Steve P.’s Post

𝗔 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝘆 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗻 I used to think debugging meant 𝗳𝗶𝘅𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲. So I would: * Change the line throwing the error * Add console logs randomly * Patch things until it “worked” And then… the same bug would come back. What I learned later is this: 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗯𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘆𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗼𝗺. Now, when something breaks, I ask: * What changed recently? * What assumptions does this code rely on? * Where does the data come from, and where does it go? * Is this a code issue, a config issue, or an environment issue? Most production bugs aren’t complex. They’re 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗱. Once I started debugging this way, fixes became cleaner — and confidence improved a lot. If you’re a developer struggling with bugs right now, slow down and trace the flow. The answer is usually there. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗯𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗮𝗯𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁? #softwareengineering #debugging #developers #techlearning #codinglife #careergrowth #learninginpublic

Day 23 – Why debugging is the real skill, not coding speed Anyone can write code fast. That’s rarely the hard part. The real challenge starts when something breaks. Practical example: A feature works locally but fails in production. Fast coding doesn’t help here. Debugging does: • Reading logs • Reproducing the issue • Isolating the root cause I’ve seen slow coders fix problems faster because they debug better. Lesson learned: Speed writes code. Debugging ships software. #SoftwareEngineering #WebDevelopment #DeveloperLessons #CleanCode #Debugging #CareerGrowth

The Skill Nobody Mentions: Debugging Calmly When something breaks, most developers do the same thing first: panic… then start changing code fast. But the best developers do the opposite. They slow down. They don’t rush to fix they try to understand. Calm debugging looks like this: • isolate the problem instead of touching everything • reproduce the bug consistently • test one assumption at a time • read the error instead of fighting it • take breaks before frustration makes things worse Speed typing doesn’t save time. Clear thinking does. In my experience, staying calm during a bug fixes things faster than any shortcut or hack. 👉 What helps you stay calm during a nasty bug stepping away, writing notes, debugging, or something else? #Debugging #DeveloperMindset #SoftwareEngineering #WebDevelopment #FrontendDevelopment #CleanCode #CodingLife #ProblemSolving #DevCommunity #ProgrammingThoughts #TechCareers

There is a distinct phase in every development cycle where you stop debugging the syntax and start questioning your own sanity. We often talk about the technical side of software engineering, but we rarely discuss the emotional discipline required to stare at a failed test case for hours. When the code starts "testing you," it’s usually a signal that you’ve hit a cognitive wall, not a technical one. Two practical strategies for when the screen looks like the bottom panel: 1. The "Rubber Duck" Reset: Explain the logic line-by-line to an inanimate object (or a patient colleague). Verbalizing the problem forces your brain to slow down and usually reveals the logic gap. 2. Step Away from the IDE: The answer rarely appears during the 50th compile. It usually appears when you’re making coffee or walking the dog. Resilience is a soft skill, but in tech, it drives hard results. What is your go-to ritual for resetting when you hit a stubborn bug? #SoftwareEngineering #DeveloperLife #Debugging #TechResilience #Coding #ProgrammerHumor #MentalHealthInTech #QualityAssurance #ProblemSolving #DevCommunity #TechCareers #WebDevelopment

If a programmer says they’ll fix the bug in 1 hour… 👉 Believe them. ❌ Just don’t remind them every 2 hours. Because real debugging time includes: ☕ Coffee 🔍 Googling the same error for the 5th time 🧠 “Let me try one last thing” 🐞 Fixing one bug and discovering three more Software development isn’t about speed It’s about patience, focus, and problem-solving. Respect your developers. Great code takes time 😉 #ProgrammerLife #DeveloperHumor #TechLife #Debugging #SoftwareEngineering #LinkedInHumor

As a developer, it might seem like writing code is your primary job. But of course there are other critical tasks you'll need to perform, too - like debugging that code. In this guide, Tapas explains why debugging can feel so difficult and helps you develop an effective debugging mindset. https://lnkd.in/gHMUP6wi

🔧 Why I Still Follow the 79‑Character Rule as a Developer In a world of ultra‑wide monitors and modern IDEs, it’s easy to forget the value of small engineering disciplines. One of my favorites is the classic 79‑character line length. It’s not just a “Python thing” - it’s a mindset. It forces clarity It improves readability in terminals, diffs, and reviews It encourages smaller, more focused functions It keeps collaboration smooth across tools and teams As developers, the little habits we build shape the quality of the systems we create. Clean code isn’t about perfection - it’s about intention. If a simple constraint like 79 characters can make code easier to read, maintain, and debug, I’m all for it. Small discipline. Big impact. #CleanCode #CodeQuality #SoftwareCraftsmanship #BestPractices #CodingStandards #DeveloperLife #EngineeringMindset #ProductivityTips #TechDiscipline

PM: "Hey bro, our app is breaking in production!" 🚨 Me: Proceeds to check logs on production.. Sees error but couldn't reproduce. Reason? Because the actual issue would lead to an unhandled exception without logging the error, and subsequent retry would throw another error. There's no way we could reproduce or debug the real error using console.log or print logging. Despite having around 800+ console.log and console.errors overall, multiple attempts to reproduce this one tiny issue were unsuccessful. That's when I switched to the debugger.  - Watched code execution line by line - Stepped into the loop execution - Paused my code exactly right before it would crash Turns out a small whitespace in the filename was rejected by the file upload API, causing the error. And as soon as this error was raised, Lesson: console logging might be good for simple, quick debugging, but in production-grade applications with 1000+ lines of code, a debugger comes to the rescue. Also, those 100s of console.log statements during development are a pain to remove and would cause runtime costs in production. The benefits of a debugger far outperform the ease of console.log.  - see my code running line by line,  - trace back the call stack,  - see runtime variables,  - see closures in action,  - pause it at the desired state of the program and play with the values.  That's another level of satisfaction too, tbh. I always prefer adding a production logger (will talk about this in another post)  and prefer a debugger instead of print debugging. Take your debugging to the next level and try using a debugger in your next project! 💻 #debugging #programming #softwaredevelopment #coding #developerlife #codingtips #debugger #logging