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Test Management Tool

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4 Steps Technique to Fix Software Bugs

I challenge you to show me a software product, any mobile or web application that has no bugs in it, and is 100% error-free. Can’t think of any particular application? Well, you won’t be. Because every single software application or product has some hidden bugs or errors within it. Why we face these errors? Because software is a man-made thing. Humans are imperfect creatures and they make mistakes. One can not claim himself/herself to be the perfect one. In a highly complex industry Like software development, it is very difficult to cope up with these deadly bugs. For the sake of alleviating these bugs, organizations use various different techniques and invest heavy finances on bug management tools but still fail to get the most out of it and to achieve 100% results. 

Maintaining the quality of a software product is the utmost priority of every single business. For this purpose, testing comes into place. But here’s an effective step-by-step technique to fix bugs;

Replication of bugs - Even if someone else has already done this for you, please take some time to replicate the error yourself. Then make a note of the copied workflow you discovered, you will need this record later when you have to communicate details with the team. Another reason you want to strictly follow this step because you have a better understanding of the codebase than anyone else, so your perspective will always be different.

Truly Understand the problem instead of making assumptions -  Assumptions are the root of all failures. If you think where the problem is, then when there is a link problem, it may hurt you. So, try the following: When you get information about a new error, get rid of assumptions, and try to explain the problem based on facts only.

From here, sort out the problem.

Fix the errors - You are now aware of what actually was the root cause of the problem so now rush to solve the problem. Come up with a solution that best solves the problem. You can use various bug management tools in this regard. 

Prove that you’ve fixed the bug/error - You have repaired it and you are doing well! Now you can use the copied workflow noted in step 2 to prove that the problem has been resolved. It's great, everyone is happy.

Although we are not totally out of the mess. 

Final Thoughts

With the use of the right bug management tools, you can manage a pool of bugs but still, you need to follow a ladder to success. As careful as steps taken on the ladder, the more successful you will be in detecting and fixing bugs. Be wise enough and make sure your eyes are like those of an owl’s eyes to see the minutest things as well. The more attention and dedication you pay towards hunting the bugs, the more you’ll be able to make your software product free of bugs and errors. 

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How to Effectively Report Bugs

Errors and mistakes are an unavoidable part of the software development process. Bugs are mostly detected during testing. This is why testers spend most of their time creating test plans and strategies, within which they choose different levels of tests, types, and techniques – all with a purpose to build the best possible process for software verification. We’re not able to check all possibilities and paths, but we want maximum certainty that the system works correctly.   

Bugs must always be reported and dealt with appropriately as soon as they are found. With a good bug report, we can avoid explanations, useless work, and misunderstandings – and everything that translates into making the most of our time.

Following are some of the tips for effective bug reporting:

Unique ID

The first essential step of any bug tracking process is to mark each defect as unique. This is a helpful method when it comes to dealing with specific problems. Using only verbal descriptions or titles might cause communication problems later on due to ambiguity. With an increasing number of defects to manage, using identifiers can prove to be a smart move.

Meaningful Title

The title is another critical element of the bug report. It’s the second thing we use as a reference after the identifier. The title should balance both the length and information and shouldn’t be too general as its purpose is to serve as a kind of an identifier that limits the freedom of interpretation. Whereas, a very detailed description complicates matters unnecessarily. It may be difficult to remember and impractical. A good title is easy to remember, concise, and yet captures the essence of the problem.  

Significant Reproduction Details

A report with information to reproduce a bug is useless just as it is to explain the essentials for a given mistake every single time. The report must contain all the details necessary for the developers and testers to reproduce the bug. From initial conditions to results, make sure that all information is included. The information about the operating system, database, browser, and test environment is also very important for reproduction in some cases.

Evidence

Keep the report as concise as possible. The bug report can become a huge document and such an amount of data can work as a disadvantage instead of an advantage. It’s said that a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, use some. Use screenshots and video recordings that show the entire path leading to an error.

Severity/Priority Levels

Both of these indicators are very popular among testing teams. Regardless of which method you use, the levels of a given metric must be well-defined and each member should know what a given level means. A consistent approach and awareness of the use of severity or priority is the first step to effective bug management.

The Right Bug Management Tools

There are several bug management tools available in the market. It’s impossible to point out the best one because it all depends on the individual requirements. So first, know what you need. And before you buy a tool, do your research.

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Software Bugs Can Cost You a Fortune

Wondering how much software bugs cost? It depends on how late you find them.

According to a study by the Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology, software bugs cost the U.S. economy $59.5 billion yearly. Bugs can incur significant costs for organizations in terms of finances, business reputation, customer satisfaction, resources allocated, and efforts invested to resolve the bugs. That’s why many organizations rely on bug management tools so that they don’t miss out on bugs. But as much as these tools are important, it’s also imperative to find bugs as early as possible in the development stage so that the costs can be minimized.

As reported by System Sciences Institute at IBM, “the cost to fix an error found after product release was four to five times as much as one uncovered during design, and up to 100 times more than one identified in the maintenance phase.” It’s because when a bug is found, the code is sent back to the beginning of the SDLC so the agile development cycle can restart. Then there’s a domino effect. To accommodate the code fix, the software development approach often needs to change which can, as a result, bump back other code changes. So, going into the second round of SDLC, not only is the bug going to cost more to fix, but a different code change could be delayed, adding cost to that code change as well.

Let’s have a look at some of the costliest bugs in history:

NASA – Mariner 1

In 1962, the U.S. launched its Mariner 1 spacecraft as an attempt to reach Venus. As it just made past Cape Canaveral, a software bug caused the rocket to veer off course. The spacecraft was issued a self-destruct command by a NASA range safety officer on the ground, destroying itself just minutes after takeoff. Upon investigation, it was found out that the omission of a hyphen in coded computer instructions in the data editing program, resulted in incorrect guidance signals being sent to the spacecraft.

At that time, the rocket reportedly cost more than $18 million which amounts to approx. $153 million today, adjusted for inflation.

Toyota Recall

Since 2009, Toyota has recalled its cars on 3 separate instances. In 2010, Toyota recalled more than 9 million of its cars worldwide due to an apparent mechanical issue that caused a Lexus ES350 to accelerate out of control, killing all 4 passengers when it crashed. Toyota dealers were initially instructed to remove and shorten the gas pedals and update the onboard computers with a new program that would override the electronic gas pedal when the brake pedal was pressed. But upon recalling, it was discovered that the issue wasn’t mechanical. Cars had a software bug that caused a lag in the anti-lock-brake system.

Due to increased incentive campaigns, legal liabilities, and marketing efforts, the estimated cost Toyota beared amounted to $3 billion.

These examples suggest that no matter how minute a bug may seem in the production stage, once the product is deployed, the same bug can exhibit huge consequences. Therefore, ensure early detection of bugs through continuous testing and use bug management tools for effective bug logging and tracking.