What functions does a tester serve? I recently engaged in a conversation with my team and several responses emerged:
- They must be competent in conducting tests
- Can conduct comprehensive tests
- Mustn’t miss any bugs
- Should possess a wide knowledge of the application
- Must try to breach the application’s defenses
However, I believe one specific trait separates a truly outstanding tester, leaving everyone asking, “how?”
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What occurs when a bug is reported? I initiated another thought-provoking discussion.
- The developer addresses it
- At times, the developer fails to resolve it
- Occasionally, the developer procrastinates the issue’s resolution
- Occasionally, the issue is deemed as “Not Reproducible”
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That’s great, but why does a developer sometimes chooses not to address or to delay problem-solving, or even label the issue as “Non-reproducible?”
There was a brief pause, and then the most captivating part of our discussion unfolded – the debate.
Here are some highlights from our debate:
As testers, we are primarily tasked with examining the application or product and identifying any defects. But our role does not conclude there. As a matter of fact, this is when our real assignment commences. It is vital to comprehend why your bugs get dismissed or classified as “non-reproducible,” and your reaction to it.
Bug disclosure and management is a craft, an elaborate craft that can enhance the product’s credibility and gain the client’s assurance. Whether you are high or low up the corporate ladder, if you’re involved in software scrutiny, it’s critical to excel at bug notification. A bug report is not merely a document; it’s a synopsis of what is not working, how, and where it fails. The bug report mirrors the issues within an application, and your presentation of it can influence the bug’s destiny.
You may be acquainted with the mandatory data that a bug report must contain, but have you pondered about the bug report as a whole? Even if you integrate all necessary fields, you may still find it difficult to draft an effective bug report.
Utilizing my experience, I have gathered a set of pointers to consider while submitting a bug. I have incorporated an example for each pointer to facilitate better comprehension.
Example:
Consider an e-commerce webpage that offers car parts and accessories. Below, I have outlined some relevant problems along with the requisite “should not be” and “should be” columns for each entry.
Here’s a quick glimpse:
#1. Reevaluate your bug report and ask yourself – is it intelligible?
Unintelligible | Intelligible |
---|---|
Title: The Application is extremely slow | Title: Performance deterioration seen on specific pages of the application. |
Steps to Reproduce: Each time the user attempts a purchase, the response lags and occasionally the required action cannot be executed. | Steps to Reproduce: Certain particular application pages, such as Car models, new arrivals, and accessories, exceed 15 seconds to load. |
#2. Specify proximity of reproducibility to conserve time and effort
Not advisable | Advisable |
---|---|
Title: Frequent application crash on payment page | Title: Application crash on the payment page consistently with a specific selection |
Steps to Reproduce: The application fails each time the user selects a payment method | Steps to Reproduce: The application fails precisely when the user opts for the XYZ bank credit card as the method of payment. |
#3. Remember that bugs are project-oriented, not personalized
Not preferable | Preferable |
---|---|
Title: Inefficient application | Title: The application becomes unresponsive when the user selects specific inventory to add to the cart. |
Steps to Reproduce: As repeatedly mentioned and demoed, the application malfunctions on multiple pages and displays error pages. Kindly address this issue promptly. | Steps to Reproduce: The application does not respond when a user selects a specific item to add to the shopping cart. The issue obstructs the flow of application testing. It should be prioritized with urgency. |
#4. Maintain one bug, one issue approach:
Not ideal | Ideal |
---|---|
Title: Certain parts cannot be selected and the application crashes if certain other parts are selected | Title 1: On the Car Accessories page, certain parts cannot be selected |
Steps to Reproduce: On the Car Accessories page, the following items cannot be selected: Mobile holder Car backseat pockets Car perfumes |
|
Steps to Reproduce: On the Car Accessories page, certain parts are not selectable. Additionally, the application crashes when the user selects grey or rich brown seat covers. | Title 2: Application crashes when specific types of seat covers are selected on the Car Accessories page |
Steps to Reproduce: On the Car Accessories page, application crashes when the following items are selected: Grey seat covers Rich brown seat covers |
#5. If known, suggest a potential reason:
Not recommended | Recommended |
---|---|
Title: After canceling the accessory’s purchase from the cart, if re-selected, the displayed cost doubles | Title: After canceling the accessory’s purchase from the cart, if re-selected, the displayed cost doubles |
Steps to Reproduce: On the Car Accessories page, pick any item and add it to the cart. Now remove it from the cart and reselect and add it back to the cart. | Steps to Reproduce: On the Car Accessories page, pick any item and add it to the cart. Now remove it from the cart and reselect and add it back to the cart.
Note: On scrutinizing the database, I observed that an item’s specific entry is not removed when a user deletes it from the cart. Consequently, when the user reselects the same item, the price is reflected as twice the initial amount. This could possibly be the root cause of the issue. |
I hope the examples above make it clear what I was trying to convey. I welcome your thoughts and opinions on this topic.
About the Author: This article is penned by Bhumika Mehta, a member of the STH team. A maestro in project management with over a decade of maturity in software scrutiny. Creative thoughts, innovation, and risk-taking are high in her list of likes, while mundane tasks, people, or settings are the things she dislikes.
Endeavoring for successful testing, as always. 🙂