Re: Writing good bug descriptions

["Rowena Hart" <rhart -at- xcert -dot- com>]

Jon,

A good bug description usually contains the
following:

- plain language description of problem,
e.g. "Error ### appears in Web browser"
(should describe the problem as it appears
to user)

- product name, version number

- operating system (version number, etc.)

- system information (RAM, disk space, etc.)

- any relevant system configuration information

- input/output errors or user actions that
caused the problem (necessary for bug to be
reproducable)

- error log messages related to the problem

- product default and/or "feature" that caused
the problem

- documentation issues related to the problem,
e.g. instructions are incorrect or incomplete

- what the developer did to test and/or solve
the problem (must be reproducable)

- suggestion for an official (i.e. released to
customer) solution

Hope this helps,

Rowena

-------------------------------------------------------
----

Rowena Hart   Technical Writer

Xcert International Inc.
1001-701 West Georgia Street  Phone:  1 (604) 640-6210
Vancouver, BC, Canada V7Y 1C6  Fax: 1 (604) 640-6220
Web: http://www.xcert.com    E-mail: rhart -at- xcert -dot- com