Programming: How to Troubleshoot More Effectively
programming and in life every problem has at least two, three solutions.
It is just a matter of persistence to find them regardless of the difficulty of the problem.
How to troubleshoot a problem?
One of the most effective ways is to grab a piece of paper and write down the problem in a form of a question.
Why my script is returning an invalid value?
Brainstorm possible solutions:
1) Enable (more detailed) logging (PHP, Web Server etc.) to get more details.
2) Put the code through the debugger
3) The code was working fine a week ago so what code did I write in last 7 days that might have caused the current issue?
By asking yourself those questions your mind starts looking for answers.
When troubleshooting a problem, we, the developers put the hat of a detective because we have to find the suspect that is causing the issue. Sometimes this could be one line or five. At the end it is very rewarding for find the culprit.
Paying attention to emotions
During the troubleshooting you should pay attention to the emotions you have. If you are starting to get angry this is a sign to stop for several minutes. When being angry this just decreases the effectiveness of your problem solving skills.
Taking Breaks
It is far more effective to stop after one hour of troubleshooting and then go for a walk, drink water/tea/coffee or talk to colleagues (or check Facebook). Then come back to the task at hand. You will feel more refreshed and ready to attack the problem again but this time from a different angle. It is very exhausting when then trying to solve the hard problem in one continuous attempt. Make sure that you drink plenty of water. By taking a break and drinking water more solutions will present themselves.
Workaround solution
Sometimes you will have to be OK with a workaround solution because the *more correct* solution might take so much time and the software release could be delayed.
In conclusion, the developer’s job is not easy however if you have the right mind set all the experience can lead to growth. How? There will be cases when some bugs appear at random times. These are very hard to find.
Additionally, a troubleshooting session can extend from several hours to 5 or more days.
In order you to be healthy and live long you have to develop unlimited amount of patience.
This is a valuable skill to have
