debugging tips: tldr version

These are quick tips to quickly fix that bug during development to help quickly get back to coding...

These are quick tips to quickly fix that bug during development to help quickly get back to coding (AKA triggering other bugs down your code pipeline.)

1. Use incognito mode: sometimes data stored in your browser cache can cause new code not to work as expected. Try going incognito and if the code works, clear your cached data and cookies to reset the browser.

2. Read the error message: there’s always that urge to quickly open a new Stack Overflow tab (next to the 10 already launched in your browser) to look up an error. But to become a better coder, I recommend that you always try to fix the bug error yourself, at first. Always read the error code and message keenly. Most error messages actually can tell you in simple English what caused the error in your code. A careful reading of the error can give hints on what exactly went wrong. In some instances, the error can even have an explicit location where the error occurred as in Django’s Exception Location.

3. Stack Overflow: this is the debugging bible that comes in handy. Search for a Stack Overflow post with a similar error. Some posts with little engagement or one that was posted many years back could just give you a hint on what to do. Try to refactor your code as much as possible to conform to a solution. If the error persists, rinse, repeat with a different solution.

4. Take a break: a good break can be all you need to get your mind juiced up and recharged to find the solution. Never underestimate the power of taking a short break from your code to relax your mind a bit.

5. Developer docs: although written at times in abstract language, can be the last resort to fixing an error. Take your time and read about the part of the code that can be source of the error to understand how different tools of the language can give rise to the error.