Joyful debugging
Over the past year, I've been lucky enough to work with some great engineers and I've learned a lot from them. Here are two of the smaller tidbits I've learned.
How to actually use a debugger.
Most engineers know what a debugger is. Many know how to use one. Far fewer know when to reach for it.
Historically, I have been a through & through print statement abuser. Whenever I was developing, I'd scatter print statements everywhere, drown in logs, and develop an impressive headache in the process.
Then, about a month into my first and current full-time role, a senior engineer took pity on me and taught me how to use a debugger properly. In about 15 minutes, he changed my development work flow & helped me build confidence when dealing with gnarlier bugs. To be clear, I never stopped using print statements. I still reach for them all the time, especially for small-scale testing or quick sanity checks.
Some relevant resources:
How to joyfully debug with print statements
Now, if using a debugger is so powerful, why should we ever use something else? Beyond convenience, good vibes are often a great reason to do something.
A few months later, I was pair programming with our frontend lead and noticed a simple habit he had. His print statements had personality!
console.log(`🦄 ${someVariable}`)
console.log(`🧐 pls don't be undefined – ${someVariable}`)
It's one of those small things (literally just some emojis or fun wording) that has such a surprising impact.
When you're deep in a frustrating bug, that splash of joy in your terminal output is such a trooper when it comes to breaking things up. It keeps your brain out of self-destructive dives into tunnel vision and helps you stay engaged in what you're working on.
Is this going to make you a more efficient or better programmer? Probably not. Does this make debugging even a slightly better experience? Yes.
As a side-bonus, these things act as wonderful visual cues to make scanning logs easier.
TL;DR
- Learn how and when to use a debugger.
- Let your personality shine and write some joyful print statements.