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Defensive Programming and Debugging

Geert Jan Bex, Ingrid Barcena, Mag Selwa, and Yulia Kallistratova

Most FutureLearn courses run multiple times. Every run of a course has a set start date but you can join it and work through it after it starts. Find out more This is an intermediate level course aimed at people with some programming experience. Although examples will be given in C and Fortran, the principles (and most of the tools) are transferable to other programming languages. You can use the hashtag #FLdebugging to talk about this course on social media.

Topics Covered

Defensive programming: the use of good coding style, documentation strategies and good code testing
Preventing bugs: how to use compiler flags and static code checkers to identify bugs in an early stage
Finding bugs: debugging concepts and technics
Using the debugging tools GDB and Valgrind to fix serial programs
Debugging parallel code: using Intel Inspector and ITAC

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Reviews summary

Practical debugging and defensive coding

According to students, this course is a highly practical and insightful guide to defensive programming and debugging. Learners particularly praise its coverage of essential debugging tools like GDB and Valgrind, and the invaluable strategies for preventing bugs proactively. While many find the content exceptionally useful for writing robust code and appreciate the logical course structure, some indicate that the explanations for certain tools can be a bit rushed, suggesting a need for more hands-on labs or interactive exercises. It is widely recognized as an intermediate-level course, benefiting greatly from prior programming experience, especially in C.

Best suited for those with existing programming experience.

"It truly is an intermediate course, so having some C/Fortran background helps immensely."

"I struggled to keep up without prior extensive knowledge of C."

"This course was a bit challenging at times if you're not deeply familiar with C programming."

Covers essential debugging tools like GDB and Valgrind effectively.

"The modules on Valgrind and GDB were particularly well-explained, making complex debugging techniques accessible."

"I particularly appreciated the detailed coverage of GDB."

"I found the examples for GDB and Valgrind helpful and directly applicable to my projects."

Teaches highly practical strategies for robust coding and bug prevention.

"This course was incredibly insightful and practical. The focus on real-world application is excellent."

"Absolutely essential for anyone serious about writing robust code. The section on static code checkers and compiler flags helped me catch so many potential bugs..."

"The insights into preventing bugs proactively are invaluable. I particularly appreciated the detailed coverage of GDB."

"This course really improved my coding habits. The defensive programming strategies taught are gold."

Some found the pacing inconsistent and engagement varied.

"While the topics are important, I felt the course was quite dry and the pacing was inconsistent. Some parts moved too fast, others too slow."

"The course has good theoretical content, but I found some of the explanations for tools like GDB and Valgrind a bit rushed."

"My only minor critique is that the audio quality in some lectures wasn't great, but the slides were clear."

Some learners desire more hands-on exercises for tools.

"I found some of the explanations for tools like GDB and Valgrind a bit rushed. I had to look up external resources... Perhaps more hands-on labs would improve this."

"The practical application of the tools was not as strong as I hoped. I struggled with some of the assignments without more guided examples."

"I agree with others that some parts could benefit from more interactive exercises or clearer demonstrations."

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Learners who complete Defensive Programming and Debugging will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Reading list

We've selected 50 books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Defensive Programming and Debugging.

Test Driven Development

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Classic in the field of TDD and provides a comprehensive overview of the topic. It is written by Kent Beck, who is one of the pioneers of TDD.

Defensive Programming and Debugging

Topics Covered

Topics Covered

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Reviews summary

Practical debugging and defensive coding

Career center

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