Oxford, Cambridge and RSA (OCR) GCSE Computer Science Practice Exam

The method that involves systematically analyzing a program to find bugs is static analysis. This approach examines the code without executing the program, looking for potential issues such as syntax errors, security vulnerabilities, and adherence to coding standards. Static analysis tools can automatically scan through the source code to identify areas that might lead to bugs, enhancing the quality and reliability of the software even before it runs.

While dynamic testing involves executing the program and observing its behavior to find bugs during runtime, static analysis does its work by inspecting the actual code. The other options, like user feedback and trial and error, focus on real-world user experiences or empirical testing strategies, which are not systematic analyses aimed at preemptively identifying bugs in the source code. Systematic analysis through static methods is crucial for early detection, which can save time and resources in the development process.