CHAPTER 5 Simplifying Problems
Once we have reproduced a problem, we must simplify it—that is, we must find out which circumstances are not relevant for the problem and can thus be omitted. This process results in a test case that contains only the relevant circumstances. In the best case, a simplified test case report immediately pinpoints the defect. In this chapter, we introduce delta debugging, an automated debugging method that simplifies test cases automatically.
5.1 SIMPLIFYING THE PROBLEM
After one has reproduced a problem, the next step in debugging is to find out what is relevant and what is not. Does the problem really depend on the entire 10,000 lines of input? Is it really necessary to replay all of these interaction steps? Does ...
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