Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!tektronix!reed!percival!baer
From: baer@percival.UUCP (Ken Baer)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: SDB: What no menus?
Message-ID: <1187@percival.UUCP>
Date: 30 Mar 88 17:52:45 GMT
References: <1028@pur-phy> <935@rmi.UUCP> <7901@oberon.USC.EDU> <5550@well.UUCP>
Reply-To: baer@percival.UUCP (Ken Baer)
Organization: Funkytown Software International
Lines: 31
Summary: a great package!

In article <5550@well.UUCP> ewhac@well.UUCP (Leo 'Bols Ewhac' Schwab) writes:
>In article <7901@oberon.USC.EDU> papa@pollux.usc.edu (Marco Papa) writes:
>>After having used SDB for over a month to debug 2 commercial programs
>>I concur with the above quote and more: I think SDB is the best thing
>>that was invented after sliced bread :-)  [ ... ]  At
>>this point in time, any commercial developer that is NOT using SDB is
>>clearly shooting himself in the foot, [ ... ]
>
>SmugSelfRighteousMode (ON);
>
>	I have never encountered a bug that I couldn't have discovered by
>taking a good, studious look at the source code.
>	Conclusion:  Debuggers are for weenies.

Well, I've had the debugger for a few weeks now, and I've been very pleased
with it.  It's saved my can more than a number of times.  For one thing it
really helped me understand the low level IFF routines (no small feat).  But,
I do agree with Leo to a point.  I use the Debugger as a kind of last resort.
SBD is good in that it will tap you on the shoulder and say "Hey, STUPID!!
Your error is right in front of your nose!"  Also, even with the Debugger, you
still have to take a good, studious look at your source code.  SDB helps a
LOT with telling you where to look.  I have already saved hours that I would
have spent doing African Safari Bug Hunts (sounds like a good game title :-).
I would still recommend the Debugger to all Manx C programmers.  Even Leo.
The only other debugger I've used is UNIX dbx.  SDB beats it hands down.
Happy Hacking Everyone!
-- 
	-Ken Baer.  					 
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