7 Most Common Engineering Bugs and How to Avoid Them

Software bugs, while often perceived as minor, can have significant and sometimes catastrophic consequences, as illustrated by the Ariane 5 rocket failure. Common types of software bugs include syntax errors, logical errors, runtime errors, performance bugs, concurrency bugs, security bugs, integration bugs, compatibility bugs, usability bugs, and data bugs. The text delves into specific examples of bugs, such as off-by-one errors, null pointer exceptions, race conditions, memory leaks, infinite loops, uncaught exceptions, and incorrect data types, detailing how these errors manifest in real-world scenarios like e-commerce platforms, CRM software, and online banking systems. To mitigate these issues, the text suggests best practices like clear boundary understanding, robust error handling, code reviews, automated unit testing, and using debugging tools. It emphasizes the importance of preventive measures to build resilient applications and maintain business integrity, highlighting the value of addressing bugs proactively to save time and resources in the long run.