The Weirdest Debugging Trick That Actually Works

Today I’m going to show you one of the most effective methods of debugging for developers and software engineers. Rubber Duck Debugging.

If you’ve ever been stuck trying to fix a bug or implement a new feature then you know why this matters so much.

Effective debugging is the difference between hours, day and weeks of pain and struggle.

Most people hit the proverbial wall and continue to bang their head against it till eventually the wall wins. It will always win.

They never step back and assess whether there’s alternatives to what they’re doing or if they even understand the problem in the first place.

If you’re not feeling embarrassed while talking to the duck then you’re covering up your lack of understanding with technical lingo. Simplify.

Today we’re going to cover:

• Briefly explain the dubber duck debugging technique
• Why it’s so effective
• Alternatives to the dubber duck technique
• Where you can get one from

If you want to finally get past the inevitable wall then keeping reading.

What is rubber duck debugging?

Rubber duck debugging was first coined in the book The Pragmatic Programmer written by Andrew Hunt and David Thomas.

In the book they tell a story about a programmer who carries around a rubber duck and has to explain his code line by line to the duck.

Cute story but there’s more to it then that.

Rubber duck debugging can be extended from a simple line-by-line explanation into a full framework of critical thinking.

If you pair the line by line communication method with formulating a detailed question then you have the means to understand what the problem actually is and where the code actually breaks.

If you can’t communicate the questions in a clear and concise manner, avoiding as much technical jargon as possible, then you don’t understand the problem clearly enough yet.

Why does it work so well?

It works well because stepping through your code line by line forces you to explain exactly what is happening.

It’s the thoroughness of the technique that makes it so powerful.

You step through even line and explain it as fully as you can.

You don’t skip over sections, you remove assumptions and you don’t go to the next line without understanding what is going on with each step.

This is how the computer runs the program so it makes sense to debug it that way.

It’s also really important to vocalise the line by line explanation out loud.

Not only will this help you improve your communication skills but the brain works differently when it has to put thoughts into articulated words.

Having a duck to debug with might sound silly but having a prop to talk to helps a lot because you have a recipient for your communication.

You’ll know if something doesn’t sound right when you try to verbalise it to the duck.

Some great alternatives

The rubber duck prop is a good one.

It’s fun, it’s novel for the first few times when doing it and it gives you an external point of focus for communicating.

But even I know it feels weird to do and not everyone likes to debug this way by themselves where there’s no feedback.

So here’s some slight alternatives that elicit the same effect with different pros and cons.

Talking through the problem with a colleague, non-techy person or even AI

It’s all about communication so using the same technique with another person listening is a natural alternative.

You can do this with someone you work with and other developers. They have the technical background to understand what you’re stepping through code wise but even better they’ll be able to debug your original question if it doesn’t make sense or if it’s poorly phrased.

I find talking through some problems with my wife really helps. She’s not a programmer and that helps because I have to think about how articulate the problem and how I can explain the code in the simplest terms possible.

Another great one is to use an AI tool. Although I haven’t found a good way to step through line by line with a AI tool they are really good for posing questions to.

If you write up your problem statement fully and ask AI to explain it back to it might reveal that your question has assumptions, gaps or too much technical jargon that you don’t fully understand yourself.

Take a walk

I refer back to this a lot but I find that walking really is the creative super power everyone needs in their day to day life.

Whenever I’m really stuck on something and rubber ducking is not enough I get up and walk around.

Breaking my eyes away from the screen for a little bit allows my mind the space to think without the code being in the way and I can think about it conceptually.

Sometimes I’ll walk around with the laptop so I can activate the powers of walking whilst stepping through the code line by line.

The finest rubber ducks in the world!

Now where can I find one of these fine instruments I hear you say?

Well, I actually have a couple of these incredibly cute and awesome Tubbz Gandalf Rubber Ducks.

I have both Gandalf the Grey and Gandalf the White.

They’re great quality and you can find all sorts of characters beautifully embodied by the Tubzz brand.

But obviously any old rubber duck/inanimate object will do.

Thanks for reading

This technique can save you a lot of time and really improve your communications skills in a real way.

Remember to go line by line, explain it simply, make no assumptions and form a well articulated question to improve your understanding of the problem.

Thanks again 🙏