What is a bug / bugfix? Easily explained

Every user has experienced a bug before - most of them will also have installed a bugfix. You can find out exactly what this is in this practical tip.

Programs without bugs - a nice illusion

Translated, "bug" means "beetle". A bug is a bug in a program. This can creep in when programming software. Very complex programs such as operating systems are particularly susceptible to bugs.

• Bugs can occur in different areas of a program. Technical bugs, for example, lead to malfunctions or even crashes. One speaks of functional bugs when a program feature does not work as it should. And then there are bugs in the user interface. These include display errors.
• Bugs can occur wherever something is programmed. So not only operating systems are affected: errors often creep into complex games. Websites are also prone to bugs, especially if they are very large.
• Display errors and functional bugs are annoying, but not really dangerous. The situation is different with technical bugs: if the programming is not clean, security gaps can easily arise. These loopholes are then used by malware.
• Software is regularly tested for bugs. Large companies don't just count on their own specialists. In so-called "bug bounties" hackers and software specialists from all over the world are called to test the company's programs. Known bug bounties are organized by Google, Microsoft or Telekom, for example.

Bugfix - what is it?

Where there is a mistake, there is also a solution. In the event of a bug, the solution is called a bug fix or patch. Imagine a bug as a bug, a bug fix would be the bug spray.

• Updates often contain patches or bug fixes. This eliminates the need for the user to download and install all of the software every time a bug is fixed. A bugfix corrects the faulty program parts.

An example of a bug is the zero day gap. Another practical tip will tell you what it is and how you can close the gap.