Debugging means getting rid of computer bugs. A “bug” is a coding error that causes a program to malfunction. You’ll come across a lot of them throughout your coding journey – and career.

Why is debugging important?

No one wants to use buggy software, and even if they aren’t visible on the surface, bugs can affect an application’s stability and security. Debugging helps improve software performance, which is one of the reasons why testing is one of the key steps in the development process.

What kind of jobs use debugging?

Most Software Engineers will spend some time debugging as testing is a part of every development process, but there are specialized roles like QA Engineers, Software Testers, and DevOps Engineers that play a bigger role in the process.

What else should I study if I am learning about debugging?

Try reading up on some <a href="https://www.codecademy.com/resources/blog/how-to-debug-your-code/">common debugging techniques</a>, or learn how to code with one of the languages used for testing (like Python, Ruby, Java, or C#).

Free

Course

Learn JavaScript: Error Handling

Learn how to create more secure applications by predicting, handling, and debugging errors with JavaScript.

This course includes

2,905 learners enrolled

This course includes

Skill level
Beginner
Time to complete
Average based on combined completion rates — individual pacing in lessons, projects, and quizzes may vary

1 hour
Prerequisites
None

About this course

Continue your JavaScript learning journey with Learn JavaScript: Error Handling. Errors provide insight into what went wrong and how to fix it. Sometimes, errors are unavoidable, and that’s ok. You’ll develop the skills to handle and debug errors.

Syllabus

Errors and Error Handling
Predict, handle, and debug errors in your application.

article Transforming Code Errors into Learning Opportunities
lesson Debugging JavaScript Code
lesson Learn JavaScript: Error Handling
quiz Error Handling
informational Next Steps
Certificate of completion available with Plus or Pro
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The platform

Hands-on learning

Animated GIF of an AI provided error explanation within Codecademy's learning environment

An AI-generated hint within the instructions of a Codecademy project

Animated GIF of Codecademy's Job Readiness Checker tool generating a compatibility report for a senior software engineer role

Animated GIF of building a phone screen interview using Codecademy's Interview Simulator

A fill-in-the-blank JavaScript question in a Codecademy assessment

Explore features

Meet the creator of the course

Meet the full team

Kenny Lin

Software Engineer at Codecademy

Kenny is the Domain Manager for the Web Development Domain at Codecademy. He contributed to a wide range of courses and paths at Codecademy, including JavaScript, Bootstrap, Handlebars, Phaser.js, Go, Swift, TypeScript, and Lua.

Meet the full team

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