Webtagr - Technology News Summarizer

Three C++ Compiler Bugs: A Tale of Obscure Features

2025-09-23

Senior engineer Michael Gibson recounts discovering a clang++ compiler bug stemming from a combination of three rarely used C++ features. While implementing a REACHABLE assertion in their C++ SDK, they used static initialization, non-type template parameters, and anonymous namespaces. However, a new optimization pipeline in clang++ 17+ clashed with this combination, leading to symbol deduplication errors. This highlights the risk of obscure bugs arising from unusual feature interactions in complex systems and showcases the power of automated testing in uncovering such issues.

Playing Games to Test Software: How One Company Conquered Metroid and Mario

2025-08-24

A company used playing Nintendo games, specifically Metroid and Super Mario Bros., to test its software platform, Antithesis. Initially, their AI testing system got stuck on a red door in Metroid because it prioritized eliminating enemies, depleting its missiles. This led them to develop a new 'swarm testing' technique that optimizes objectives while exploring the state space, such as prioritizing having more missiles. This not only solved the red door problem but enabled Antithesis to explore the game world more efficiently, uncover bugs, and even exploit game mechanics for speedruns. This technique isn't limited to game testing; it's applicable to various software testing scenarios, such as finding memory leaks or performance anomalies.

Making Everything Testable: Mitchell's GPU Testing Challenge

2025-07-06

HashiCorp co-founder Mitchell faced a significant challenge while developing his latest project, Ghostty, a GPU-rendered terminal emulator: testing the GPU rendering code. This article summarizes his BugBash presentation, exploring how to make seemingly untestable code testable. It highlights the lack of widely accepted solutions for GPU testing in the age of AI, making Mitchell's approach particularly valuable. His solution and the work at Antithesis demonstrate a commitment to pushing the boundaries of software testing.