The document provides 10 tips for writing effective bug reports: (1) Report patterns, not examples; (2) Only describe what's wrong, not how to fix it; (3) Be direct without unnecessary details; (4) Report the bug without suggesting solutions; (5) Do not mix priority and severity; (6) Avoid all caps, colors, or punctuation; (7) Do not include personal judgments; (8) Write clearly for all audiences; (9) Limit options instead of listing many; (10) Do not use vague terms like "sometimes".
2. How to write effective Bug report
1.
Report the pattern not an example.
2.
Don’t describe what's wrong, only!
3.
Be direct to the point (don’t tell a story!).
4.
Report the bug, but not how to solve it.
5.
Don’t mix between priority and severity.
6.
Don’t use: CAPS, red letters, red circles, ‘!’ , ‘?’.
7.
Don’t use your personal judgment.
8.
Make your description understandable for
everyone.
9.
Minimize the options.
10. Don’t use the word ‘Sometimes’.
(C) 2014, Quality Partners™
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3. How to write effective Bug report
1.
Report the pattern not an example.
Avoid this:
When multiplying -2 by 3 then answer will be positive.
(C) 2014, Quality Partners™
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4. How to write effective Bug report
2. Don’t describe what's wrong, only!
Avoid this:
When adding a new item, the items list will be ordered
alphabetically.
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5. How to write effective Bug report
3. Be direct to the point (don’t tell a story!).
Avoid this:
Open your browser, type the site URL, go to home
page, login as user, go to ‘add item’, you’ll find the first
field ‘usernam’ misspelled.
(C) 2014, Quality Partners™
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6. How to write effective Bug report
4. Report the bug, but not how to solve it.
Avoid this:
The ‘ID’ field in the report is incomplete, please define
the ID in the data base as integer of (10).
(C) 2014, Quality Partners™
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7. How to write effective Bug report
5. Don’t mix between priority and severity.
Avoid this:
The client name in the report is misspelled.
Priority: High, Severity: High
(C) 2014, Quality Partners™
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8. How to write effective Bug report
6. Don’t use: CAPS, red letters, red circles, ‘!’ , ‘?’.
Avoid this:
The tax calculation formula is INCORRECT !!??
(C) 2014, Quality Partners™
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9. How to write effective Bug report
7. Don’t use your personal judgment.
Avoid this:
I don’t think that the home page UI design is nice.
(C) 2014, Quality Partners™
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10. How to write effective Bug report
8. Make your description understandable for everyone.
Avoid this:
Reference to our discussion today, please do the
needed action for this page.
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11. How to write effective Bug report
9. Minimize the options.
Avoid this:
Page background color should be blue or orange or
green or you can make it black or even white.
(C) 2011, Quality Partners™
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12. How to write effective Bug report
10. The golden rule: Don’t use the word ‘Sometimes’.
Avoid this:
Sometime the tax calculation formula is not working as
expected.
(C) 2011, Quality Partners™
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13. 7 reasons why testing should start early in the SDLC
Author:
Belal Raslan (Quality Consultant)
Email: Braslan@sq-partners.com
Twitter: @BelalRaslan
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