Software bugs are very annoying. Resolving them can be stressful and tiring. However, there are stress-free ways to deal with these bugs.
This article will be talking about several stress-free steps in fixing bugs. Who knows, you might find it quite a challenge and, eventually, enjoyable.
Having Enough Room
Give yourself enough room to perform debugging properly. Being in a comfortable environment will make work easier and stress-free. Here are some tips on how to create a stress-free work environment.
Make The Issue Known
Let the users know that something is wrong. However, if the issue is security-related, it is alright to keep mum about it. As a user, nothing is worse than not knowing what is happening. Tell them, so they will not be left in the dark.
Find Ways To Fix Issues Quickly
Try to get an idea about something you can do to fix the issue quickly relatively. If this is the case, just ship that fix. Once it is live, you will have fewer affected users. Hence, grumbling managers can go grumble else. They are thus leaving you in peace to dig deeper into the problem. Find its cause and resolve it quickly.
Find A Workaround
Broken functionality is not the only way to achieve a task. Therefore, use whatever communication channels you have available to let users know alternative ways of getting what they need so they can keep working. The workaround will probably be clumsy and slow, and it may involve doing things offline.
Switch Off Broken Features
Remove the “Pay” button if the payment feature is broken. If the search feature is broken, remove the search bar. Indeed users still will not be able to achieve what they want to, but at least the functionality that remains is something they can have confidence in, and you won’t be inundated with new logs and alerts.
If the bug continues to cause damage, this is a great way to stop things from getting worse. In the worst-case scenario, you can put a big “we’re down for maintenance” message up instead of your home page, and/or redirect to your company’s Facebook or Twitter page.
Working Methodically
With a calm and stress-free work environment, you should have more time to focus and get the job done. Having a list of things to work through will help you feel more in control.
Additional Pair Of Eyes
Having an additional pair of eyes to help you look into the problem will be most helpful. This will help keep you on track and make it less likely that you’ll follow dead ends. A partner who knows the system as well as you do is a good thing. However, if otherwise, then your partner can help you stay on the right track.
Reproduce The Issue
Reproducing the issue locally will set our self up for success. Bugs become less mysterious once you can make them occur at will. Therefore, it also means you will definitely know when you have fixed them. Hence you will be able to demonstrate the bug occurring before and after you apply the patch.
Eliminate The Obvious Potential Causes
Make a little list of the most obvious potential causes. This can save you a lot of time. Intuition plays an important role here. And developers tend to have very good intuition when it comes to what is causing issues. However, they often dismiss their own suspicions without sharing them. Make a note of them to force yourself to consider them.
The Players And Layers
List down all the payers and layers. It will be easy to forget a part of a system, especially if you do not change or think about it often. A list of the stack that a user request passes through can help you broaden your thinking. Thus, find potential culprits you might otherwise miss.
Find Changes
Bugs that have existed for a long time without having a negative impact will likely have come to your attention because something changed. Look at the source control and deployment histories to see what has changed recently.
If there are no visible changes, remember to look at your list of layers and players. The change might not have been made in the code you look after. Furthermore, ask around to find out if other systems have recently had changes deployed.
Think About Next Time
Take time to make changes that will improve life for your future self once you find a bug. Write a test that will catch the bug, in case it crops up again. Add the logging or documentation you wish you had.
Wrapping Up
In any field of work, it is a big factor to work in a stress-free environment. Stress makes us irritable, tired, and moody. It never had any positive effect on anybody at all.
However, stress can challenge us, too. It a push and motivate us to improve on things to make it stress-free, thus making us more efficient and productive. Regardless of what field you are engaged in, a stress-free work and work environment is always a good thing.