Software Testing Bringing Effectiveness In Bug Reporting

Introduction: One of the biggest challenges that I have seen in Software Testing is when it comes to bug reporting. I have tried to put together whatever I have learnt over the past 14 years to avoid the problems when it comes to reporting bugs. This articles starts with the typical problems that one encounters while reporting bugs and concludes the practical solutions that work and it comes out of real implementations. aving a thorough look at the !ecommended Solutions can save a lot of testers time. Problems: 1. !eproducibility Issues: This is the most common among problem. The Testers log bugs and the developers discard them claiming that they are not able to reproduce it. ". #orks as $esign Issues: Its very common when a Tester logs a bug and the developer marks it as work as design where in many times a tester is right but its %ust this that he does not know how to %ustify him. &. 'ot enough Information: (any times the developers discard the bugs claiming that not enough information is provided with the bug. It can be with respect to the )se *ase+!e,uirement I$+-nvironment details+and steps to reproduce. 4. $uplicate Issues: (any a times bugs are marked as duplicate by the developers which is not always true. .. Severity and /rioriti0ation Issues: There are issues which a Tester will find Severity 1 and the dev Team will change it as a last Severity+/riority. Recommended Solutions: 1. Handling Reproducibility Bugs: This is a most common problem and at times the development could be right that they are not able to reproduce it. There can be 0illions of reasons because of which a developer is not able to reproduce it but as a Tester there are certainly some things you can ensure that you do your best to ensure that your bug is not marked with Unable to Reproduce. ere are the steps: a. Mentioning Percentage of Reproducibility: There are certain bugs which we as testers log where the reproducibility of bug is very low1 which we should log but in this case we should mention the e2act environment details1 e2act steps to reproduce1 screen caps of any1 and the most important mention the Percentage of Reproducibility. (entioning the percentage of reproducibility will ensure that the developer knows it before hand and will take it seriously before changing the status. b. Using Registry Activated Logging Service: There are some techni,ues in (icrosoft #indows which you can use to generate crash+event logs. *apturing them and attaching

Author: Abhinav Vaid

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Software Testing Bringing Effectiveness In Bug Reporting

them along with the bug will also help the developer to point to the e2act location where the problem has encountered. ere are the steps how to do it. c. nable !indo"s Installer Logs: #indows Installation logs can be generated by 3dding !egistry -ntries !ord of #aution: If you use !egistry -ditor incorrectly1 you may cause serious problems that may re,uire you to reinstall your operating system. Start !egistry -ditor 4!egedt&".e2e51 and then create the following path and keys in the registry: 6-789O*398(3* I'-:Software:/olicies:(icrosoft:#indows:Installer !eg8S;: 9ogging <alue: voicewarmup The letters in the value field are the options that are available to use with #indows Installer logging. 7ou can use the options in any order. -ach option turns on a specific logging mode. =or (SI version 1.11 the function of each option is as follows : v > <erbose output o > Out>of>disk>space messages i > Status messages c > Initial )I parameters e > 3ll error messages w > 'on>fatal warnings a > Start up of actions r > 3ction>specific records m > Out>of>memory or fatal e2it information u > )ser re,uests p > Terminal properties ? > 3ppend to e2isting file @ > =lush each line to the log A > #ildcard1 to log all information e2cept for the v option. To include the v option1 specify +lAv. It is recommended that you use this service only for troubleshooting. 9eaving the service turned on creates a new (siA.log file every time you use the 3dd+!emove /rograms tool in *ontrol /anel. This activity adversely affects system performance and disk space. -nable #indows Installer 9ogging by (odifying Broup /olicy 7ou can use Broup /olicy to enable logging by modifying the appropriate organi0ational unit 4O)5 or 3ctive $irectory Broup /olicy: Author: Abhinav Vaid Page "

Software Testing Bringing Effectiveness In Bug Reporting

*lick Start !un. In the Open bo21 type gpedit.msc to start the Broup /olicy -ditor. -2pand *omputer *onfiguration1 e2pand 3dministrative Templates1 e2pand #indows *omponents1 and then click #indows Installer. $ouble>click 9ogging1 and then click -nabled. In the 9ogging bo21 specify the options for what you want to log. The log file1 (si.log1 appears in the Temp folder of the system volume. =or more information about (SI logging1 refer to #indows elp. Search elp by using the phrase Cmsi logging1C and then click the C(anaging options for computers through Broup /olicyC topic. d. )ploading <ideo =iles: !ecently we have started incorporating it. #henever bugs start going back and forth between dev and test team1 the best thing is to record the video while reproducing the bug with a tool such as *amtasia and upload it along with the bug ". Handling !A$ %!or&s as $esign Issues': 3t times there are bugs which get marked as #orks as $esign by the dev team. There are many reasons for that1 the best case is check with the !e,uirement Specifications itself before logging the bug. 3nd in case you are sure1 log it and in case the $ev Team re%ects it1 include the D3 and include his comments in the bug details section. I have also seen bugs related to negative testing resulting in unhandled e2ception errors which the developers marked it as #3$ 4works as design5. Initially we %ust raised it to the technical management to make sure that it no longer remains #orks as $esign. 9ater1 we included a checklist itself during the beginning of the Test *ycle which ensured the compliance by the development Team. &. Bug Scrubs: Dug Scrubs is one of the practices which was used in one of my e2>organi0ation and I found it e2tremely effective to avoid bugs going back and forth between development and Testing Teams. Dug Scrub refers to a meeting scheduled where in you have a dev lead1 E3 9ead1 D31 and a /roduct (anager to prioriti0e the bugs and handle+update the status of #3$ bugs. This ensures everyone is on the same page and has everyoneFs consent on the status of the bug. 4. Re(uirements Analysis #)ec&list: Testers can have a !e,uirement 3nalysis *hecklist and should review it thoroughly clearing out any amount of ambiguity in the document. This ensures the early catching of the bugs and helping to fine tune the document to produce effective and more usable Test *ases. .. *t)er Solutions: Some other tips for -ffective Dug !eporting are: a. ave a crisp and concise sub%ect line bug still should be able to deliver+communicate the message about the bug details. =or e2ample1 using a term like G)sing euro characters+long file names in the )ser 'ame field on 2y0 page results in 3pplication *rashH. Page &

Author: Abhinav Vaid

Software Testing Bringing Effectiveness In Bug Reporting

b. In the Summary section1 always write point wise: accurate environment details right from browser+application version1 service pack 4if any51 OS details1 hardware details1 network details 4if applicable51 and whatever is applicable from the 3pplication perspective. c. #rite the e2act steps to reproduce the bug. !emember1 not one more word+sentence more or less. Imagine writing & sentences e2tra which are not applicable and could have been avoided. If 1II people go through it1 imagine the time it adds to the bug life cycle.

Author: Abhinav Vaid

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