Serialization · interview question

A bug appears around json parsing. What is the strongest first debugging move?

Multiple choiceMediumchapter-4-curatedpremiumserializationjson-parsing

python

import json

payload = json.loads('{"order_id":"ORD-1","subtotal":88.4}')
print(payload["order_id"], payload["subtotal"])

Solve the symptom with comments only and avoid changing the code shape around json parsing.Delay clarity until production traffic reveals the edge case and then patch it under pressure.Keep json parsing implicit so the script stays short and hope the next engineer infers the rule.Trace one concrete example, inspect the state transitions, and compare them to the intended rule before rewriting anything.

Answer and explanation

Correct answer

D. Trace one concrete example, inspect the state transitions, and compare them to the intended rule before rewriting anything.

Why

That approach is reliable because it creates evidence. Letting raw partner payloads flow unchecked through the codebase makes every later function depend on unstable external shape.

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A bug appears around json parsing. What is the strongest first debugging move?

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