Software Quality Assurance Practice Exam

Which step in inductive debugging involves collecting relevant information?

1. Fix the error

2. Organize the data

3. Locate the pertinent data

4. Prove the hypothesis

The correct answer is: Locate the pertinent data

The correct step in inductive debugging that involves collecting relevant information is indeed the process of locating the pertinent data. In inductive debugging, the goal is to understand and rectify a malfunctioning piece of software by gathering essential information that can help identify the root cause of the issue. Locating pertinent data involves pinpointing the specific information that is crucial for diagnosing the problem. This could include inspecting logs, monitoring variable states, examining system outputs, and analyzing user inputs. By focusing on the most relevant data, developers can form a clearer picture of what went wrong and how it relates to the symptoms observed in the software's behavior. The other steps in the inductive debugging process serve distinct purposes. Fixing the error involves applying changes to the code based on findings from previous steps, while organizing the data is more about structuring the information already gathered to facilitate understanding. Proving the hypothesis is the phase where one confirms whether the assumptions made during debugging align with the gathered data and lead to a successful resolution of the issue. Thus, locating pertinent data is fundamentally about the initial collection of useful information that guides further actions in the debugging process.