Fixing the issue

Usually the process of finding an error will help you understand how to fix it. Most times the fix will be something small, but sometimes you have to go back and rethink your plan.

Once you fix the error, make sure you always re-run the program and test it again. Try to recreate the example where the error occurred so that you can see that it now works as expected. It can also be worth trying out some related functionality to make sure you didn’t break anything new.

Tip

Finding the source of an issue is most of the work. Once you find it, and have understood why it is an issue, you are already most of the way to solving it.

It would not be uncommon to have to spend several hours to find an issue in a large program, and then for the fix to be a change of a single character. So don’t worry if you feel like you spend more time finding the issue than fixing it — that is all part of the job.