Software Bug Management

Today, we will be discussing everything about bug management, including writing a comprehensive bug report and how to manage bugs.

What is a Software Bug?

Simply put, a software bug is a defect that forces the software to produce completely different results from the intended one. A coding fault usually causes software bugs. QA testers may detect a software bug while writing test cases.

A software bug is also known as a software defect in the IT industry. Some organizations also refer to software defects as bugs, incidents, or problems.

How to Prepare Comprehensive Bug Reports

As a qualified QA tester, you will be responsible for preparing bug reports. A bug report is a comprehensive document highlighting defects detected in the software. It provides more details about the bug, including the date it was seen, the name of the tester who identified it, the description, and the developer’s name who handled the issue. These reports are crucial since they help prevent similar bugs in the future.

A comprehensive bug report should contain vital information, including:

• Unique defect ID
• A comprehensive outline of the bug and how it was found
• An accurate version of the software where the bug was detected
• Step-by-step guide of the actions taken by the developer. You can also attach screenshots
• The exact date the defect was detected
• Provide references to help testers and developers understand the bug. You can include documents and screenshots
• An ID of the tester who identified the bug
• Explain the status of the bug
• Provide the ID of the developer who fixed the bug
• Show the date when the bug was closed
• Explain the severity of the bug on the software
• Set a priority for the bug

Understanding the Bug Management Process

The bug management process is a cycle to detect and fix defects. Successful bug management processes are systematic and follow specific stages, including discovery, categorization, resolution, verification, closure, and reporting. Here is a detailed guide to the software bug management process.

Discovery

The first stage of the software bug management cycle is discovery. In this stage, testers strive to identify as many bugs as possible. In 99% of cases QA uses a Bug Management System such as JIRA or a similar tool to add a new bug report. This stage is essential since it ensures that the customers don’t encounter bugs. After detecting a bug, the team has to notify the developers by assigning the bug ticket to the person who will work on the bug fixing. Once the developers acknowledge the bugs, the status changes to accepted.

In case of a conflict between the testers and developers, the test manager has to step in and decide.

Categorization

The following step of the bug management process is to categorize it. During the categorization phase, testers must prioritize the bugs to help developers fix critical bugs. Developers fix bugs based on the severity. Critical bugs are given priority, followed by high-risk bugs. Medium bugs cause minimal changes from software behavior, while low bugs have little impact on the behavior of the software. The test manager will categorize the bugs

Resolution

During the resolution stage, developers fix the bugs depending on the priority. From there, they will send a report to the test manager.

Verification

After receiving the resolution report, testers determine if the bugs have been resolved.

Closure

After fixing all bugs, the status of the defect changes to closed. It is the tester’s responsibility to notify  the developer to recheck the bug if it still exists.

Key Thoughts

The software bug management process is crucial as it protects the company’s reputation. Whether you are a test manager looking to improve your skills or just getting started with IT, Spin Career offers online IT courses to help you succeed. Contact us today and  learn why we are a Top-Class training facility. Our instructors are eager to help!