Bug∼hunting, or why my programs never work first time

Abstract

It is almost a law of nature that no program of more than four lines ever works first time. The reasons for this are manifold but they can be put down in many cases, to very simple errors of typing, or to the use of the BASIC language itself. Errors in computer programs are usually called bugs, and the various ways of debugging a program form the basis of this chapter. An attempt is made to itemise the various types of error, but it is often a combination of several of these which causes a program to fail.