Assignment
Task
Assignment revolves around debugging a small application. This is an individual asssignment.
You will be provided with some code which contains several known bugs. The source code and initial bug reports will be made available in the Resources section of the subject's Interact site.
Your task is to replicate, simplify, trace, and eliminate these bugs using best practice debugging techniques. Your debugging effort should take place within a version control system using appropriately sized, commented, and timely commits.
Please note that the focus in this assignment is on the process and techniques applied, not the complexity of the code. It is recognised that the process applied is ‘way over the top' for the size of problem addressed.
Tasks
1. Replication.
a. For each of the reported bugs, generate a test case in UAT format that will reliably reproduce the buggy behaviour.
b. Commit the test case documentation to version control.
2. Simplification.
a. For each of the reported bugs, produce a simplified and automated test that reliably reproduces the bug.
b. Commit the test code demonstrating the bug to version control.
c. Record output from your test, demonstrating the buggy behaviour.
3. Tracing.
a. For each of the reported bugs, trace back through the programs dependences from the point of failure to find the origin of the bug. Use a sequence of hypotheses and tests to support this search, and document this sequence in a debugging log.
b. For each of the reported bugs, demonstrate that before the identified origin, variable values are ‘sane' and that after the origin, at least one value is ‘infected'.
c. Record screen shots demonstrating the origin of the bug.
4. Resolution.
a. For each of the reported bugs, correct the bug.
b. Commit the corrected code to version control.
c. Record output listings from your automated test demonstrating that the buggy behaviour has been eliminated.
d. Carry out the user test case with the specified data and show that the buggy behaviour has been eliminated.
Submit:
1. A word processed file containing:
a. The URL for repository used for your debugging effort. Make sure you commit both at the start of the debugging process, once you have developed an automated test demonstrating each bug, and after you have resolved each bug.
Include a directory at the top of the file indicating where in your repository the files related to each debugging effort can be found.
b. For each bug:
i. The user tests (in UAT format) that demonstrate the bug. (specifying expected buggy output)
ii. Output from your automated test demonstrating the buggy behaviour.
iii. A debugging log recording the succession of hypotheses, tests, and results of those tests that you used to trace the origin of each bug.
iv. 'Before' and 'after' screen shots identifying the origin of the bug. (show variable values)
v. Output from the automated test demonstrating correct operation after resolution of each bug.
vi. Test results from the user test you specified for each bug demonstrating correct operation.
Presentation
There are two aspects to the presentation of this assignment.
The first is a word processed file submitted through TURNITIN which contains:
• the URL for the version control repository where all code development and tests for the debugging assignment can be found.
• for each bug:
o the user test case for each bug
o the output from the automated test demonstrating the buggy behaviour
o your debugging log showing the sequence of hypotheses and tests leading to identification of the origin of the bug
o screen shots demonstrating the transition from sane to infected at the origin
o output showing resolution of the bug
The second aspect of the assignment is presented as a functional code repository containing the complete development history and code for the assignment. You should clearly comment the update which represents the point at which you submit the assignment.
It is critical that you do not delete the repository until after you have received your mark for thre assignment.