Bug tracking is a method used by software developers to collect reports of defects in software programs. Developers can use special reporting software to make reporting easier. Mozilla offers free bug tracking software called Bugzilla. Reported bugs are assigned unique tracking numbers and prioritized based on various factors. Bug tracking systems improve customer satisfaction, increase productivity, and reduce downtime.
Bug tracking is a methodology used by software developers to collect reports of defects or “bugs” in software programs. This allows developers to further refine the software design by making continuous changes or updates to the product in order to better serve the customer base. Programmers who build software often invite the public to help identify problems. If the program has a nominal following, bug tracking could be achieved simply by asking users to report any difficulties via email. Bug tracking reports typically include an explanation of the exact nature of the problem, the version of the software involved, and the operating system.
While developers of programs with modest popularity can do “manual” bug tracking via email, it would be a logistical nightmare for developers of more popular or ubiquitous software to attempt this approach. This is where developers can take full advantage of using special reporting software. To make reporting easier, some popular software programs and operating systems incorporate built-in bug reporting. If the program crashes, it will attempt to connect to the Internet to forward an error log to an automatic bug tracking system. Since this feature could be considered an invasion of privacy, it can normally be disabled if users choose to do so.
Mozilla, the company behind the popular Firefox web browser, has designed free bug tracking software, known as Bugzilla. Mozilla uses Bugzilla for Firefox and other products, but it’s also available to businesses, IT administrators, or other stakeholders who manage software development. To use a sophisticated tracking system like this, a user reports a bug by filling out a simple online form. This form may be available on the Internet or within a private network.
While each bug tracking system differs in its features, reported bugs are usually assigned unique tracking numbers. The system prioritizes bugs based on various factors and classifies them as normal, high, or critical. The details are displayed at a glance within a tracking table that is available to the programming team and optionally to the public as well. Items like “improvements” or “wishlist” may also be included. Using the bug tracking interface, a user can click on a report number to read more details about a particular bug, add information to the report, or perform other actions such as re-categorizing the bug or reporting a fix.
A bug tracking system allows programmers and managers to see at a glance where the software is failing its customer base and how the development team is handling those issues. It provides an organized way to facilitate software improvement procedures and opens a proper and regulated channel to end users. This makes it easier to track bugs with minimal human resources invested in the organizational requirements of the process.
Effective bug tracking systems can improve customer satisfaction, increase productivity and reduce downtime. They can also track coding changes, provide an interface for programmers to work together, and allow for easy quality control management. There are several software packages available online. Serious software developers and countless end users benefit from these systems every day.
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