Software Bugs: Detection, Analysis and Fixing

ABSTRACT 

This research work is concerned with the detection, analysis and fixing of software bugs. The objective of this work was to identify software development process with a focus of identifying cost effective methods of developing and managing software systems by introducing a post-deployment debugging approach which helps track software’s stability and at same time serve as a software bug-data repository. To achieve this objective, a web-based application –BugTracker was developed to manage software testing and post deployment activities and at the same time serve as a bug-data repository. The proposed approach allowstesters and end-users of the system to report bugs which the developer analyses to resolve issues and thereafter update the program files with newly updated version. UML and Overview model were used in the analysis and design of the BugTracker while PHP, HTML, JavaScript and MySQL database were used as the technology for the implementation of the system. Evaluation and testing of BugTracker revealed an increase in developer’s productivity, reduction in production cost and an increase in software’s stability. This research work reveals that it is possible to increase a software’s stability and reduce development cost if post-deployment activities are well managed.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE......................................................................................................i

CERTIFICATION .............................................................................................ii

APPROVAL.................................................................................................... iii

DEDICATION..................................................................................................iv

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT .................................................................................v

ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................vii

TABLE OF CONTENTS................................................................................viii

LIST OF FIGURES ...........................................................................................x

LIST OF TABLES............................................................................................xi

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND OF STUDY..................................................................1

1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM.................................................................2

1.3 OBJECTIVES ..........................................................................................3

1.4 SIGNIFICANCE ......................................................................................3

1.5 SCOPE .....................................................................................................4

1.6 LIMITATIONS............................................................................................4

1.7 DEFINITION OF TERMS .......................................................................4

CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 THEORETICAL BACKGROUND ..........................................................6

CHAPTER THREE: SYSTEM ANALYSIS AND DESIGN

3.1 EXISTING SYSTEM.............................................................................17

3.2 ANALYSIS OF THE PROPOSED SYSTEM ........................................18

3.3 DEPLOYMENT AND SYSTEM SPECIFICATION..............................24

3.4 DATA BASE DESIGN ..........................................................................24

CHAPTER FOUR: SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION

4.1 CHOICE OF PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE......................................29

4.2 SOFTWARE PRODUCT RELIABILITY ..............................................31

4.3 SAMPLE RUNS.....................................................................................34

4.4 SYSTEM TESTING...............................................................................40

4.5 SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION.............................................................42

CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

5.1 REVIEW OF ACHIEVEMENTS...........................................................44

5.2 AREAS OF APPLICATION OF WORK ...............................................44

5.3 SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER WORK.............................................45

5.4 RECOMMENDATIONS........................................................................45

5.5 CONCLUSION ......................................................................................46

REFERENCES ................................................................................................47

APPENDIX I: DOCUMENTATION...............................................................48

APPENDIX II: SYSTEM DESIGN .................................................................57

APPENDIX III: SAMPLE OUTPUT...............................................................65

APPENDIX IV: PROGRAM LISTING...........................................................69