpoints, inspecting variables, and stepping through code.
      http://www.kdbg.org/

      Why Programs Fail: A Guide to Systematic Debugging

      Why Programs Fail is about bugs in computer programs, how to find them, how to reproduce them, and how to fix them in such a way that they do not occur anymore. This is the first comprehensive book on systematic debugging and covers a wide range of tools and techniques ranging from hands-on observation to fully automated diagnoses, and includes instructions for building automated debuggers. This discussion is built upon a solid theory of how...
      http://www.amazon.com

      Valgrind, an open-source memory debugger for x86-GNU/Linux

      Programmers! Make your software Valgrind-clean. Test it with Valgrind and fix all problems Valgrind reports. This will give you some assurance that your code is free of a broad class of memory management errors. You may well find undiscovered bugs, and your code will probably be more stable as a result. It's good for your code, good for you and especially it's good for the people who use your code.
      http://valgrind.kde.org/

      Embedded Debugging Methods Revealed: Technical Mysteries for Engineers

      This new book manages the unthinkable- it conveys crucial technical information to engineers without boring them to tears! In this unique reference, expert embedded designer Lisa Simone provides the solutions to typical embedded software debugging problems from a fresh new perspective. She introduces a team of engineers who readers will recognize from their own workplaces, and then confronts them with real-world debugging scenarios of...
      http://www.amazon.com

      The Developer's Guide to Debugging

      The Developer's Guide to Debugging is a book for both professional software developers seeking to broaden their skills and students that want to learn the tricks of the trade from the ground up. With small examples and exercises it is well suited to accompany a CS course or lecture. At the same time it can be used as a reference guide to address problems as the need arises. This book goes beyond the level of simple source code debugging...
      http://www.amazon.com

      How Debuggers Work : Algorithms, Data Structures, and Architecture

      Virtually all programmers and software developers are utilizing debuggers, but few know how to interpret the results they obtain from them. Using a hands-on, problem-solving approach, this unique reference explains how debuggers work, why programmers use them, and then discusses the algorithms involved in the debugging process.
      http://www.amazon.com

      GDB: The GNU Project Debugger

      GDB, the GNU Project debugger, allows you to see what is going on `inside' another program while it executes -- or what another program was doing at the moment it crashed. GDB can do four main kinds of things (plus other things in support of these) to help you catch bugs in the act:
      http://sources.redhat.com/gdb/

      Multiprocessor debugging challenges

      Recognizing the significant impact on time to market which the the task of debugging complex multiprocessing systems presents, vendors are introducing solutions that capitalize on new processor devices with multiple cores and heterogeneous systems based on FPGAs and multiple processors.
      http://www.dsp-fpga.com

      Explanation: these links are provided as part of our EE glossary project, which seeks to identify the most prominent keywords in embedded systems, embedded software, realtime and rtos, dsp (digital signal processing), system-on-a-chip, microprocessors and microcontrollers, and other constituent elements for embedded systems. While we seek to keep most of the links up-to-date, the user is refered to other primary electronic-based search sites such as: cera2.com, embedded.com, or EDN Magazine. If you have any suggestions of links or definitions, please email!

Mark Twain quote for the day:

Well enough for old folks to rise early, because they have done so many mean things all their lives they can't sleep anyhow.
- Notebook, 1866