Page 173 - SOFTWARE TESTING & QUALITY ASSURANCE

Software Testing and Quality Assurance

10. Closed: Once the bug is fixed, it is again tested by the tester. If the tester believes that the bug is
no longer present, the status of the bug is changed to “CLOSED”. This state means that the bug is
fixed, tested, verified, and validated.

Preventing defects proves to be much more effective and efficient in reducing the
number of defects, but still most companies conduct defect discovery and removal.
Discovering and removing defects is an expensive and incompetent process. From a
company’s point of view, it is effective to conduct activities that prevent defects.

11.2.2 Bug-Tracking System

The bug-reporting process is a complicated activity that requires a lot of information, a high level of
detail, and a reasonable amount of discipline to be effective. Some type of system is needed to record
the bugs found and to monitor them throughout their life cycle. A bug-tracking system maintains the
record of the bugs found and helps to monitor the bugs throughout their life cycle.
The Standard: The Test Incident Report
The IEEE 829 Standard for Software Test Documentation defines a document called the Test Incident
Report whose purpose is “to document any event that occurs during the testing process and which
requires investigation”, that is, “recording a bug.” The following list, adapted and updated to reflect
current terminology, shows the areas that the standard defines.
1. Identifier: Specifies a unique identification number which is used to locate the bug. This ID is
exclusive to the bug report.
2. Summary: Summarizes the bug into a short, brief statement of fact. References to the software
being tested and its version, the associated test procedure, test case, and the test specification
should also be included.
3. Incident Description: Provides a detailed information of the bug with the following information:
(a) Date and time
(b) Tester's name

(c) Hardware and software configuration used
(d) Inputs
(e) Procedure to be followed
(f) Expected results
(g) Actual results
(h) Attempts to repeat and description of what was tried

(i) Other observations or descriptions that may help the programmer find the bug
4. Impact: The severity and priority as well as an indication of the impact of the bug to the test plan,
test specifications, test procedures, and test cases.

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