Syntax Errors
A syntax error occurs when the code you write does not conform to the rules of the programming language you are using. This can happen for a variety of reasons, such as misspelling keywords or using incorrect syntax. Syntax errors are easy to spot because they usually result in the compiler or interpreter throwing an error message.
Runtime Errors
A runtime error occurs when the code you write runs into an unexpected situation that it was not designed to handle. This can happen for a variety of reasons, such as trying to access a variable that has not been defined or dividing by zero. Runtime errors are more difficult to spot than syntax errors because they do not usually result in an error message being displayed. Instead, the program will continue running with incorrect behavior.
Logic Errors
A logic error occurs when the code you write does not behave as expected, even though it may not generate any error messages. This can happen for a variety of reasons, such as using incorrect algorithms or making assumptions about the input data. Logic errors are often the most difficult to spot because they require a deep understanding of the problem domain and the code’s intended behavior.
Case Studies
Let’s take a look at some real-life examples of each type of error in programming to illustrate how they can occur and how they can be fixed.
Syntax Errors
Imagine you are writing a program in Python that calculates the area of a circle. You accidentally misspell the keyword “area” as “ariea” and your code generates a syntax error:
python
def calculate_area(radius):
ariea radius * radius
return ariea
}
Runtime Errors
Imagine you are writing a program in Java that calculates the factorial of a number. You accidentally divide by zero, which results in an ArithmeticException:
java
public class Factorial {
public static void main(String[] args) {
int num 0;
long result 1;
for (int i 2; i < num; i++) {
result * i;
}
System.out.println("Factorial of " + num + " is " + result);
}
}
}
Logic Errors
Imagine you are writing a program in JavaScript that calculates the sum of two numbers. You accidentally use the subtraction operator instead of the addition operator, resulting in a logic error:
javascript
function addNumbers(a, b) {
return a – b;
}
}
Case Studies
Let’s take a look at some real-life examples of each type of error in programming to illustrate how they can occur and how they can be fixed.
Syntax Errors
Imagine you are writing a program in Python that calculates the area of a circle. You accidentally misspell the keyword “area” as “ariea” and your code generates a syntax error:
python
def calculate_area(radius):
ariea radius * radius
return ariea
}
Runtime Errors
Imagine you are writing a program in Java that calculates the factorial of a number. You accidentally divide by zero, which results in an ArithmeticException:
java
public class Factorial {
public static void main(String[] args) {
int num 0;
long result 1;
if (num != 0) {
for (int i 2; i < num; i++) {
result *= i;
}
System.out.println("Factorial of " + num + " is " + result);
} else {
System.out.println("Error: Input number cannot be zero.
