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digitalmars.D - [nomenclature] What is a bug?

reply Justin Johansson <no spam.com> writes:
Perhaps this topic could be posted as
"[challenge] Define just exactly what a bug is".

I trust this topic will yield some interesting conversation.

Cheers
Justin Johansson
Oct 12 2010
next sibling parent reply "Simen kjaeraas" <simen.kjaras gmail.com> writes:
Justin Johansson <no spam.com> wrote:


 Perhaps this topic could be posted as
 "[challenge] Define just exactly what a bug is".

 I trust this topic will yield some interesting conversation.


Unwanted behavior? I guess that might be a tad simplistic.

-- 
Simen
Oct 12 2010
next sibling parent reply Justin Johansson <no spam.com> writes:
On 13/10/2010 12:19 AM, Simen kjaeraas wrote:

 Justin Johansson <no spam.com> wrote:


 Perhaps this topic could be posted as
 "[challenge] Define just exactly what a bug is".

 I trust this topic will yield some interesting conversation.


 Unwanted behavior? I guess that might be a tad simplistic.


Thanks, at least a trying response gratefully received.:-)

What is "unwanted behavior" then to exact a formal definition of the same?

- JJ
Oct 12 2010
parent "Simen kjaeraas" <simen.kjaras gmail.com> writes:
Justin Johansson <no spam.com> wrote:


 What is "unwanted behavior" then to exact a formal definition of the  
 same?


Unintended behavior with negative consequences. I'm not sure the last
part should be left in, as one could certainly argue that any
unintended behavior is a bug, or at the very least a sign you don't
know what the code does, so it should be considered buggy until
otherwise proven.

-- 
Simen
Oct 12 2010
prev sibling parent JMRyan <nospam nospam.com> writes:
"Simen kjaeraas" <simen.kjaras gmail.com> wrote in 
news:op.vkgsmjr4vxi10f biotronic-pc.lan:


 Justin Johansson <no spam.com> wrote:
 

 Perhaps this topic could be posted as
 "[challenge] Define just exactly what a bug is".

 I trust this topic will yield some interesting conversation.


 
 Unwanted behavior? I guess that might be a tad simplistic.
 


I suppose this means that my children are full of bugs. :-)
Oct 12 2010
prev sibling next sibling parent reply Lutger <lutger.blijdestijn gmail.com> writes:
Justin Johansson wrote:


 Perhaps this topic could be posted as
 "[challenge] Define just exactly what a bug is".
 
 I trust this topic will yield some interesting conversation.
 
 Cheers
 Justin Johansson


Behavior that is not according to spec.

The problem with that is that the spec may be unclear or not even exist. If 
in that case, some behavior is unwanted, I would call it a bug in the spec 
or requirements.

Note that bugs may actually be wanted behavior. One such case is uniform 
function call syntax on arrays, which started life as a compiler bug. 
Afterwards, the spec was changed and thus the bug was solved.
Oct 12 2010
parent reply "Nick Sabalausky" <a a.a> writes:
"Lutger" <lutger.blijdestijn gmail.com> wrote in message 
news:i92j0v$cov$1 digitalmars.com...

 Note that bugs may actually be wanted behavior. One such case is uniform
 function call syntax on arrays, which started life as a compiler bug.
 Afterwards, the spec was changed and thus the bug was solved.


Wanted behavior that you didn't know you wanted :) Funny how bugs will 
occasionally inspire features.

Legend has it that combos in fighting games started out as a bug in the 
original Street Fighter 2 (it would let you perform a new move while you 
were already in the middle of certain other moves.) The "coin boxes with 
multiple coins" in the original Super Mario Bros were added because an early 
bug did that and it turned out to be fun. Happened to me once to: a 
game-like demo I made for a hobbyist embedded system (Hydra) has a faked 3D 
effect which I only thought to put in because an early bug in my rendering 
code resulted in a similar (but less polished) 3D-like effect.
Oct 13 2010
parent reply Iain Buclaw <ibuclaw ubuntu.com> writes:
== Quote from Nick Sabalausky (a a.a)'s article

 "Lutger" <lutger.blijdestijn gmail.com> wrote in message
 news:i92j0v$cov$1 digitalmars.com...

 Note that bugs may actually be wanted behavior. One such case is uniform
 function call syntax on arrays, which started life as a compiler bug.
 Afterwards, the spec was changed and thus the bug was solved.


 Wanted behavior that you didn't know you wanted :) Funny how bugs will
 occasionally inspire features.
 Legend has it that combos in fighting games started out as a bug in the
 original Street Fighter 2 (it would let you perform a new move while you
 were already in the middle of certain other moves.) The "coin boxes with
 multiple coins" in the original Super Mario Bros were added because an early
 bug did that and it turned out to be fun. Happened to me once to: a
 game-like demo I made for a hobbyist embedded system (Hydra) has a faked 3D
 effect which I only thought to put in because an early bug in my rendering
 code resulted in a similar (but less polished) 3D-like effect.


In case somebody hasn't already realised the distinction.
http://faux-rebonds.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/bug_vs_feature.gif
Oct 13 2010
parent Emil Madsen <sovende gmail.com> writes:
This is a bug:
http://www.ent.iastate.edu/images/hemiptera/stinkbug/brown_stink_bug_adult.jpg
Atleast for people who gets outside. - or well.. thats what I'm told :)

On 13 October 2010 15:51, Iain Buclaw <ibuclaw ubuntu.com> wrote:


 == Quote from Nick Sabalausky (a a.a)'s article

 "Lutger" <lutger.blijdestijn gmail.com> wrote in message
 news:i92j0v$cov$1 digitalmars.com...

 Note that bugs may actually be wanted behavior. One such case is




 uniform

 function call syntax on arrays, which started life as a compiler bug.
 Afterwards, the spec was changed and thus the bug was solved.


 Wanted behavior that you didn't know you wanted :) Funny how bugs will
 occasionally inspire features.
 Legend has it that combos in fighting games started out as a bug in the
 original Street Fighter 2 (it would let you perform a new move while you
 were already in the middle of certain other moves.) The "coin boxes with
 multiple coins" in the original Super Mario Bros were added because an


 early

 bug did that and it turned out to be fun. Happened to me once to: a
 game-like demo I made for a hobbyist embedded system (Hydra) has a faked


 3D

 effect which I only thought to put in because an early bug in my


 rendering

 code resulted in a similar (but less polished) 3D-like effect.


 In case somebody hasn't already realised the distinction.
 http://faux-rebonds.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/bug_vs_feature.gif



-- 
// Yours sincerely
// Emil 'Skeen' Madsen
Oct 18 2010
prev sibling next sibling parent Jonathan M Davis <jmdavisProg gmx.com> writes:
On Tuesday, October 12, 2010 06:14:24 Justin Johansson wrote:

 Perhaps this topic could be posted as
 "[challenge] Define just exactly what a bug is".
 
 I trust this topic will yield some interesting conversation.
 
 Cheers
 Justin Johansson


Something to squish underfoot. ;)

- Jonathan M Davis
Oct 12 2010
prev sibling parent Bruno Medeiros <brunodomedeiros+spam com.gmail> writes:
On 12/10/2010 14:14, Justin Johansson wrote:

 Perhaps this topic could be posted as
 "[challenge] Define just exactly what a bug is".

 I trust this topic will yield some interesting conversation.

 Cheers
 Justin Johansson



A developer(s) designs a program/system/spec/whatever to exhibit certain 
behavior. A bug is a behavior exhibited by that creation but which was 
not intended or expected according to the underlying design.
(Design in this context includes the whole source of the program, not 
just architecture, "overall design" or something like that.)

"Unwanted" behavior is not a good definition. A behavior can be 
intended/expected even if is unwanted or undesired. (enhancements, 
behaviors beyond the control of the program, etc.)

-- 
Bruno Medeiros - Software Engineer
Oct 29 2010