What does 'dry run' mean in programming?
A dry run is the manual execution of your code on paper or mentally, tracking the flow of logic and variable changes step-by-step.
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More FAQs in The Role of Dry Running Code on Paper
For simple problems, mental tracking is enough. But for complex logic involving nested loops or recursion, dry running on paper is highly recommended.
Yes, almost always. After you write your solution on a whiteboard, the interviewer will ask you to walk through it using a sample input to prove it works.
A debugger automates the process, which is great for production code. However, relying solely on debuggers prevents you from developing your own mental tracing skills.
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