How to Create a Bug Report in Software Testing

What is a BUG?

A bug is an error or defect in software that causes it to behave unexpectedly or produce incorrect results. A bug may be due to an error in the design, code, or configuration of the software.

For example, Let's say you transfer money to a friend using the mobile banking app, but when you enter the amount to transfer and click the "Send" button, the app crashes and closes. This is an error in the transfer function of the application and will prevent you from completing the transaction. The error can be caused by several factors, such as a memory leak in the application code or problems in communication between the application and the bank's servers.

Introduction to Bug Report in Software Testing

A bug report is a document that identifies and describes a software problem or defect. A bug report contains important information that developers can reproduce and fix the problem. A well-written bug report should include relevant information such as software version, operating system, and any other relevant information about the environment or configuration. The report should also include a clear and concise description of the problem, including steps to reproduce it, associated files or error messages, and assigned severity and priority.

Importance of Bug Report

Bug reports are important in software development and testing for several reasons.

• Bug detection:
  Bug reports help identify software problems or bugs, allowing developers to fix them before the software is released to users. Identifying problems early in the development process can save time and resources in the long run.
• Reproducibility of the Bug:
  Bug report provides detailed information about the reproducibility of the problem, which is essential for developers to understand and solve the problem. Adding screenshots or recordings of the user interface is a valuable addition to the bug report. Combined with clear and detailed steps to reproduce the error, this can provide important context for troubleshooting.
• Bug prioritization:
  Bug reports help prioritize issues by determining their severity and priority levels. This ensures that critical issues are dealt with first and that less critical issues are resolved later.
• Communication:
  Bug reports provide a means of communication between testers and developers, allowing them to work together to find solutions to problems.
• Improve quality:
  Solving bugs identified in bug reports can improve the quality of software, making it more reliable, secure, and user-friendly.

How to Write a Bug Report

When writing a bug report, follow these guidelines:

1. Identify the bug:
   First, identify the problem or bug you encountered in the software. Restate the problem and note the steps you took to get to that point.
2. Gather information:
   Gather any relevant information you can find about the problem, such as software version, operating system, hardware configuration, and error messages or screenshots.
3. Write a clear and concise title:
   The title of a bug report should be short and summarize the problem in a few words.
4. Issue Description:
   Write a detailed description of the problem, explaining what's happening, how it's happening, and why it's a problem. Please provide the exact steps to reproduce the problem and any error messages or logs that may help identify the root cause.
5. Assign a Severity Level:
   Assign a severity level to a problem based on how it affects the software and users. Use a severity scale from low to critical, with critical indicating a major impact on the software.
6. Assign a priority level:
   Assign a priority level to an issue based on its urgency, importance, and impact on the software and users. Use a scale from low to critical priority, which indicates that the problem needs to be addressed immediately.
7. Add relevant files:
   If you have relevant files (such as screenshots, error messages, or logs), attach them to the bug report. These files help developers understand the problem and its root cause.
8. File a bug report:
   Once you've filed a bug report, submit it to the appropriate team or person responsible for resolving the issue.

By following these steps, you can create a comprehensive and effective bug report that will help developers reproduce and resolve the issue effectively.

Information that Should Be Included in Bug Report

When writing a bug report, it's important to include all relevant information to help developers reproduce and resolve the problem. Here is important information that should be included in a bug report:

1. Title:
   Write a clear and concise title that summarizes the problem in a few words.
2. Description:
   Describe the problem in detail, including what's happening, how it's happening, and why it's a problem. Provide specific steps to reproduce the problem.
3. Environment:
   Include information about the software version, operating system, browser, hardware configuration, and other environment or configuration information.
4. Severity:
   Assign a severity level to a problem based on how it affects the software and users. Use a severity scale from low to critical, with critical indicating a major impact on the software.
5. Priority:
   Assign a priority level to the issue based on its urgency, importance, and impact on the software and users. Use a scale from low to critical priority, which indicates that the problem needs to be addressed immediately.
6. Steps to Reproduce:
   Provide specific steps to reproduce the problem, including any input data, error messages, or logs that may be relevant. Expected Behavior: Describe the expected behavior of the software in this situation.
7. Actual Behavior:
   Describe the actual behavior of the software in this situation, including error messages or unexpected output.
8. Attachments:
   Include any related files such as screenshots, error messages, or logs that help developers understand the problem and its root cause.

Bug Reporting Best Practices

• Reproduce the problem:
  Before creating a bug report, make sure you can reproduce the problem consistently. This helps developers understand the problem and its root cause.
• Provide specific steps:
  When you describe the problem, give specific steps to reproduce it, including any input data, error messages, or logs that may be relevant. This helps developers understand the problem and its context.
• Be concise:
  Write clear and concise bug reports, focusing on relevant details. Avoid providing irrelevant information that may distract from the problem.
• Assign Severity and Priority:
  Assign a severity and priority level to a problem based on how it affects the software and users. This helps prioritize issues and ensure critical issues are addressed first.
• Use a standard format:
  Using a standard format for bug reports, including title, description, environment, severity, priority, retry steps, expected behavior, actual behavior, and attachments.
• Testing in multiple environments:
  Test the software in multiple environments to ensure that the problem is not limited to a specific configuration.
• Avoid duplication:
  Before creating a new bug report, check if the problem has already been reported. Repeated error reports can waste time and resources.
• Include screenshots or videos:
  Adding screenshots or videos helps developers understand the problem and its context, making it easier to reproduce and solve it.

Bug Reporting Tools and Tracking Systems

Bug reporting tools and tracking systems are software tools that allow testers, developers, and project managers to effectively track and manage software issues. Here are some popular bug-reporting tools and tracking systems.

1. Jira:
   Jira is a popular bug tracking and project management tool that allows teams to effectively track and manage software issues, tasks, and workflows.
2. Bugzilla:
   Bugzilla is an open source bug tracking system that allows teams to track and manage software issues, bug reports, and fixes.
3. MantisBT:
   MantisBT is an open source bug tracking system that allows teams to track and manage software issues, bug reports and project workflows.
4. Trello:
   Trello is a project management tool that allows teams to visually track and manage software issues, tasks, and workflows. GitHub Issues: GitHub Issues is an issue tracking system that allows teams to track and manage software issues, bug reports, and code changes.
5. Asana:
   Asana is a project management tool that enables teams to effectively track and manage software issues, tasks, and workflows.
6. Zoho BugTracker:
   Zoho BugTracker is a bug tracking system that allows teams to track and manage software issues, bug reports, and project workflows.

These tools and systems provide teams with a centralized platform to effectively collaborate, track and manage software issues, enabling faster problem resolution and better software quality.