What is Bug Reporting?
Bug reporting is the process of documenting software defects to help developers understand, reproduce, and fix them. A good bug report improves team collaboration and product quality.
Essential Elements of a Bug Report
- Title: A clear, concise summary.
- Description: What’s broken, how it behaves, and what should happen.
- Steps to Reproduce: Numbered, repeatable steps.
- Expected Result: What you expected to see.
- Actual Result: What you actually saw.
- Screenshots/Logs: For visual clarity and system logs.
- Environment: OS, browser, app version, etc.
- Severity & Priority: Helps with triage.
Tips for Writing Effective Bug Reports
- Be specific and avoid vague language.
- Use simple, neutral language.
- Test the issue multiple times before reporting.
- Attach supporting evidence (screenshots, videos).
- Ensure reproducibility before assigning it.
Bug Lifecycle
- New → Assigned → In Progress → Fixed → Verified → Closed
- Optional: Reopened, Deferred, Duplicate, Rejected
Popular Bug Tracking Tools
- JIRA
- Bugzilla
- Mantis
- GitHub Issues
- Redmine
Pro Tips
- Use consistent formatting and templates for all bugs.
- Do not mix multiple issues in one bug report.
- Report bugs as early as possible in the test cycle.
- Tag bugs with relevant labels or modules.