Testing, Debugging & Code Optimization Flashcards

What is 'integration testing'?

Answer: Testing how multiple modules or components work together

Integration testing verifies that separate modules interact correctly when combined, catching interface mismatches that unit tests may miss.

A function calls itself recursively without a base case. What type of error results?

Answer: Stack overflow (infinite recursion)

Without a base case, each recursive call adds a frame to the call stack until the stack's memory limit is exceeded, causing a stack overflow.

Which optimization stores the results of expensive function calls so identical inputs return the cached result?

Answer: Memoization

Memoization caches the output of a function for given inputs so repeated calls with the same arguments skip recomputation.

What does a 'linter' primarily do?

Answer: Analyzes code for stylistic issues, potential bugs, and standards violations

A linter statically analyzes source code to flag errors, style violations, and suspicious patterns without executing the program.

What is an 'off-by-one' error?

Answer: A loop or index that iterates one too many or too few times

An off-by-one error occurs when a loop boundary or array index is incorrect by exactly one, such as iterating up to `< n` versus `<= n`.

Which type of testing is performed by end-users or clients to determine if the system meets business requirements?

Answer: Acceptance testing

Acceptance testing (UAT) is conducted by end-users or clients to validate that the delivered software meets agreed-upon business requirements.

What does 'cyclomatic complexity' measure?

Answer: The number of independent paths through a program's source code

Cyclomatic complexity counts the number of linearly independent paths through code, with higher values indicating more complex and harder-to-test logic.