Bug Detector | Python

Bug Detection in Python Code

Code contains a bug from using the '+' operator to concatenate lists instead of performing element-wise addition. The issue is clarified, along with a fix using list comprehension or NumPy for accurate behavior. An updated code snippet is

Prompt

def buggy_function():
    x = [1, 2, 3, 4]
    y = [5, 6, 7, 8]
    
    z = x + y
    return z

buggy_function()

Answer

Bug Detection in Python Code

Issue:

The code has a bug where it tries to concatenate two lists using the + operator, but it will not concatenate the lists element-wise as intended. Instead, it will just append the elements of the second list at the end of the first list.

Bug Description:

Using the + operator on lists concatenates them by appending all elements of the second list at the end of the first list. The intended behavior seems to be an element-wise sum of the two lists.

Fix:

To achieve element-wise sum of two lists, you should use a list comprehension or a library like NumPy to perform the operation.

Updated Code:

import numpy as np

def fixed_function():
    x = [1, 2, 3, 4]
    y = [5, 6, 7, 8]
    
    z = [a + b for a, b in zip(x, y)]
    return z

fixed_function()