How To Create Great Bug, Issue, Problem Reports

Nifty-Chicken

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Dec 26, 2006
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We recognize that with all the great new features we have that there are also a few more bugs and issues that need to be addressed. Our team is anxiously working to find and fix problems.

When we receive a bug report, our first task is to reproduce the error ourselves so we can determine which components are affected (e.g., text editor, registration, image uploading). Reproducing a bug is the most important part of the process, so initial reports should contain as much information as possible on how to do it.

Bug reports with a lot of clear details stand a better chance of being reproduced by our engineers and resolved quickly. Bug reports without enough information may not be actionable at all.

Please include the following details when you contact Huddler with a problem:

  • Problem Description: what exactly is going wrong? What did or didn't happen that you expected?
  • Error messages: Did you get any? If yes, what were they (please copy and paste the entire message, screenshots are best)?
  • Repro Steps: What were the exact steps you took before having the problem? Please be as specific as possible so we can do exactly what you did.
  • Browser And Operating System: What is the browser and OS you are using? Have you tried a different browser?
  • URL: :What is the URL / Address of the page where you had problems?
  • Notes: any additional information that will help us duplicate and diagnose the issue

Browser/OS: It's sometimes necessary to reproduce the same bug on different browsers and operating systems to help narrow down the nature of the problem. Whenever possible, please include this info in your report and please ask members to include this in their bug reports.

URL: This will be the URL where you had problems, have examples of the bug you experienced, and/or any errors appear. In addition to the URL, descriptions like "when I clicked from this page to that page" are also very helpful.

Screenshot of unexpected behavior are even more helpful. If you're describing a detailed problem, or if you're unsure how to describe a bug, use Jing to send us a screenshot or a video of what you see on your screen. (http://www.techsmith.com/jing/)

Generally speaking, bugs that can't be reproduced are a lower priority. We look into all of them, but it's usually impossible to take action against a bug we cannot actually manifest and examine ourselves.

Be Clear, Specific, and Complete:
The more information we get, the better the chance we can find and fix the problem. Make sure you're always providing a URL, a specific set of steps, and a thorough description of each issue. If we have to go back to and ask for this info later, it's often too late.

examples:

Useful Problem Description: "When I go to this url <link> after leaving Buy/Sell/Trade feedback, I get the error "Invalid URL""
Vague Subject Line: "Classifieds is broken"

Useful Repro Steps: "Login, click 'subscriptions' in the site header, then click on the 'edit my subscriptions' tab. Sort by start date. 404 error results."
Vague Repro Steps: "Go to the subscriptions and there's an error."


Thanks for helping us help you!!
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