Debugging and testing
Debug one change at a time
By SI100x · Published
Changing several things together makes it hard to know what actually fixed a problem. A small debugging exercise should connect an observed failure with a specific change and a repeatable check.
Try this exercise
- Save a working checkpoint and describe the failing behavior. Pick one explanation that you can test without modifying unrelated parts of the project.
- Change only what is needed to test that explanation. Repeat the same input and record whether the result changed. Restore the checkpoint if the experiment makes the cause less clear.
- When you find a fix, try the original failure and a normal successful case. Explain why the change affects the failure and which assumptions it depends on.
Check your result
You should be able to repeat the evidence, not just remember that the page looked better once. If you cannot explain the cause, record the fix as provisional and continue investigating before making broader changes.
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