Rubber Duck Method of Debugging

Saturday, March 21st, 2009 at 20:58

Warning: constant() [function.constant]: Couldn't find constant TT_RIMS_LEN in /home/stupidsi/public_html/new/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/tweet-this.php on line 1243

Warning: constant() [function.constant]: Couldn't find constant TT_RIMS_LEN in /home/stupidsi/public_html/new/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/tweet-this.php on line 1243

Warning: constant() [function.constant]: Couldn't find constant TT_RIMS_LEN in /home/stupidsi/public_html/new/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/tweet-this.php on line 1243

Warning: constant() [function.constant]: Couldn't find constant TT_RIMS_LEN in /home/stupidsi/public_html/new/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/tweet-this.php on line 1243

Warning: constant() [function.constant]: Couldn't find constant TT_RIMS_LEN in /home/stupidsi/public_html/new/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/tweet-this.php on line 1243

Warning: constant() [function.constant]: Couldn't find constant TT_RIMS_LEN in /home/stupidsi/public_html/new/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/tweet-this.php on line 1243

Warning: constant() [function.constant]: Couldn't find constant TT_RIMS_LEN in /home/stupidsi/public_html/new/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/tweet-this.php on line 1243

Warning: constant() [function.constant]: Couldn't find constant TT_RIMS_LEN in /home/stupidsi/public_html/new/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/tweet-this.php on line 1243

Warning: constant() [function.constant]: Couldn't find constant TT_RIMS_LEN in /home/stupidsi/public_html/new/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/tweet-this.php on line 1243

Warning: constant() [function.constant]: Couldn't find constant TT_RIMS_LEN in /home/stupidsi/public_html/new/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/tweet-this.php on line 1243

Warning: constant() [function.constant]: Couldn't find constant TT_RIMS_LEN in /home/stupidsi/public_html/new/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/tweet-this.php on line 1243

There is an entire development methodology (whose name escapes me at the
moment) that makes use of that very phenomenon.

We called it the Rubber Duck method of debugging.  It goes like this:

1) Beg, borrow, steal, buy, fabricate or otherwise obtain a rubber duck
   (bathtub variety)
2) Place rubber duck on desk and inform it you are just going to go over
   some code with it, if that's all right.
3) Explain to the duck what you code is supposed to do, and then go into
   detail and explain things line by line
4) At some point you will tell the duck what you are doing next and then
   realise that that is not in fact what you are actually doing.  The duck
   will sit there serenely, happy in the knowledge that it has helped you
   on your way.

Works every time.  Actually, if you don't have a rubber duck you could at
a pinch ask a fellow programmer or engineer to sit in.

Delicious Digg This Post Ping This Post Reddit Stumble This Post