I’ve been able to regress some bug reports

I started work today pretty happy - I hit "ZBR" right on the deadline for the first time in a long time today. "ZBR" means Zero Bugs to Regress. We use it as a goal to ensure that as bugs get fixed and assigned to test for verification, we do not let them pile up instead of ensuring the fix is proper.

Normally, I would have a few bugs assigned to me that are Active. They would typically need more information (like logs) or further clarification about the circumstances before a developer can started on a potential fix. Sometimes they can be dealt with very quickly, such as adding logs. Sometimes they take awhile to get the information. For instance, a question you may get is "Does this also happen in Windows 2008 Server at 1024x768 with Left to Right Language settings?" That is a fair question – and could very well be key for a developer to get started on a fix - and setting up a machine to get that information might take a little while. Getting answers to these is usually straightforward, but can be time consuming.  In general, Active bugs need to be turned around quickly no matter what, so they have top priority most of the time.  Fortunately, I was able to move these along quickly this last week.

Some of the bugs that are resolved can be tested immediately. I generally try to stay on top of these every day and not let them accumulate. Sometimes I get blocked by circumstances out of my control. I may need access to a particular server that is down or otherwise inaccessible so I get blocked from testing the fix. Sometimes the fix may need a fix in another application as well - in other words, to get our task linking working correctly, we may need the setup team to register our addin correctly. Without that working, there is no way I can test any fixes for this area.

Last week, though, all the pieces fell into place and I was able to get my slate completely clean. No blocking problems, everything built and installed correctly so I hit zero. Feels good.

Now the life of a tester takes over again and I get to do this again this week. And next, and next and next…

Questions, comments, concerns and criticisms always welcome,

John