How to Handle Frustrations of bugs while coding
How to handle frustrations while debugging as a developer
Hi readers, it's amazing to have you here!
As developers, we all face moments of frustration when debugging. It’s part of the journey, but how we handle it makes all the difference. I thought it necessary to share some strategies that can help us navigate these moments better.
Create time for a break
When stuck on a bug, we often keep pushing ourselves without realizing that a break might be the best solution. Taking a step back can help you approach the problem with a fresh perspective, it gives you ample time to think about how to solve the problem differently.
More often than not, breaks are underestimated, but their impact is significant. Many times, the answer comes to you after stepping away for a few minutes.
Pro Tip:🔹 If you’ve been stuck for over an hour or two, take a break.
🔹 Even a 10–15 minute break can refresh your mind and bring new ideas to solve the bug.
Read Through Your Code Again
This seems weird, but then one way to handle frustrations when coding, after having a break is to go through your code again, this helps you to narrow down to discover where errors are coming from, and you can get a prompt solution to solving the bug.
Sometimes, the issue isn’t as complicated as it seems—it might be a small typo, a missing semicolon, or an overlooked logic error.
Reading your code line by line helps you spot patterns and errors you may have missed while frustrated.
Google is Your Friend
One way to handle frustrations while coding is by researching online, through Google. There are many times I've gotten stuck on a project because of a bug and by searching online, I've been able to get those bug problems solved.
Make Google your friend, many times it saves you time and provides solutions. Search engines, ChatGPT, Stack Overflow, and developer forums can provide insights from those who have faced similar problems.
🔹 Pro Tip: Learn how to phrase your search queries effectively to get better results. Instead of searching “My code is not working”, try “React form validation not updating state”.
Use of Debugging Tools
There are various means to debug your code such as commenting things out, error handling, etc, and the use of a Debugging tool is an advanced method of debugging a code, yet it goes a long way in finding bugs in code by creating breakpoints.
There are various debugging methods:
🔹 Commenting out sections of code to isolate issues
🔹 Adding console logs (console.log(variable)) to track values
🔹 Using built-in debugging tools in your code editor
For more advanced debugging, set breakpoints in Chrome DevTools or your preferred debugging environment. This helps you trace the problem efficiently.
Read Tech Articles or related books
Reading Tech articles or related books helps to improve one's understanding and provides in-depth solutions to problems.
It helps expand your problem-solving skills and improves your debugging techniques. A friend once suggested reading at least one tech article daily—and it has made a difference!
Here’s a great read:
🔗 How to Debug Your Code – Codecademy
- ASK! ASK! ASK!
After the aforementioned has been done, and the bug persists, ask for help!
🔹 Reach out to a mentor, colleague, or developer community.
🔹 Explain your problem clearly—sometimes, just explaining it helps you see the solution yourself.
🔹 Pair programming with someone else can also help uncover issues faster.
Implement What You’ve Learned
The best way to improve as a developer is to apply what you’ve learned. Each debugging experience teaches you something new. Take notes on what worked so you can troubleshoot faster next time.
Changes that seem small and unimportant at first will compound into remarkable results if you are willing to stick to them for years.
Debugging can be frustrating, but with the right mindset and strategies, you can handle it effectively. Keep learning, keep improving, and remember—you’re not alone in this!
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Cheers! 🎉