Software testing involves test cases and bug reports. A well-written bug report allows the developers to understand the bug and take appropriate actions accordingly. Testers observe that detecting a bug is one thing and documenting it is another task. This task requires proper attention. Issue tracking tools are designed to detect bugs and defects in an application. It is then, the job of a tester to write down a good bug report that guides developers on how to fix those issues. These reports can be a 10-page report but it is recommended that a report should be concise and self-explanatory for all the errors in the applications.
Testers should focus on the following elements when writing a bug report:
Suggestive Tone – Testers, by no chance should write reports in an authoritative or commanding tone. It creates a wrong impression on the developers and they fail to focus on what testers are trying to convey in a report.
Objective of a Bug Report – When a developer reads a bug report, they should be clear about the objective of the bug report. There should be no confusion on the testers’ end and simple words should be used to define the defects.
Identify the Key Problems – Writing vague sentences like ‘there is a problem’ or ‘something is wrong’ should be avoided. Instead, after figuring out the problem, a bug should be detected and defined what negative impact it is leaving on the application.
Step-by-step Bug Reproduction – Besides simply reporting a bug, it should be reproduced. If it fails to reproduce, it means it can never be fixed. The tester should define the reproduction step-by-step and make it easier for developers to understand the scenario.
Duplicate Bugs – Bug reporting is not just a piece of cake. Software testers should only report similar bugs once, instead of creating duplicate bugs. It makes testing more challenging for the development team.
Prioritize – Testers should prioritize the different types of bugs according to their urgency level. When addressing a bug, its priority level defines whether it needs to be fixed immediately or does not need to be attended at all. Testers define the priority levels clearly in the bug report.
Conclusion
When software testers observe the key elements of a good bug report, it is more likely that they can manage defects in an application more effectively and efficiently. Good bug reports make it easier for development teams to make the most of issue tracking tools. They spend extra time in creating bug reports to save time and efforts down the road. Communication makes the process more enjoyable for both the testers and developers. The issue tracking tools are usually designed to create tickets when a test case fails. These tools are integrated to improve the bug tracking system and see how these bug tracking processes can be improved.