Create a great bug report - your reputation is on the line!

Just say 'no' to bad bug reports

Bug reports that are not written with thought can waste a lot of precious time. It really is important to get it right. Here we look at what makes a good bug report.

Have a bug report template

Your project team will love you if your bug reports are consistent. A template is a guide - not a way of life. For example, a template could consist of:

Title:

A title needs to be a short one liner description of the bug. It's like writing an article - if it's not a good title it risks getting ignored.

Steps:

• This is the test setup I'm using
• Go here
• I did this
• I did that
• I waited for this
• I then clicked that

Observations:

• This is what I saw
• I wasn't expecting this
• Why did it do that?
• This is always/sometimes/never reproducible
• I have attached a screenshot

Expectations:

• The error should not have occured
• The application should not crash
• As a user, I was confused, I think the application should do this...
• According to the requirements it should do this and that

Have you said enough?

A balance needs to be taken on how much to say. It's important not to waste anyone's time by not saying enough, or perhaps by saying too much. Be helpful. Link to resources that support your bug. Use the bug report as a selling tool to get it fixed. What would happen if it was not fixed?

Keep your reputation

A tester's most visible out put is a bug report. Take pride in it. Write clearly. Respect the developer and the application. Remember that alot of hard work really does go into designing and developing software. Be professional, gain respect and you will gain a reputation of being a great tester.