Art of Defect Reporting

Along with a good testing process, good defect reporting plays an important part in ensuring that the  effectiveness of testing is maximised. Effective communication of outcome of testing to the intended audience is vital.

The defect report must have all the details and clarity in communicating the defect to the developer such that the developer is able to accept the defect and fix it.

The defect report must provide enough details to enable the test manager evaluate the reliability and stability of the system under test.

The defect report must provide an insight to the management and enable to evaluate the business risk of the defect in terms of costs, corporate image, maintenance issues and recalls (both in terms of the risk of shipping a defect and shipping a defect fix).

Objective of a Defect Report

The objective of a defect report is to provide necessary information about the misbehaviour of the software and  enable the developer to understand and fix the same. Defect report also reflects upon the depth and capabilities of the tester. Hence, it is essential for a tester to ensure proper defect reporting.

Following aspects need to be kept in mind while preparing a defect report:

* It should meet the purpose

* It should be factually correct and self-explanatory

* It should unearth the real defect

* It should provide enough information to do a good analysis

* It should help the developer fix the defect

Source : “Software Testing – Effective Methods, Tools and Techniques“ book authored by our director, Mr Pradeep Oak and published by McGraw Hill.