Mobile App Debugging Explained on 3 Levels of Difficulty

Any software developer will know that debugging, however unpleasant, is an inevitable part of computer programming and software development. In fact, it generally takes longer to debug many software applications than to do the actual programming. Hence, it is very important to learn about debugging. This also applies to mobile development.

While I won’t call myself a complete expert, I’ve had a few years of experience with mobile development. In my experience, the practice of debugging changes with the experience level of a mobile developer. The kind of errors encountered and the tools used can depend on the developer's skill level in writing the code.

This is not to further complicate the already annoying experience of debugging for many developers, however (I feel your pain, newbies). Don’t worry; debugging is debugging, and you mostly don’t have to learn many new skills just to get the code you’ve spent all that time on to work (mostly, though 😉).

However, mobile development generally involves combining different skills and tools like programming languages, algorithms, frameworks/libraries, databases, network access, APIs, etc., and developers increasingly incorporate more of these diverse tools in their mobile applications as their experience level improves. This is also true for web development and others. Hence, the kind of bugs a developer will have to battle with many depend on the tools used in building the app, which often depends on the developers’ experience level.

I found it necessary to highlight this phenomenon in order to help developers easily find the specific solutions to their bugs from the overwhelming amount of debugging tools, tutorials, and suggestions on online platforms like documentation sites, YouTube and Stack Overflow. It definitely would have helped me as a beginner.

Mobile Debugging at Different Experience Levels

Beginners/Noobs

This is probably the most confusing level of debugging just for the very fact that, at this stage, the developer is likely not yet experienced with debugging.

I suppose we all know how frustrating it can be to try and practice what you just learned from a tutorial only to be greeted with an error that was never experienced or talked about in the tutorial material.

Many would-be developers give up at this stage, and it’s not unusual for some to leave a mark of a smashed PC or device from the rage, I tell you 😡.

Bugs often faced here include:

• Syntax errors due to unfamiliarity with the programming language and framework/libraries.
• Runtime errors due to bad logic in algorithms.
• Bad organization of code and program files in the project folder.
• Improper use of CLI commands for development tools.

Debugging advice for Noobs:

• Use language and library extensions on IDEs and editors like VsCode to assist you in writing the correct code.
• Fix syntax warnings on your code as they do not appear when you’re trying to run it.
• Learn to use language or library documentation to find the proper syntax of code components.

Intermediates

At this stage, a mobile developer is already familiar with the basic language and tools used in building apps and is generally trying out his/her skills on bigger projects. This may involve the integration of backend functionalities like database, internet access, state management, APIs, etc., in their mobile apps.

Bugs often faced here include:

• Poor exception handling.
• Incompatible plugin versions.
• Platform problems with UI design.
• Model design issues for handling external data.
• Syntax errors for third-party libraries.

Debugging advice for intermediates:

• Master advanced programming concepts like exception handling, OOP, streams, etc.
• Research on plugins and third-party libraries being used in your app.
• Learn how to use advanced error report tools like logcat.

Advanced

Advanced mobile developers have already mastered the frontend and backend tools for building mobile apps and already have several working apps on their resumes. Their focus is now on building production read apps that can be released for public use. At this stage, a developer is already very experienced with the debugging process while building apps but certain bugs may arise when users start using the app, which could be difficult or even impossible to predict.

Bugs often faced here include;

• Compatibility issues for apps on different operating system versions or mobile device versions.
• Scalability issues for database or network access.
• Maintenance problems with advances in the tools used in building apps.

Debugging advice for advanced developers;

• Release your app for the testing phase before releasing it to the public.
• Prepare for unexpected bugs as more people use your app.
• Create a feedback channel for users of your app.

Conclusion

Debugging is an indispensable component of mobile development and software development in general. Hence developers must familiarize themselves with the debugging process. Preferably, a developer should learn debugging as they are learning to code instead of postponing it till after they have learned to program. This will make the learning process much faster as they master debugging by their experience level in programming, and the project-based approach will solidify their debugging expertise.