Easy and Step-By-Step Ways of Finding Bugs in Software

"Bug" is one of the most horrifying words for many developers. Even many experienced and highly skilled developers encounter bugs, as it is inevitable to avoid them in the first development cycle. 

Error in the software frustrates the software developer. I am sure that you might have encountered in your software development career that you cannot find the bug in the software.

Due to bugs in the software, you might not be able to launch the software on time. So, bug-finding and solving the problem is very important.

In this article, we will learn how to find bugs in software in a simple and step-by-step manner. So read this article carefully, create your own checklist, and we’ll meet at the conclusion.

Bug Finding: How To Find Maximum Bugs, Types, and Tools

At the end of this article, you’ll be able to find the best way to find Maximum bugs in your software, the type of bugs, and the tools that can make your cumbersome bug-finding task with a snap of a finger.

Some Shocking Facts About Software Bugs

• The recent iPhone bug where users could not type the letter “I.”
• Some are costly bugs, and it can cost a fortune to fix one such bug: the Y2K bug. 
• One software bug literally led to the death of people due to the patriot missile bug; 28 people died in 1991.
• Any buggy code reflects poorly on them and their team and will eventually affect the company’s bottom line. 
• Also, buggy code is inconvenient to work with and reduces productivity. The more quality code you can write, the more effective you will be. Finally, bugs are expensive. 
• Various software bugs are estimated to have cost the global economy $1.7 trillion in 2017.

Hence, finding and solving even small bugs is crucial in each and every software. Bugs in software can literally shut down your business, and I am not even kidding. 

In the end, if a user is not getting a great product, he will shift, and there are always alternatives. So let us understand in detail how to find bugs.

Best Way To Find the Maximum Number of Bugs in Software

1. Quick Attacks on Real Browsers and Devices

It’s even hard to imagine a tester doing a quality check system without any requirements. In the absence of formal requirements, it’s hard to create test scenarios. In such a situation, the best technique is to attack the system, causing panic in the software by putting wrong values in the software. All this will eventually help to find the problem in the software.

You can attack the software by doing certain things like leaving a few required fields blank, disrupting UI workflows, entering numbers when users are supposed to enter characters, exceeding character limits, using prohibited characters, and entering an excessive number of incorrect passwords.

The logic behind these attacks is to perform quick software analyses in a limited amount of time. They enable the tester to quickly assess the nature of the software based on the error messages and bugs that appear. 

Even if a single bug appears, it is safe to assume that there are flaws in the main functionalities. In contrast, the absence of bugs with this method usually indicates that the happy path functionality is in good shape.

Remember that these quick attacks must be carried out in real-world user environments. That means that when someone is testing their software with unpredictability, they must do so in an environment that is identical to end-user conditions.

To summarise, you must conduct rapid attacks on the software and devices. Otherwise, even an emulator or simulator might detect the bugs that do not appear on the real device or when using the software on a real device.

2. Pay Attention to the Test Environment

Testers typically have time to prepare scenarios, establish timelines, and establish procedures. This period should also include an assessment of the test infrastructure, also known as the test environment. This is due to flaws in the testing environment, causing unnecessary and entirely avoidable delays in the generation of test results. 

It can also result in the appearance of bugs that aren’t caused by the software itself.

There are a few things more aggravating than dealing with setup-related bugs that cannot be fixed with code. Typically, the actual source of the bug is not immediately identified, resulting in the aforementioned delay.

Consider the situation of a tester who discovers and reports a bug, but when the developer examines it, no problems are found in the code. So, while the developer is frustratedly googling “how to find bugs in code,” the test cannot proceed because the apparent “bug” cannot be fixed.

In the event of setup errors, the same test can produce different results each time. This makes it difficult to reproduce the defect, which is a developer’s worst nightmare.

3. Do Your Own Research

Before beginning testing, thoroughly understand the entire application or module.

Prepare enough Test Data before running tests; this dataset should include test case conditions and database records if you are testing a database-related application.

Attempt to determine the resulting pattern and then compare your results to those patterns.

Insert pointers into your code. I mean a method of finding a block of code. For example, it could be a printed statement. This makes it easy to pinpoint the source of the error.

Make use of breakpoints. Stop the code at a specific point to see if everything is working up to that point. 

Whatever problem you are dealing with has been dealt with in some form before. So research Google it, and you might find a way to deal with it.

4. Pareto Principle

According to the Pareto principle, 20% of efforts generate 80% of results, and the rest, 80%, bring a lower 20%. This principle was introduced by Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto, hence the name Pareto principle.

In software testing, the Pareto Principle means that 80% of all bugs are present in 20% of program modules. Don’t take this number seriously; the bottom line is that the majority of the bugs in the software are crowded into a specific section of the code, and the majority of the big errors are present in that section of the code only, so take that section of code. 

5. Set Goals for Software Quality

The tester should be aware of the standard of the software that needs to be maintained, which gives the tester an idea of what sort of bugs to look for. 

If a tester is wondering about how to find a bug in the software, then the best way to start is by understanding what users of the software expect it might be in terms of user experience, new features, functionalities, etc.

Proper clarity about goals helps QAs create test scenarios and test cases accordingly. If the main function, main need, and expectation of the user from the software are known, then the tester can start testing those features first that are important to the majority of the users.

So, have a talk with the QA manager and ask the manager for goal documents.

Do your own research about the same; this will help find important bugs.

11 Most Common Types of Bugs in Software You Should Know

This part is one of the most crucial ones you must know as a developer or software tester; if you know precisely what different types of bugs software can encounter, you can solve the problem much faster. 

1. Functional Error

Regarding functionality, each program should work correctly. However, as you can understand from the name itself, functionality errors occur when software does not perform the allocated function.

Functionality errors are a different category of errors ranging from simple functionalities, such as unclickable buttons, to the inability to use the software’s main functionality. Functional testing is typically used to detect functional errors. 

For example, the functionality of a ‘save’ button is that changes in the doc should be saved; if you cannot click the button, then it is a functional error.

With functionality testing, Software testers can discover a more specific software bug causing the functionality error. 

2. Syntax Errors

These types of software bugs occur in a program’s source code. 

One of the most common software bugs is syntax errors, which prevent your application from being correctly compiled. 

This type of problem occurs when your code is missing or contains incorrect characters. 

This software flaw could be caused by a misspelled command or a missing bracket. Typically, your development team will become aware of these errors while compiling programs.

3. Logical Bugs

Logic errors are one type of coding error that can cause your software to produce incorrect output, crash, or even fail. Logic defects, such as an infinite loop, are errors in the flow of your software. 

The infinite loop occurs due to poorly written or incorrect coding, which causes the program to malfunction and forces a specific sequence to repeat forever until the program crashes or some external interruption occurs, such as closing the program or turning off the power.

Some of the examples of logical error are:

• Incorrectly assigning a value to a variable
• Dividing two numbers instead of adding them together produces unexpected results.

4. Performance Errors

Performance defects are another type of software bug related to the speed of the software, an issuer with the stability of the software, or response time or resource consumption. Usually, this type of bug is discovered during the software development process.

Performance error is one of the most common types of software bugs. 

This includes software that runs at a slower speed than required or a response time that is longer than acceptable for the project’s requirements.

5. Calculation Error

A calculation error occurs whenever software returns an incorrect value, whether it is one that the end-user sees or one that is passed to another program. This could happen for a variety of reasons, including:

• To compute the value, the software employs the incorrect algorithm.
• A data type mismatch exists in the calculation.
• For example, the developers incorrectly coded the calculation or value hand-off to another program.

6. Security Error

Security flaws are among the most severe types of flaws that a software developer or software engineering team can encounter. For example, security flaws differ from other software bugs in exposing your project to risk. 

A security flaw exposes your software, company, and clients to a severe potential attack. These attacks can be expensive for every business, no matter how big or small.

Still, some of the most common are encryption errors, SQL injection susceptibility, XSS vulnerabilities, buffer overflows, logical errors, and inadequate authentication, among others.

7. Unit-Level Error

The unit-level software bug is another common type of bug. After your program has been coded, the developer himself typically performs unit testing, which involves testing a smaller section of the code as a whole to ensure that it functions properly. 

During this testing process, teams will begin to discover unit-level bugs, such as calculation errors and basic logic bugs. 

These unit-level types of software bugs are easy to isolate and fix because you are still dealing with a relatively small amount of code.

8. System-Level Integration Bugs

These errors occur when there is an error in the interaction of two different subsystems. Because multiple software systems are involved, often written by different developers, these software bugs are generally more challenging to fix. 

System-level integration bugs occur primarily when two or more units of code written by different developers fail to interact with each other or due to inconsistencies between two or more components. It is difficult to track and fix these sorts of bugs and requires developers to go through large chunks of code.

Memory overflow issues and inappropriate interfacing between the application UI and the database are some examples of system-level interaction bugs.

9. Usability Error

A usability defect is the type of error that prevents a user from fully utilizing the software. This bug makes it difficult or inconvenient to use a piece of software. 

A complex content layout or an overly complicated signup feature are examples of usability flaws. 

During the usability testing phase, software engineers and UX designers must check their software against the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines and other usability requirements to discover these types of software bugs.

10. Control Flow Error

The software control flow describes what will happen next and under what circumstances. 

Errors in the control flow prevent software from progressing to the following tasks correctly, potentially slowing down the entire company’s workflow.

A control flow error occurs when a user clicks the “save and next” button at the end of a questionnaire or a process and is not redirected to a new page.

Errors, bugs, and mistakes occur everywhere and can cause significant damage if not identified and corrected quickly, particularly in the IT industry. 

When a single comma is missing, the entire IT product suffers, and we must focus on detecting and combating bugs. 

From the beginning, all IT companies have their own testers who work long hours with each component of a new software solution to find and eliminate errors one by one. Keep this in mind when selecting an IT partner.

11. Compatibility Errors

Compatibility error occurs when the software or an application is incompatible with hardware or an operating system.  Finding compatibility errors is not common practice because they may not be detected during initial testing. 

As a result, developers should conduct compatibility testing to ensure that their software is compatible with common hardware and operating systems.

Some Examples of Bugs in Software

Software Defects By Severity

• Critical defects typically obstruct an entire system’s or module’s functionality, and testing cannot continue until such a defect is fixed. A critical flaw is when an application returns a server error message after a login attempt.
• High-severity defects affect an application’s key functionality, and the app behaves in a way that differs significantly from the one specified in the requirements; for example, an email service provider does not allow adding more than one email address to the recipient field.
• When a minor function does not behave as specified in the requirements, a medium-severity defect is identified. For example, a broken link in an application’s Terms and Conditions section is an example of such a flaw.
• Low-severity defects are mostly related to an application’s user interface and can include things like a slightly different size or color of a button.

Software Defects By Priority

• Urgent defects must be corrected within 24 hours of being reported. This category includes defects with a critical severity status. However, low-severity defects can also be classified as high-priority. For example, a typo in a company’s name on an application’s home page has no technical impact on software but has a significant business impact, hence urgent defects.
• High-priority defects are errors that must be fixed in a future release to meet the exit criteria. For example, a high-priority defect would be an application failing to navigate a user from the login page to the home page despite the user entering valid login data.
• Medium-priority defects are errors that may be fixed in a subsequent release or after an upcoming release. A medium-priority defect is an application that returns the expected result but formats incorrectly in a specific browser.
• Low-priority defects are errors that do not need to be fixed in order to meet the exit criteria but must be fixed before an application is released to the public. This category typically includes typos, alignment, element size, and other cosmetic UI issues.

What Is the First Thing To Do When You Find a Bug in the Software?

1. Begin Testing Additional Related Scenarios

Bugs are always part of a colony. When you identify a bug in one area, it’s relatively common to discover other related issues. So, once something is discovered, keep looking because you never know what else you’ll discover.

2. Note the Current State of the Application

This can also help you determine whether an external issue caused the bug. Not only do you want to know how to reproduce the problem, but also the current state of the environment in which you are testing.

3. Check to See if it has Already Been Reported

Some bugs have already been identified and reported. However, it’s pointless to redo work that has already been done. 

4. Report It As Soon As Possible

If you discover that the bug has not been reported (see step above), you must report the issue as soon as possible. Bugs enjoy being identified and recognized. 

Allow them five minutes of fame. When the problem is fresh in your mind, it’s easier to write a bug report that doesn’t stink. You also want to shorten the duration of the feedback loop (time between code creation and validation). This increases the team’s productivity.

5. Enjoy The Moment

I’ve seen testers become enraged when they discover bugs. They’re upset because the system is broken. 

It’s aggravating when you run into roadblocks. With deadlines looming and other pressures placed on teams, finding bugs in software may be the last thing on your mind. It’s much easier when everything just works, but that’s not your job. 

It is your responsibility to find bugs before customers. It is your job to play the hero and villain. When you find your next bug, thank you for helping someone.

Steps You Should Follow to Find Software Bugs

The best way to test software for bugs is to do the following:

• Before beginning testing, thoroughly understand the entire application or module.
• Before beginning testing, create specific test cases. I mean emphasizing the functional test cases that include the application’s significant risk.
• Prepare enough Test Data before running tests; this dataset should include test case conditions as well as database records if you are testing a database-related application.
• Run the tests again with a different Test Environment.
• Attempt to determine the expected result and then compare your results to those patterns.
• Once you believe you have completed the majority of the test conditions and are feeling somewhat tired, perform some Monkey Testing.
• Analyze the current set of tests using your previous Test Data pattern.
• Execute some Standard Test Cases for which you discovered bugs in another application. For example, if you’re testing an input text box, try inserting some HTML tags as inputs and seeing what happens on the display page.
• The final and best trick is to work hard to find the bug as if you’re only testing to break the application.

Bug Finding Tools

Bug-identifying tools are probably the simplest way to find software bugs. Such tools make it easier to track, report, and assign bugs in software development, making testing easier. There are several tools available, such as SpiraTeam, Userback, and ClickUp, that can accomplish this task and greatly simplify software testing.

Role of Real Devices in Bug Finding

To launch highly successful, efficient, user-friendly software in the industry, it is essential your software must be thoroughly tested in real user conditions. 

This aids in detecting and resolving the majority of bugs that an end-user may encounter in the real world.

Extensive testing necessitates a robust device lab that allows testers to test their web and mobile apps across a wide range of device-browser-OS combinations. 

Keep in mind that establishing a testing lab necessitates a significant financial investment as well as ongoing maintenance. Naturally, this is not feasible for all businesses.

Conclusion

With the advancement in technology and growing competition, software development has become more and more difficult. You must provide regular updates, add new features, and much more. 

All this leads to different types of bugs in the software, and with limited time, resources, and budget, it becomes difficult to find every bug. So it’s essential to go with a certain framework that can help you solve as many bugs as possible and also focus on testing the most critical areas of application for your business.