Bug
Bug (a.k.a. software bug) is an error or defect in computer software that causes its malfunction. As a result of a bug, a program may crash or produce incorrect results.
This is a picture of the first bug discovered in an electromechanical computer back in 1947. As a result of the bug, the machine crashed.
Modern bugs are caused not by insects, but by errors in computer code. Bugs may stem from logic errors made by developers in source code or may occur in the later stages of code processing. Bugs differ in severity and not all of them strongly affect software performance. One of the bug types, referred to as a security bug, makes the software vulnerable to intrusion by malicious users that bypass control and get access to the software.
Debugging
The software that has a lot of bugs is called ‘buggy’. No one would be happy with such software. That’s why after the source code is written, it should undergo the debugging procedure. Professionals, who deal with debugging, are referred to as software testers. It can be the case that testing the software costs the company more than its development.
Debugging is the process of identifying and fixing bugs in the code. Oftentimes, the hardest thing is to find a bug, rather than to get rid of it.
There are many computer programs that target tracking bugs before this is done by the software end users. Among such programs, the most popular ones are JIRA, zipBoard, and others. Read more about bug tracking tools here.
If you want to create a website, you should make sure, that your website’s source code is void of bugs and well-tested. To save your time, you can use one of the templates from the reliable template providers. For instance, WordPress themes by TemplateMonster are bug-free and have a valid and well-structured code.
If you feel like sharing another definition of the term or adding some curious facts, feel free to share them in the comments section. Your considerations would be much appreciated.
Related terms: error, crash, debugging, source code.
References and further reading:
- Software bug – Wikipedia.
- Bug. Bug in computer technology.
- Software bug. Software bug definition.
- Software bug. Software bug and related terms.
- How to Get Rid of a Computer Bug A short guide.
- Bugs -- What They Are and How to Get Rid of Them! Types of bugs and examples.