Troubleshooting Your Code

In this episode we dive into the world of troubleshooting and debugging exploring different methodologies and tools that should help you take out any pesky bugs you might come across.

Segment 1 - Troubleshooting Methodologies

• Process of Elimination
  • Slowly eliminate parts of your code that might be the culprit
  • Narrow down the culprit then perform the process of elimination on the section that is causing the issue
• Don't be afraid to Google/research
  • Researching is nothing to be ashamed of, it does not mean you don't know what you're doing
  • As you look things up you'll be enhancing your researching skills, which is helpful when treading into new technologies
• Learn the Source
  • Don't just bandaid the issue
  • Find out the who, what, where, when, why, and how
  • Apply an actual fix to the issue wherever possible and take measure to prevent it from happening again

Segment 2 - Debugging in the Browser

• UI/UX Debugging
  • Using console window on Google Chrome
  • Inspecting elements to determine proper positioning and check if something is overlapping
  • Primarily use: Elements View, Styles View, and Console
  • Using console.log to check how a program is running
• Advanced Console Debugging
  • JS Breakpoints to check on parts of programs
    • Better than console logs in some more advanced cases
  • Can check all local variables at a select breakpoint
  • Postman for DB Debugging

Segment 3 - Application/Storytime

• Troubleshooting Cordova Apps on Android
  • Longevity testing
  • Wireless adb debugging
  • Passing console logs through from webview to Android through an interface
  • Crashing issues
  • Media playback issues
• VPN Gateway Failure (some details changed for security procedure
  • IT support issue
  • Establishing a tunnel worked but routing internally didn't work
  • Ended up being an NDP issue
  • Most advanced troubleshooting Matt has possibly done (most involved - over 2 weeks of work)

Web News - Experience Doesn't Trump Research

• Don't shy away from research 
• We typically have the documentation of a given framework or library that we are using, pulled up on a tab at all times
• Impossible to commit everything to memory
• Getting muscle memory, intuition, and research skills down pat makes you a proper "technician" for software engineering and IT work

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