A bug report is one of the most valuable things that a development team can get in the habit of doing. The bug report is there to help your developers track down a coding problem and gives them the information they need to help them fix it. Creating a good bug report is about keeping things as simple as possible.
You don’t want to overwhelm your developers with a dozen pages of information when it can be easily conveyed in only one or two. You want your bug report to be easily skimmed so they aren’t wasting time searching for information. Finding the right bug report template or feature request form can make all the difference, too.
Here are some pro tips on how to develop your bug reports from now on so that your developers love you.
The best bug reports are those which are easy to decipher. Developers are busy enough and tracking down coding problems is never an enjoyable task. Make developers lives easier through clear communication. You goal should be to keep things succinct.
In order to keep your report simple you should have a few main components in each report. This allows your developers to be able to skim over information to find just what they need to know. Your report should include important information as the environment, whatever steps are needed to recreate the bug, your expected results, the actual results that are occurring, and the visual element. The visual element is the proof of your find. This includes information such as any videos or text and screenshots of the bug.
A messy bug report creates massive headaches and significantly increases the amount of time it takes to fix the code.
It’s always a smart idea to have some sort of filing system for your bug reports. The filing system makes it easy for developers to find the bug report they’re looking for without much looking about.
You can accomplish this by creating a unique number to every bug report you create. Keep your numbers in order using any system you see fit. You can use something like a ‘0001’ to begin or a simple ‘1’, it’s up to your own individual preference. The same goes for feature requests.
If you’re using a template to create your bug report or feature request, this should be automatically generated for you. To top things off, jot down the number of the newest bug report and write a short description of the problem.
There are a number of benefits to using a template for your bug report or feature request, but the biggest has to be the reproducibility. When we’re scanning forms for information we want to find out information quickly, so it helps when it’s all in the same spot every time we see the form. On top of that, it helps us to avoid mistakes by manually entering in each title.
When you use a template you can guarantee that your form is the same form every time it’s submitted. Your developers will be able to quickly and easily scan the headings and you don’t have to worry about missing any important information. Bug report templates and feature request forms make creating reports easier than ever.
Waiting to report a bug only causes problems further down the line. It’s better to simply take the time to file the report and be done with it so it can be fixed early on. If you happen to write your report awhile after the fact then you’re more likely to miss important information, resulting in a sloppy report.
It’s always a good idea to check out what other people are writing too. You may find useful information that can help you to keep your report succinct while also keeping all the important details. It’s even useful to figure out what not to do. When you read other people’s reports and see something that isn’t explained properly, you can be sure to do better on your own.
Zendesk is a really useful tool for developers and marketers alike. If you’re not familiar with the site, Zendesk helps companies to better their customer engagement and insights, allowing you to learn more about your website users habits.
When you’re looking for a template you should be aiming to find one which is integratabtle with Zendesk in order to track support tickets. A great template to use which is fully integrated with Zendesk is the Framestr bug report template which will fulfill all your bug report needs.
The template will make it easy for you to file comprehensive and cohesive bug reports that make your developers lives easier than ever. No more worrying about filling out sloppy bug reports than go on for ages or miss key information. Framestr makes the process easy for you every step of the way.
Writing bug reports or feature request forms is known as being a hassle, but it doesn’t have to be. They can be written easily by simply having a system in place that your developers can rely on.
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