Debug mode

Are you running in debug mode? Debug mode, development mode, non-production mode - whatever it’s called, it’s usually the default configuration.

It’s often a productive and useful mode to work in. More information is available for inspection. Some environments even have hot-reload support.

Sometimes the debug features impact runtime performance so much that you need a variety of build modes. For example, Unreal Engine has Debug, Development, and Shipping. Debug is the maximum set of Debug features and optimizations disabled. It’s much slower than Development, so it tends to be used less often. You adjust your configuration depending on your current needs. I once worked on a game engine with a FastDebug mode.

It’s useful to be aware of the differences between configurations and their implications. Some debug allocators will zero-out memory for you, while the release versions will not. Chunked web app delivery will have different characteristics than a single bundle. The current log level will determine the types and thus amounts of log messages written.

Take a look at how debug mode works in your environment, and let me know if you find anything that surprises you!