Re:Getting Started, circa 1983
by danbmil99 on Monday April 28, 2014 @02:32AM
(#7658514)
> If you're lucky, they'll use a debugger if it doesn't work. If you're unlucky, they start putting in print statements.
I think you got that backwards. printf debugging is a very useful but dying skill. If you have a usable debugger and you're working on one atomic single-threaded module, great -- but if you are doing low-level, asynchronous stuff, often on disparate platforms, the ability to write a log file and debug things that way is a precious resource.
Re:Getting Started, circa 1983
by treerex on Friday May 02, 2014 @04:23PM
(#7687910)
I completely agree: I do a lot of printf debugging in exactly the cases you describe. As with everything though it's a tool, and not necessarily the first one to go to.
I think you got that backwards. printf debugging is a very useful but dying skill. If you have a usable debugger and you're working on one atomic single-threaded module, great -- but if you are doing low-level, asynchronous stuff, often on disparate platforms, the ability to write a log file and debug things that way is a precious resource.