Causes of Software Errors

There are several causes for software errors listed below.

1. Faulty Definition of Requirements
   • Incorrect requirement definitions
   • Important requirements are missing
   • Incomplete requirements
   • Unnecessary requirements were also included
2. Client-developer Communication Failures
   • Misinterpretation of client requirements presented in writing, orally, or otherwise, etc.
   • Client responses to design problems are misunderstood
3. Deliberate deviations from software requirements
   • Reusing existing software components from previous projects without conducting a thorough analysis
   • Due to budget or time constraints, functionality was omitted
   • “Improvements” to software that are not mandated
4. Logical design errors
   • Errors in interpreting requirements into a design (for example, errors in boundary condition definitions, algorithms reactions to illegal operations, etc.)
5. Coding errors
   • Errors in interpreting the design document, errors in incorrect use of programming language constructs, and so on
6. Non-compliance with documentation and coding instructions
   • Errors caused by other team members coordinating with a non-compliant member’s code
   • Errors caused by individuals attempting to understand/maintain/test non-compliant member’s code
7. Shortcomings of the testing process
   • Failure to report all errors/faults discovered during testing Incorrect error/fault reporting
   • Correction of detected errors that is insufficient
8. Procedural errors
   • Incorrect user activity procedures that occur in the software
9. Documentation errors
   • Design flaws or omissions in code comments
   • Errors in software user manuals