Tips on Writing Bug ReportsHow to Write a Bug Report

1. Be very specific when describing the bug. Don’t let there be any room
for interpretation. More concise means less ambiguous, so less clarification
will be needed later on.

2. Calling windows by their correct names (by the name displayed on the
title bar) will eliminate some ambiguity.

3. Don’t be repetitive. Don’t repeat yourself. Also, don’t say things
twice or three times.

4. Try to limit the number of steps to recreate the problem. A bug that is
written with 7 or more steps can usually become hard to read. It is usually
possible to shorten that list.

5. Start describing with where the bug begins, not before. For example,
you don't have to describe how to load and launch the application if the
application crashes on exit.

6. Proofreading the bug report is very important. Send it through a spell
checker before submitting it.

6. Make sure that all step numbers are sequenced. (No missing step numbers
and no duplicates.)

8. Please make sure that you use sentences. This is a sentence. This not
sentence.

9. Don’t use a condescending or negative tone in your bug reports. Don’t
say things like "It's still broken", or “It is completely wrong”.

10. Don’t use vague terms like “It doesn’t work” or “not working properly”

11. If there is an error message involved, be sure to include the exact wording
of the text in the bug report. If there is a GPF (General Protection Fault) be
sure to include the name of the module and address of the crash.

12. Once the text of the report is entered, you don’t know whose eyes will see
it. You might think that it will go to your manager and the developer and
that’s it, but it could show up in other documents that you are not aware of,
such as reports to senior management or clients, to the company intranet, to
future test scripts or test plans. The point is that the bug report is your
work product, and you should take pride in your work.

Thanks to Bernie Berger