laetitia, Author at Tempus Donum https://tempusdonum.com/en/author/laetitia/ Web & App Development, QA, and Process Automation for Business Efficiency Mon, 13 Oct 2025 10:09:11 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://tempusdonum.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Capture-decran-2025-04-17-175637-1.png laetitia, Author at Tempus Donum https://tempusdonum.com/en/author/laetitia/ 32 32 Why 20% of Code Causes 80% of Bugs | QA Services Fix https://tempusdonum.com/en/why-20-of-code-causes-80-of-bugs/ https://tempusdonum.com/en/why-20-of-code-causes-80-of-bugs/#respond Thu, 04 Sep 2025 11:37:32 +0000 http://10.0.0.30/?p=1971 Why 20% of your code causes 80% of the bugs and how QA services fix it Introduction The Pareto principle […]

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Why 20% of your code causes 80% of the bugs

and how QA services fix it

Introduction

The Pareto principle – better known as the 80/20 rule – says that 80% of effects come from 20% of causes. In software, this translates to: a small portion of your codebase being responsible for the majority of production bugs. 

Yes, you read that right, just 20% of your code is causing most of your headaches. 

Why? We are covering that in this article: why certain areas of your application are more prone to errors and what you can do about that. (Spoiler: it’s all about better QA services, because chasing “100% coverage” wastes time, but targeting the hot spots delivers results).

That 20% of code that is causing most of your problems? It is usually the most complex, most frequently used or changed, and most exposed part of your system. Go figure. Here is why bugs tend to concentrate in these specific zones.

3 code hotspots that cause most bugs

1. Code Complexity

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the most complex parts of the code are often the most prone to bugs. This is because complexity creates blind spots where bugs thrive. Where there are nested conditions, overlapping loops, or interdependent components, this makes code harder to test and maintain (increasing the likelihood of bugs).

2.Interactions with Other Systems

erreurs_d_interaction - tempus donum

Whenever your app connects to external systems, you’re adding risk. Whether it’s compatibility issues, data format mismatches, or communication errors between systems, these multiply the chances of bugs in software sneaking through (and they are usually hard to detect too).

3. Frequent Requirement Changes

changement frequent

The last hotspot where you will find bugs is in areas of your code that are frequently modified. When there are multiple revisions to the code – whether due to shifting customer demands, new features, or evolving specs, etc – every change creates new opportunities for regressions. As you can imagine, this makes stability and test coverage harder to maintain.

How External QA Services Can Help

If you’re a SaaS startup or growing tech team, anticipating and preventing bugs in your code matters. The fewer bugs you have cropping up in production, the faster you ship, the more confidently your team works, and the happier your users remain.

As we said previously, you don’t have to chase “100% coverage” to do this. It’s actually far more effective to focus on the 20% of your code that causes 80% of the issues – the three major hotspots where those bugs love to hide. And that’s exactly what we do with our QA services.    

Here’s how external QA services can help eliminate production bugs:

  • In-depth testing: Comprehensive testing will expose hidden issues before they reach production.
  • Code analysis: Identifying the most error-prone areas in your codebase so your team knows where to focus.
  • Test automation: Building automated test suites that cover high-risk code paths consistently.

Risk prioritization: Helping you decide where QA delivers the biggest ROI.

unite QA - tempus donum

Act where it counts, not everywhere

The 80/20 principle isn’t a theory; it’s a reality in every software project. A minority of your code creates the majority of your problems. So what can you do about that?

The choice is simple:

Keep chasing bugs sprint after sprint…   Or …  Focus your QA efforts for maximum impact.

I don’t know about you, but we’d rather adopt a smart and focused testing strategy to eliminate the risky 20%. 

_______________________

At Tempus Donum, our QA services help startups and growing teams do exactly that. We identify the critical 20% of your code, focus testing where it matters, and reduce bugs where they hurt most.

Need clarity on where your bugs are coming from?
Want to prioritize your testing efforts with real data instead of guesswork?

 

Contact us for a free diagnosis or a focused QA intervention.

We’ll help you reduce bugs in production and ship with confidence.

Find out more about how our external QA services can help solve your recurring bug issues.

Learn more
Cuntact Us

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]]> https://tempusdonum.com/en/why-20-of-code-causes-80-of-bugs/feed/ 0 The Top 5 Types of Software Bugs (and How to Fix Them For Good) https://tempusdonum.com/en/the-top-5-types-of-software-bugs-and-how-to-fix-them-for-good/ https://tempusdonum.com/en/the-top-5-types-of-software-bugs-and-how-to-fix-them-for-good/#respond Mon, 04 Aug 2025 11:26:29 +0000 http://10.0.0.30/?p=1965 The Top 5 Types of Software Bugs (and How to Fix Them For Good) If you feel like you’re fixing […]

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The Top 5 Types of Software Bugs (and How to Fix Them For Good)

If you feel like you’re fixing the same bugs in software over and over again, you can’t imagine it… They really keep coming back.

Broken integrations. Security breaches. Slow applications. Misconfigured environments. User interfaces that shrink at the slightest click.

These recurring bugs aren’t just frustrating either; They slow down your releases, waste developer time, and damage your reputation.

So, what can you do about them?

As software developers, customers often come to us with the same problems – problems that are often preventable – which is why we break down the five most common types of software bugs we see and, more importantly, how to build processes that consistently detect them.

If your goal is to ship faster, protect your users, and stop fighting bugs in production, this simple breakdown will save you hours (and headaches) with every sprint.

Top 5 Most Common Bugs & How to Fix Them

1. Integration Errors

When different parts of your system can’t talk to each other, the results can be ugly. Integration errors are what lead to broken features, lost data, and angry users.

Causes:

  • Unversioned or mismatched API contracts
  • Unsynchronized microservice deployments
  • Lack of integration or contract testing
  • Poor async handling (e.g. timeouts, partial responses, unprocessed queues)
  • Inadequate error handling between services (e.g. no fallback, no retry logic etc)

Solutions:

  • Implement automated integration tests
  • Use contract testing to ensure service compatibility
  • Document APIs and versioning protocols clearly
Erreur d'intégration - tempus donum
problem de securite tempus donum

2. Security Issues

A single security gap can put your entire product and every user who relies on it at risk, which is why prevention has to be a priority from day one. Nothing erodes trust faster than security bugs in software, and once it’s gone, it’s nearly impossible to win back.

Causes:

  • Missing server-side validation (e.g., XSS vulnerabilities)
  • Tokens stored or transmitted in plain text
  • Poor access control (e.g. lack of RBAC)
  • Use of outdated dependencies with known CVEs
  • Unprotected or overly permissive endpoints

Solutions:

  • Integrate automated security scanning into your CI/CD pipeline
  • Follow OWASP best practices
  • Train teams regularly on security risks

3. Inconsistent Performance

Few things drive users away faster than an app that feels fast one minute and painfully slow the next. If you’re experiencing a drop in conversions and high churn, it could be due to inconsistent performance. 

Causes:

  • Unoptimized code (e.g., unindexed SQL queries, heavy loops)
  • Missing caching layers (e.g. CDN or application-level)
  • Poorly configured or missing autoscaling
  • Unbalanced load distribution
  • No real-world performance testing

Solutions:

  • Set up real-time monitoring (e.g. APM, logs, tracing)
  • Run regular load and stress tests
  • Optimize database queries and external dependencies
erreurs de configuration - Tempus donum

4. Configuration Errors

When configuration isn’t managed correctly, even the most well-built software can behave unpredictably or fail completely. Not to mention, nothing is more frustrating than losing hours troubleshooting, only to find the problem was just a misconfigured setting.

Causes:

  • Inconsistent configuration files
  • Poor secrets management
  • Unsafe default settings
  • No validation or versioning of configuration files

Solutions:

5. UI (User Interface) Bugs

Your UI is the face of your product, and when it breaks, so does your users’ confidence in everything behind it. It might sound dramatic, but UI bugs such as a single glitchy button or misaligned layout can be all it takes for a user to close your app and never come back.

Causes:

  • Limited testing or visual validation
  • Non-responsive components
  • CSS conflicts
  • Outdated UI libraries or frameworks
  • Poor handling of edge cases

Solutions:

  • Write end-to-end tests for critical user journeys
  • Test on multiple browsers and devices (e.g., with BrowserStack)
  • Involve UX and QA early in the design process
bug ui

Turn recurring bugs into rare events


These five types of software bugs – integration failures, security gaps, inconsistent performance, configuration errors, and UI glitches – aren’t just random bad luck. They’re the result of preventable weak spots in your process.

And if you’re seeing the same bugs sprint after sprint, it’s not just costing you time, it’s costing you trust, revenue, and momentum. All of which will impact your bottom line.

With the right QA strategy, you can stop fixing the same issues, release faster, and give your developers the freedom to focus on building features instead of patching problems.

And that’s exactly what we help our clients do.

Tired of fixing the same bugs, sprint after sprint?
Need a quick, effective QA plan to clean up your releases?

Contact us for a free diagnosis or a focused QA intervention.

We’ll help you catch vulnerabilities before they become critical and ship with confidence.

Find out more about how our external QA services can help solve your recurring bug issues

Learn more
Contact us

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]]> https://tempusdonum.com/en/the-top-5-types-of-software-bugs-and-how-to-fix-them-for-good/feed/ 0 Phantom Bugs and Feature Flags https://tempusdonum.com/en/phantom-bugs-and-feature-flags/ https://tempusdonum.com/en/phantom-bugs-and-feature-flags/#respond Mon, 16 Jun 2025 08:07:31 +0000 http://10.0.0.30/?p=1654 Discover how feature flags can accelerate your deployments without introducing hidden bugs. Our best practices and tools empower QA and development teams to confidently manage every release.

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Feature Flags

How to avoid hidden bugs and ensure secure deployments

Introduction

Feature flags have become a go-to tool for SaaS startups and growing tech teams. They let you roll out gradually, A/B test in real-time, and hide unfinished code without redeploying. In theory, they give you speed, control, and flexibility.

But here’s the catch: poorly managed feature flags are one of the fastest ways to create ghost errors – subtle, hard-to-reproduce bugs that only show up under the right (or wrong) conditions.

And when these bugs slip into production? You lose time, trust, and confidence in your release process.

In this blog, we cover the three biggest risks of mismanaged feature flags, why they matter for your QA process, and how to prevent ghost errors before they derail your roadmap.

What Exactly Are Feature Flags?

Feature flags (or toggles) are software switches that allow dynamic enabling or disabling of functionalities without redeploying the application. They’ve become essential tools for:

  • Progressive rollout (canary release, A/B testing)
  • Hiding code under development
  • Quickly disabling a problematic feature

But like any powerful tool, when misused, they can do more harm than good.

Three Ways Poor Feature Flag Management Creates Ghost Errors

1. Inconsistent Environments: Different Behavior at Each Execution

When a feature flag is active for some users, environments, or requests – but not others – you may end up with non-uniform execution conditions. The result? Bugs that might appear only under a very specific set of parameters that you can’t easily reproduce locally.

Example: an API behaves differently depending on a flag, but your automated tests don’t account for that. This tends to result in a bug that is invisible in your CI pipeline, but present in production.

Bug - feature flags - tempus donum

2. Dead or Forgotten Code: Silent Technical Debt :

The more flags you add, the more inactive or forgotten code branches pile up. Left unchecked, these branches create hidden dependencies and unexpected behavior when a flag is reactivated. This leads to unexpected errors (i.e. classic ghost bugs).

Example: a patch applied months ago suddenly breaks something when an old flag is switched on in a corner of the system.

3. Lack of Visibility: No One Knows Which Flag Is Active, Where, or Why

Without centralized tracking or up-to-date documentation, feature flags become a black box. No one knows which flags are active, where, or why, and developers waste hours guessing system states instead of building features. The result? Errors become harder to reproduce and fix.

Example: If you’ve ever had to read source code just to figure out whether a feature was live, you’ve felt this pain.

How to Avoid Ghost Errors with Rigorous Feature Flag Management

feature-flags table- tempusdonum

Fortunately, there are simple best practices and proper tools (like LaunchDarkly or Unleash) to help you stay in control of your feature flags and avoid invisible side effects like ghost errors.

To do just that, here are three simple steps that should be a part of your QA process:

  1. Set up a cleanup process
    Temporary flags (like for in-progress features or A/B tests) should always have an expiration date or scheduled removal task.

  2. Test with and without flags
    Unit, integration, and end-to-end tests must include cases with the flag enabled and disabled – especially if the flag affects business logic.

  3. Centralize Visibility
    Use tools or dashboards to track all active flags and their states. Document decisions so no one has to reverse-engineer the system later.

Want a more detailed (and technical) version of how to prevent ghost errors with proper feature flag management? Download our free PDF here. 

If you’re experiencing inconsistent environments, bugs due to dead or forgotten code, and/or a lack of visibility with your feature flags, we walk you through what to do, step by step.

Feature flags can be a superpower (if managed right)


Feature flags are powerful allies for fast and flexible releases, but if unmanaged, they can become a major source of silent and unpredictable bugs that slow down your teams and frustrate your users.

Our recommendation? Put structure and QA discipline in place – such as regular cleanup, documentation, and context-specific testing – so feature flags actually deliver the agility they promise.

Want to stop ghost errors before they hit production?

 Need QA services that bring discipline to your feature flag strategy?

Contact us for a free diagnosis or a focused QA intervention.

We’ll help you catch vulnerabilities before they become critical so you can keep your releases clean and your users happy.

Find out more about how our external QA services can help solve your recurring bug issues

Learn more

Contact us

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