Quantum software engineering is an emerging discipline with distinct challenges, particularly in testing and debugging. As quantum computing transitions from theory to implementation, developers face issues not present in classical software development, such as probabilistic execution, limited observability, shallow abstractions, and low awareness of quantum-specific tools. To better understand current practices, we surveyed 26 quantum software developers from academia and industry and conducted follow-up interviews focused on testing, debugging, and recurring challenges. All participants reported engaging in testing, with unit testing (88%), regression testing (54%), and acceptance testing (54%) being the most common. However, only 31% reported using quantum-specific testing tools, relying instead on classical and manual methods. Debugging practices were similarly grounded in classical strategies, such as print statements, circuit visualizations, and simulators, which respondents noted do not scale well. The most frequently cited sources of bugs were classical in nature: library updates (81%), developer errors (69%), and compatibility issues (62%)-often worsened by limited abstraction in existing quantum SDKs. These findings highlight the urgent need for better-aligned testing and debugging tools integrated more seamlessly into the workflows of quantum developers. We present these results in detail and offer actionable recommendations grounded in the real-world needs of practitioners.

翻译：量子软件工程是一门新兴学科，其面临独特的挑战，尤其是在测试与调试方面。随着量子计算从理论走向实现，开发者遇到了经典软件开发中不存在的诸多问题，例如概率性执行、有限的可观测性、浅层抽象以及对量子专用工具的低认知度。为了更好地理解当前的实践情况，我们对来自学术界和工业界的26位量子软件开发者进行了问卷调查，并围绕测试、调试及反复出现的挑战进行了后续访谈。所有参与者均表示参与了测试活动，其中单元测试（88%）、回归测试（54%）和验收测试（54%）最为常见。然而，只有31%的参与者报告使用了量子专用测试工具，他们更多地依赖经典方法和手动测试。调试实践同样基于经典策略，例如打印语句、电路可视化和模拟器，受访者指出这些方法难以有效扩展。最常被提及的错误根源本质上是经典性的：库更新（81%）、开发者错误（69%）和兼容性问题（62%）——这些问题往往因现有量子SDK中有限的抽象而加剧。这些发现突显了迫切需要开发更契合实际、能更无缝集成到量子开发者工作流程中的测试与调试工具。我们详细呈现了这些结果，并基于从业者的实际需求提出了可操作的建议。