How to write a useful bug report?

Writing a useful bug report is a critical part of the software development process.

A good bug report can help developers quickly identify and fix the issue, while a poorly written one can cause confusion and delay the process. Here are some tips to help you write a practical bug report:

Make Sure You Have All the Necessary Information

Before you start writing your bug report, make sure you have all the necessary information. This includes:

• A detailed description of the bug.
• Steps to reproduce the bug.
• The expected behavior.
• The actual behavior.
• Screenshots or videos of the bug in action.
• The version of the software you are using.
• Your operating system and browser.

Characteristics

1. Reproducible
   • If your bug is not reproducible, then it will never get fixed or it will be very (very) hard to fix it.
   • You should clearly mention the steps to reproduce the bug.
   • Do not assume or skip any reproducing steps.
   • The bug which is described Step by step is easy to reproduce and fix.
   • You should take screenshots (even screen recording) in order to make it easy for the developer to understand what is happening.
2. Be Specific
   • Your bug report should have a clear and concise title that accurately describes the issue. This will make it easier for developers to quickly identify the issue and take the necessary steps to fix it.

• Try to summarize the problem in minimum words yet in an effective way.
• Do not combine multiple problems even if they seem to be similar.
• Write different reports for each problem.
• Try to break it into bullet points.
• Read (yes – you can do it out loud) what you wrote in the end and see if it makes sense.
  1. Add Screenshots or even better a video
• A picture worth 1000 words.
• A (short) video is worth 10,000 words.
• Add screenshots/clips and try to mark them with useful information about the problem.
• When you write the bug description you may reference the screenshot.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Writing a Bug Report

When writing a bug report, there are some common mistakes you should avoid. These include:

• Not providing enough information. Make sure to include all the necessary information, such as steps to reproduce the bug, expected and actual behavior, and screenshots or videos.
• Not using a clear and concise title. Make sure your title accurately describes the issue.
• Not using the correct format. Make sure to use the correct format for your bug report.
• Not being clear and concise. Avoid using jargon or technical terms that may not be familiar to everyone.
• Not including your contact information. Make sure to include your contact information in the bug report.

Tips

1) Report the problem immediately

W rite a bug report immediately.

This will ensure a good and reproducible Bug report. If you decide to write the Bug report later on then there is a higher chance to miss the important steps in your report.

2) Reproduce the bug three times before writing a Bug report

Your bug should be reproducible. Make sure that your steps are robust enough to reproduce the bug without any ambiguity. If your bug is not reproducible every time, then you can still file a bug mentioning the periodic nature of the bug.

*3) Test the same bug occurrence on other similar modules *

Sometimes the developer uses the same code for different similar modules. So there is a higher chance for the bug in one module to occur in other similar modules as well. You can even try to find the more severe version of the bug you found.

4) Write a good bug summary

Bug summary will help the developers to quickly analyze the bug’s nature. A poor quality report will unnecessarily increase development and testing time. Communicate well with your bug report summary. Keep in mind that the bug summary can be used as a reference to search for the bug in the bug inventory.

5) Read the Bug report before hitting the Submit button

Read all the sentences, wordings and steps that are used in the bug report. See if any sentence is creating ambiguity that can lead to misinterpretation. Misleading words or sentences should be avoided in order to have a clear bug report.

6) Do not use abusive language.

It’s nice that you did a good work and found a bug but do not use this credit for criticizing the developer or to attack any individual.

Psst… Everyone should write a report on anything they see in the system that can be improved.

You want to avoid the broken window theory.

Good luck!