Schroedinbug

2 definitions found

From Jargon File (4.3.1, 29 Jun 2001) [jargon]:

  schroedinbug /shroh'din-buhg/ n. [MIT: from the Schroedinger's Cat
     thought-experiment in quantum physics] A design or implementation bug in
     a program that doesn't manifest until someone reading source or using
     the program in an unusual way notices that it never should have worked,
     at which point the program promptly stops working for everybody until
     fixed. Though (like {bit rot}) this sounds impossible, it happens; some


     programs have harbored latent schroedinbugs for years. Compare
     {heisenbug}, {Bohr bug}, {mandelbug}.
  
  

From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (27 SEP 03) [foldoc]:

  schroedinbug
       
           /shroh'din-buhg/ ({MIT}, from the
          Schroedinger's Cat thought-experiment in quantum physics) A
          design or implementation {bug} in a program that doesn't
          manifest until someone reading source or using the program in
          an unusual way notices that it never should have worked, at
          which point the program promptly stops working for everybody
          until fixed.  Though (like {bit rot}) this sounds impossible,
          it happens; some programs have harboured latent schroedinbugs
          for years.
       
          Compare {heisenbug}, {Bohr bug}, {mandelbug}.
       
          [{Jargon File}]
       
          (1995-02-28)