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Coding habits

An unexpected result is a starting point.

Debugging begins with noticing a difference, asking a clear question and trying a focused change.

A student typing code on a laptop beside a wheeled robot and white enclosure

Describe what happened

When a program does something unexpected, describe the behavior before making changes. What instruction was running? What should have happened instead? A specific description helps narrow the search and makes it easier to ask someone else for help.

Keep the comparison fair

Try one change and repeat the same scenario. If several instructions change at once, it becomes harder to know which one affected the result. Keep a short note of each attempt so useful discoveries are not lost between tests.

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