Software Bug
A Software Bug is a system error in a software system that causes it to behave in unintended ways or produce incorrect results.
- AKA: Programming Error, Code Defect, Software Fault, Software Defect.
- Context:
- It can typically exist in source code as a result of programmer mistakes, design flaws, or requirement misunderstanding.
- It can typically be detected through software testing processes including unit tests, integration tests, and system tests.
- It can typically be recorded in a bug tracking system with details about its reproduction steps, expected behavior, and actual behavior.
- It can typically be prioritized based on its severity, impact, and urgency for business operations.
- It can typically be assigned to developers who are responsible for debugging and implementing a fix.
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- It can often be categorized by its bug type such as logic error, syntax error, or semantic error.
- It can often affect different system layers including user interface, business logic, data access, or network communication.
- It can often be introduced during code changes when existing functionality is modified without understanding all dependencyies.
- It can often remain undetected in complex systems where interactions between components create unexpected scenarios.
- It can often lead to cascading failures where one bug triggers a chain reaction of additional errors.
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- It can range from being a Production Software Bug to being an Under-Development Software Bug, depending on its discovery environment.
- It can range from being a Fixed Bug to being an Open Bug, depending on its resolution status.
- It can range from being a Trivial Bug to being a Critical Bug, depending on its business impact.
- It can range from being a Functional Bug to being a Non-Functional Bug, depending on whether it affects feature behavior or system quality.
- It can range from being a Reproducible Bug to being an Intermittent Bug, depending on its occurrence consistency.
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- It can occur at any stage of the software lifecycle, including development, testing, or production environments.
- It can be classified by severity, from minor issues (such as a UI glitch) to critical bugs (such as a system crash or security vulnerability).
- It can be reported in a Software Bug Report (often within a bug ticket) in tools like JIRA or Bugzilla.
- It can be discovered through manual testing, automated testing, or by end users in a production environment.
- It can result from human error, miscommunication in requirements, or unanticipated system interactions.
- It can be fixed through a hotfix, patch, or in the next software release cycle.
- It can be monitored and managed using bug tracking systems or issue tracking systems.
- It can cause a Ripple Effect, where one bug introduces further complications in a system.
- It can lead to a software system vulnerability, especially if the bug concerns security features or access controls.
- It can be related to specific types of bugs, such as a memory leak, a null pointer exception, or a race condition.
- It can be prevented or minimized through unit testing, integration testing, and code reviews.
- It can affect various system components, from user interface to database transactions and network protocols.
- It can be escalated to a critical incident if the bug significantly impacts the system availability or functionality.
- It can be traced to its root cause through debugging processes including log analysis, code inspection, and reproduction environment.
- It can be documented with a bug history showing when it was introduced, discovered, and resolved.
- It can be analyzed for patterns to improve software development practices and quality assurance processes.
- It can be subject to regression testing to ensure that the bug fix doesn't break existing functionality.
- It can be used as a learning opportunity to enhance developer skills and improve coding standards.
- It can be tracked for metrics such as mean time to resolution, defect density, and fix effectiveness.
- Examples:
- Software Bug Categories by root cause, such as:
- Logic Software Bugs resulting from incorrect reasoning:
- Boundary Condition Software Bug failing to handle edge cases properly.
- Control Flow Software Bug creating incorrect execution paths through the program.
- Calculation Software Bug performing mathematical operations incorrectly.
- State Management Software Bug losing track of system state during operation.
- Implementation Software Bugs arising from coding errors:
- Syntax Software Bug violating the programming language rules.
- Type Mismatch Software Bug using incompatible data types.
- Reference Software Bug accessing invalid memory locations.
- Resource Management Software Bug failing to properly allocate or deallocate resources.
- Integration Software Bugs occurring between system components:
- Interface Software Bug violating contracts between modules.
- Dependency Software Bug relying on incompatible versions of external components.
- Configuration Software Bug using incorrect settings for the operational environment.
- Communication Software Bug passing malformed data between systems.
- Logic Software Bugs resulting from incorrect reasoning:
- Software Bug Categories by system impact, such as:
- Performance Software Bugs affecting system efficiency:
- Memory Leak Bugs, where the application consumes memory without releasing it, leading to system slowdown over time.
- Increased Latency Bugs, where a bug introduces delays in network communication, leading to poor user experience.
- Resource Consumption Software Bug using excessive CPU, memory, or disk space.
- Optimization Software Bug missing opportunities for performance improvement.
- Functional Software Bugs breaking core capabilities:
- Data Processing Software Bug producing incorrect results from input.
- Feature Behavior Software Bug failing to implement requirements correctly.
- User Interaction Software Bug mishandling user input or feedback.
- Business Logic Software Bug violating domain rules or business constraints.
- Security Software Bugs creating vulnerabilityies:
- Authentication Software Bug allowing unauthorized access.
- Authorization Software Bug granting improper permissions.
- Injection Software Bug enabling malicious input to manipulate the system.
- Encryption Software Bug weakening data protection.
- Performance Software Bugs affecting system efficiency:
- Software Bug Categories by behavior pattern, such as:
- Timing-Related Software Bugs involving concurrent operations:
- Race Condition Bugs, where parallel execution leads to unpredictable system behavior and data corruption.
- Synchronization Software Bug failing to coordinate shared resource access.
- Deadlock Software Bug causing mutual blocking between threads.
- Timing Dependency Software Bug relying on specific execution speed.
- Data-Related Software Bugs affecting information integrity:
- Null Pointer Exception Bugs that occur when a program attempts to access or modify an object that hasn't been initialized, causing a crash.
- Overflow Bugs, where a program tries to store data beyond the allocated memory, leading to system crashes or vulnerabilities.
- Data Truncation Software Bug losing information during processing.
- Format Conversion Software Bug incorrectly transforming data between representations.
- UI-Related Software Bugs affecting user experience:
- UI Rendering Bugs, where user interface elements fail to load correctly due to misaligned resource paths or logic errors.
- Responsive Design Software Bug failing on certain screen sizes or devices.
- Accessibility Software Bug preventing proper interaction for users with disabilities.
- Localization Software Bug incorrectly displaying text, dates, or currency in different languages or regions.
- Timing-Related Software Bugs involving concurrent operations:
- Software Bug Categories by lifecycle characteristics:
- Regression Software Bugs reintroducing previously fixed issues:
- Software Regression-based Bugs caused by an update that unintentionally reintroduces a previously fixed issue.
- Compatibility Regression Software Bug breaking backward compatibility.
- Feature Regression Software Bug disabling previously working functionality.
- Performance Regression Software Bug degrading system efficiency after change.
- Production Software Bugs affecting live systems:
- Critical Production Bugs that crashes an e-commerce platform during peak shopping hours, requiring a hotfix patch.
- Data Corruption Production Software Bug damaging stored information.
- Service Disruption Software Bug preventing normal operation.
- User-Blocking Software Bug preventing completion of critical tasks.
- Feature-Related Software Bugs in new functionality:
- Software Feature Anomaly, where a newly introduced feature behaves in unexpected ways due to incomplete specifications.
- Missing Feature Software Bug failing to implement required functionality.
- Excessive Feature Software Bug implementing unspecified behavior.
- Feature Interaction Software Bug where multiple features conflict when used together.
- Regression Software Bugs reintroducing previously fixed issues:
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- Software Bug Categories by root cause, such as:
- Counter-Examples:
- Software Unit Test, which is a method used to prevent bugs by testing individual software components.
- Code Review, a systematic examination of code to catch errors and bugs before they reach production.
- Test-Driven Development, a methodology that reduces the likelihood of bugs by developing tests prior to writing code.
- Expected Limitation, which represents a known constraint of the system rather than an unintended behavior.
- Feature Request, which identifies a desired functionality not yet implemented rather than a flaw in existing code.
- Software Documentation, which describes intended behavior rather than representing an error.
- Hardware Failure, which stems from physical component issues rather than software defects.
- User Error, which results from incorrect usage of the software rather than a flaw in the system.
- Planned Deprecation, which is an intentional removal of functionality rather than an unplanned malfunction.
- See: Failure, System Fault, Source Code, Software Architecture, Ripple Effect, Computing System Crash, Security Bug, Networked-System Performance Error, Bug Tracking System, Software Testing, Code Review, Debugging Process, Software Quality Assurance, Technical Debt, Static Code Analysis, Continuous Integration, Root Cause Analysis.
References
2023
- chat
- A: A bug report is a document that describes a problem with a software application or system, including information about the conditions under which the problem occurred, the expected behavior and the actual behavior. ...
2023
- (Wikipedia, 2023) ⇒ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_bug Retrieved:2023-3-30.
- A software bug is an error, flaw or fault in the design, development, or operation of computer software that causes it to produce an incorrect or unexpected result, or to behave in unintended ways. The process of finding and correcting bugs is termed “debugging” and often uses formal techniques or tools to pinpoint bugs. Since the 1950s, some computer systems have been designed to deter, detect or auto-correct various computer bugs during operations.
Bugs in software can arise from mistakes and errors made in interpreting and extracting users' requirements, planning a program's design, writing its source code, and from interaction with humans, hardware and programs, such as operating systems or libraries. A program with many, or serious, bugs is often described as buggy. Bugs can trigger errors that may have ripple effects. The effects of bugs may be subtle, such as unintended text formatting, through to more obvious effects such as causing a program to crash, freezing the computer, or causing damage to hardware. Other bugs qualify as security bugs and might, for example, enable a malicious user to bypass access controls in order to obtain unauthorized privileges. Some software bugs have been linked to disasters. Bugs in code that controlled the Therac-25 radiation therapy machine were directly responsible for patient deaths in the 1980s. In 1996, the European Space Agency's US$1 billion prototype Ariane 5 rocket was destroyed less than a minute after launch due to a bug in the on-board guidance computer program. In 1994, an RAF Chinook helicopter crashed, killing 29; this was initially blamed on pilot error, but was later thought to have been caused by a software bug in the engine-control computer. Buggy software caused the early 21st century British Post Office scandal, the most widespread miscarriage of justice in British legal history. In 2002, a study commissioned by the US Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology concluded that "software bugs, or errors, are so prevalent and so detrimental that they cost the US economy an estimated $59 billion annually, or about 0.6 percent of the gross domestic product".
- A software bug is an error, flaw or fault in the design, development, or operation of computer software that causes it to produce an incorrect or unexpected result, or to behave in unintended ways. The process of finding and correcting bugs is termed “debugging” and often uses formal techniques or tools to pinpoint bugs. Since the 1950s, some computer systems have been designed to deter, detect or auto-correct various computer bugs during operations.
2015
- (Wikipedia, 2015) ⇒ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/software_bug Retrieved:2015-2-1.