Guide How To Write A Good Bug Report will be described in this article. If your Bug information is effective, then its chances of getting fixed are increased. Therefore solving a bug depends on how effectively you report it. Reporting a bug is nobody but a skill and in this tutorial, we will show how to attain this skill. “The goal of writing an issue report (bug report) is to have bugs resolved” – By Cem Kaner.
How To Write A Good Bug Report Complete Guide
In this article, you can know about How To Write A Good Bug Report Complete Guide here are the details below;
If a tester is not reporting an issue correctly, then the programmer will numerous likely reject this bug declaring it as irreproducible.
The tester’s morality and ego may suffer as a result of this.
(I advise against maintaining any sort of ego.
“I have reported the defect accurately,” “I can replicate it,” “Why has he/she denied the bug?” and “It’s not my fault,” etc., are examples of egotistical statements).
Characteristics of a Quality Software Bug Report
A bug report can be written by anyone. Yet not everyone can make a good bug report. You should be able to tell an average bug report from a good bug report.
What makes a good bug report from a bad one?
It’s quite simple, utilise the following characteristics and procedures to report a bug.
Characteristics and Methods
- Having a clearly specified Bug Number: Give each bug report a special identification number.
You may then use this to locate the bug record.
This special number is produced automatically each time you report a bug if you are using an automated bug-reporting service.
Keep track of how many bugs you reported, along with a brief explanation of each one.
- Reproducible: If your bug cannot be reproduced, it will never be fixed.
The procedures required to reproduce the bug should be stated in clear detail.
Make no assumptions or short cuts when reproducing.
The bug is simple to reproduce and repair thanks to the step-by-step explanation.
- Be Specific: Do not write an article about the issue.
Be Precise and to the point.
Try to provide a concise yet effective summary of the issue.
Even if two or more problems appear to be similar, do not combine them.
Create distinct reports for each issue.
Effective Bug Reporting
A crucial component of software testing is bug reporting.
Effective Bug reports communicate properly with the development team to avoid confusion or miscommunication.
A good bug report should be succinct and unambiguous, without any important details being omitted.
Every ambiguity causes miscommunication and slows down the development process.
One of the most crucial but underutilised aspects of the testing life cycle is the documenting and reporting of defects.
When reporting an issue, excellent writing is crucial.
The main thing a tester should remember is to avoid writing in a directive manner in the report.
This undermines morale and fosters an undesirable work environment.
Before reporting, it is equally vital to check if the identical bug has been reported or not.
The testing process is hampered by duplicate bugs.
See the complete list of known bugs.
The developers may occasionally be aware of the problem and choose to disregard it in next releases.
It is also possible to use tools like Bugzilla, which checks for duplicate bugs automatically.
Nonetheless, it is advisable to manually look for any duplicate bugs.
How and Where are the crucial details that a bug report must provide.
The report should clearly state how the test was performed and where the defect occurred.
The bug should be simple for the reader to recreate and locate.
Remember that the goal of writing a bug report is to help the developer see the issue.
He or she needs to understand the flaw from the bug report clearly.
Don’t forget to give the developer all the information they need.
Moreover, keep in mind that a bug report will be saved for later use and should be properly written with the necessary details.
When describing your bugs, use clear terms and straightforward language.
Avoid making comments that are unclear and waste the reviewer’s time.
Report each bug separately.
If a bug report contains many issues, you can’t close it until all of the issues are fixed.
So, it is advisable to break the problems into different bugs.
This ensures that each bug can be tackled separately.
A well-written bug report enables a developer to replicate the bug at their terminal.
They can also diagnose the problem with the aid of this.
How Can I Report A Bug?
Use the straightforward bug report format below:
This Bug report format is straightforward.
Depending on the bug reporting tool you’re using, it might change.
Certain fields must be mentioned expressly when writing a bug report by hand, such as the Bug number, which must be assigned by hand.
Your name and email address, please.
Which product did you find this bug in?
Version: If applicable, the product version.
Component: These are the main product sub-modules.
Platform: Specify the hardware platform where you found this bug.
The numerous platforms like ‘PC’, ‘MAC’, ‘HP’, ‘Sun’ etc.
List all the operating systems where the problem was discovered.
operating systems such as Windows, Linux, Unix, SunOS, and Mac OS.
Mention any suitable OS versions, such as Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP, etc.
Priority: When should a bug be fixed?
Priorities typically range from P1 to P5.
P1 stands for “fix the bug with the highest priority” and P5 stands for “Fix when time permits.”
Severity: This describes the effect of the bug.
Blocker: No more testing work can be done.
Data loss and application crash are both critical.
Major: Significant loss of function.
Minor: Little function loss.
Simple: A few UI improvements.
Request for a new feature or an improvement to an existing one.
Status: The bug status will automatically be set to “New” when you log it into a bug tracking system.
Afterwards, the bug passes through stages such as Fixed, Confirmed, Reopened, Won’t Fix, etc.
Assign To: If you know which architect is liable for that particular module in which the bug occurred, then you can enter the email address of that developer.
If not, leave it blank; otherwise, the Manager will assign the bug to the developer.
Add the manager’s email address, if possible, to the CC list.
URL: The page URL where the bug was found.
Summary: A succinct description of the bug, usually no more than 60 words.
Make certain your summary is reflecting on what the problem is and where it is.
Description: A thorough account of the problem.
For the description field, use the following fields:
Steps should be repeated:
Mention the bug’s reproduction process in clear detail.
Expected outcome: How the application ought to act during the aforementioned steps.
What is the actual consequence of doing the above steps i.e. the bug behaviour?
These are the main phases in the bug report.
You can even add “Report Type” as one additional field which will specify the bug type.
Report Types consist of:
1) Coding mistake
2) Design flaw
3) A fresh idea
4) Documentation problem
5) A hardware issue
Important features in your bug report
Listed below are the major characteristics in the Bug report:
1. Bug Number/1
A Bug number or an title number (like swb001) makes bug reporting & the process of referencing to bugs more easier.
The developer can quickly determine whether a certain bug has been fixed or not.
It streamlines and simplifies the entire testing and retesting process.
2. Bug Title
More people read bug titles than any other section of the bug report.
This ought to cover every aspect of the bug.
The title “Bug” ought to be vague enough for the reader to get the idea.
A clear bug title makes it easier to understand, and the reader can determine whether the bug has already been reported or has been fixed.
3. Priority
A priority can be assigned to the bug depending on how serious it is.
A bug can live a Blocker, Critical, Major, Minor, Trivial, or a recommendation.
Bug priorities can range from P1 to P5, allowing the most significant ones to be seen first.
It is the best way to convey how the bug can be replicated.
Without the same platform or environment, the application may conduct differently and the bug at the tester’s future may not replicate on the developer’s end.
Therefore, it is preferable to make it clear which environment the bug was discovered in.
5. Description
The explanation of the bug aids the developer in comprehending it.
It explains the issue that was encountered.
A bad description will lead to confusion and squander the time of both testers and developers.
The impact of the description must be made abundantly obvious.
It’s always useful to utilise whole sentences.
It is a good practise to detail each difficulty independently rather than smashing them all together.
Avoid using phrases like “I believe” or “I suppose.”
6. Steps to Reproduce
The procedures to recreate should be specifically mentioned in a proper bug report.
Actions that could result in the bug should be included in these phases. Also check Financial Services Predictions
Avoid making general comments.
Provide clear instructions on what to do next.
Below is an excellent illustration of a well-written procedure.
Steps:
- Pick product Abc01.
- Add to cart by clicking.
- To remove the item from your shopping cart, click Remove.
7. Expected and Actual Results
The Expected and Actual findings are essential to a bug description.
It is essential to describe the test’s results and what the user can anticipate.
The reader should be aware of the test’s accurate result.
Mention the test’s events and the results in clear detail.
8. Screenshot
A picture is worth a thousand words.
To highlight the flaw, take a screenshot of the failure with the appropriate captions.
Use a light red colour to highlight unexpected error messages.
This brings attention to the necessary area.
Some Bonus Tip Write A Good bug Report
The following are some additional guidelines for creating a strong bug report:
#1) Report the issue right away.
You don’t have to wait to create a thorough bug report later if you discover any flaws while testing.
Instead, create a bug report right now.
This will guarantee a thorough and reproducible Bug report.
There is a greater probability that you may overlook crucial steps in your report if you opt to compose the bug report later.
#2) Reproduce the bug three times before creating a Bug report
Your bug should be reproducible.
Ensure sure your procedures are reliable enough to accurately reproduce the bug.
You can still report an issue even if it is not consistently repeatable by stating the bug’s periodic nature.
#3) Check for the same bug in related modules.
The developer occasionally reuses the same code for many modules that are comparable.
As a result, there is a greater likelihood that the defect in one module may also affect other modules that are similar. Also check Benefits of Time Blocking
You could even try to track down the bug’s more severe variant.
#4) Write a good bug summary
The bug summary will assist the developers in swiftly analysing the bug’s nature.
A subpar report will unnecessarily extend the time required for development and testing.
Your bug report summary should be clear and concise.
Remember that you can use the bug summary as a guide when looking for the bug in the bug inventory.
#5 Read the Bug Report before clicking “Submit.”
Read all the statements, wordings, and steps that are utilised in the bug report.
Check each statement to see if there is any ambiguity that can invite misunderstanding.
To create a clear bug report, avoid using misleading words or statements.
#6) Do not use aggressive words.
It’s great that you did well and discovered a bug, but don’t use this opportunity to attack anyone or criticise the creator.
Conclusion
Your bug report should unquestionably be a professional-quality document.
Because bug reports are the primary means of communication between the tester, developer, and manager, pay attention to writing them well and spend some time on them.
Managers should make it clear to their team that a tester’s primary duty is to write an effective bug report.
Your effort towards producing a decent Bug report will not solely save the resources of the firm but also generate a good relationship between you and the engineers.
