Cinderbug
In computer programming jargon, a cinderbug is a software bug that occurs when the code does not handle date changes properly. The term refers to the Cinderella fable, where the protagonist has forgotten to return home in time for midnight.
Any time-related entity can cause a cinderbug: if the coder takes into consideration a year timeframe, and forgets to consider the year change, this is also a cinderbug; the same applies to day, hour, or month changes.
Example of Cinderbug
- Missing amounts in a time difference
- Zero date (overflow)
- Sudden returns to low values when a bigger one is expected
- Code crashes related to negative numbers not being handled
- Negative dates
History of the term
The term originated in the Red community for a bug in DT command (Delta time), which did not consider midnight. It was returning the difference between a time in the past date and one in another date as a negative value, instead of the correct one.
See also
- Cargo cult programming
- Memory debugger
- Jinx Debugger—a tool that automatically explores executions likely to expose Heisenbugs
External links
References
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