Customer Reviews

Debugging by Thinking: A Multidisciplinary Approach (HP Technologies)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Often many programmers learn debugging by the sink or swim approach. Rarely in a computer science university education will much time be devoted to this crucial topic. But for the professional programmer, Metzger offers a systematic, disciplined approach. Examples are given in Java and C++. Actually, if you program elsewhere, you should still be able to easily follow the logic. He also shows how to effectively use a debugger to install breakpoints and step through code.

Experienced programmers should not need this text. There will be little new for you. But it is well suited for newcomers. An easier way to learn than purely through experience.

The book lays out debugging strategies, heuristics, tactics, and approaches from the perspectives of detective, safety expert, psychologist, engineer, and computer scientist respectively. This is new! first! The text is an interesting read, and it helps the reader in his practice.

However, the case studies are a weak spot. The C++ code is not top notch, if pitted against the real, modern C++ according to Andrew Koenig ("Accelerated C++,") Scott Meyer ("Effective C++," "More Effective C++," "Effective STL,") Herb Sutter ("Exceptional C++," "More Exceptional C++," "C++ Coding Standards,") and Martin Fowler ("Refactoring.") In other words, the presented C++ code is rather like code written in 1993 than in 2003, when the book was published.

Thanks for pointing out the sample chapter. I bought this book and found it very interesting. I was particularly impressed by Appendix B - Books about debugging. Also I have to add that one of the popular static analysis tools for C/C++/Java in EMEA is PRQA C/C++/J (Programming Research Ltd.)

The publisher, Elsevier Digital Press, has a web page for the book which includes a Table of Contents and sample chapter
(the Introduction). Use the search feature on their web site.
The author will also have his own web site soon. Try the title.

The publisher, Elsevier Digital Press, has a web page for the book which includes a Table of Contents and sample chapter
(the Introduction). Use the search feature on their web site.
The author also has his own web site. Try the title.

I've been debugging for more that 15 years. Most of the books about debugging approaches are too elementary for me. The title of this book and short table of contents sound interesting (I gave 5 stars for that :-) but I don't want to order this book and then find that it's too simple or only for beginners. May be it's philosophical and doesn't have enough technical content. I don't know. If anyone has read it please post the review. Also it would be nice to have "search inside" feature for this book. HP website has neither good table of contents nor a sample chapter.