I found a bug! Is there some format I should use to report it?
A lot of people often ask me if there is some format that they should use to report bugs to us. I have seen bug reports from, “X is broken, please fix”, to short stories about a bug. What is really important to have in a bug is clear and concise repro steps, what the result is, and what you expect to really happen. This will not only save you and us time, but will increase the chances of getting your bug considered for fixing. Here is an example of a good bug report:
Title: Calendar application does not launch
Environment: Smartphone <version of MS software, as found in the About Control Panel><manufacturer><model><anything of interest, like low memory>
[Repro]
1. Boot device
2. Press SK1.Start
3. Action on Calendar
[Results]
When step 3 is executed, nothing happens. The device just stays on the Start Menu screen. I am still able to use the device and launch other applications, but for some reason Calendar will not launch.
[Expect]
In step 3, I expect Calendar to launch.
[Notes]
I have been using the device now for 2 weeks and I have been able to launch Calendar several times in the past. I did add Widget Company's Calendar application yesterday, and I think that may be the reason Calendar is no longer working. I removed Widget Company's Calendar, but the MS Calendar still does not launch.
This is a fairly standard bug report that I use for filing bugs internally. Hope this helps many of you out there. Please let me know if you have any questions or comments about this post. Have a good day.
[Author: Stephen Rosenthal]
Comments
- Anonymous
April 19, 2004
Argh. Now the world knows the secret of how to log good bugs against our products. :)
Seriously though, this is a great tip. Stephen logs a ton of great bugs, and his outline above is spot on. As someone who has to read through bugs on a daily basis a well-written bug can make all the difference in the world. When the time crunch hits a readable bug is much more likely to get fixed: you don't have to waste time going back and forth with the bug author to figure out what the real issue is, or what platform it took place on. - Anonymous
April 22, 2004
I found a bug! is there some format I should use to report it? - Anonymous
May 02, 2004
Title: Calendar application does not launchEnvironment: Smartphone <version of MS software, as found in the About Control Panel><manufacturer><model><anything of interest, like low memory> [Repro]1. Boot device2. Press SK1.Start3. Action on Calendar [Results]When step 3 is executed, nothing happens. The device just stays on the Start Menu screen. I am still able to use the device and launch other applications, but for some reason Calendar will not launch. [Expect]In step 3, I expect Calendar to launch. [Notes]I have been using the device now for 2 weeks and I have been able to launch Calendar several times in the past. I did add Widget Company's Calendar application yesterday, and I think that may be the reason Calendar is no longer working. I removed Widget Company's Calendar, but the MS Calendar still does not launch. [Author: Stephen Rosenthal] [Windows Mobile Team Blog]... - Anonymous
December 20, 2005
The question is now, where do we post the bugs to? It's easy enough writing up the bug report, but where to send it after that is the issue. - Anonymous
March 09, 2006
The comment has been removed - Anonymous
January 24, 2007
The comment has been removed