Table of contents
Definition
Bugs are coding errors, flaws, or faults in a computer program or software that cause the system to misbehave or produce unexpected results. In simple terms, bugs refer to any outcome or behavior that a program or software presents which was not meant to exist.
In most cases, bugs are caused by human error. Multiple factors can trigger a bug, such as unintentional mistakes in source code or program design, incorrect code injection, etc. Although mistakes like bad syntax [→] are mostly identified by the compiler [→] or interpreter [→], other bugs usually occur due to logical errors.
Use Cases and Examples
Bugs usually result in annoying program glitches, but sometimes they can even crash the whole program. If a product is released and bugs are encountered after, the vendor then has to offer users with patch [→] to update the program and fix the buggy code. In other to fix these bugs developers usually go through a process known as debugging [→] which is employing different strategies to replicate the conditions causing the bug and find a fix for it.
Let's assume you are running a program that works fine. Now you have to close it, so you click the "cancel" button. But the program performs no action to your input. You retry multiple times but it still does not close the program. This implies the program has a bug resulting in this behavior.
Summary
Although bugs are not malicious, still they can cause minor to severe damages. Despite technological advancements, it's still hard to ever find a bug-free program. As an end-user, the best way to address bugs is to report them.
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