Re:The Grug Brained Developer (2022)
by Xeoncross on Wednesday June 18, 2025 @09:29AM
(#44309738)
That is the difference between complex state and simple state.
I use a debugger when I've constructed a complex process that has a large cardinally of states it could end up in. There is no possibility that I can write logic checks (tests) for all source inputs to that state.
I don't use one when I could simply increase test situations to find my logical error.
Consider the difference between a game engine and a simple state machine. The former can be complex enough to replicate many features of the real world while a simple state machine/lexer probably just needs more tests of each individual state to spot the issue.
I use a debugger when I've constructed a complex process that has a large cardinally of states it could end up in. There is no possibility that I can write logic checks (tests) for all source inputs to that state.
I don't use one when I could simply increase test situations to find my logical error.
Consider the difference between a game engine and a simple state machine. The former can be complex enough to replicate many features of the real world while a simple state machine/lexer probably just needs more tests of each individual state to spot the issue.