What is a Defect Report in Software Engineering? - Software Testing Study Materials

Defect:

A flaw, glitch, or fault that causes the software to deliver a result that was not expected beyond the software’s specifications is referred to as a defect in a software product. As an illustration, consider erroneous data, system hangs, unexpected problems, and inadequate or missing requirements.

What is a Defect Report:

A defect report is a document that provides succinct information about the defects that have been found, the activities that cause the defects to manifest, and the expected outcomes in place of the application manifesting a defect (error) when doing the specified actions step by step.

The Quality Assurance team and end-users (customers) both frequently produce defect reports. Customers frequently find additional flaws and report them to the software development team because the majority of customers curiously test out every aspect of the application. You are now aware of the actual meaning of the terms defect and defect report.

Let’s examine the motivation for the creation of defect reports. How do they use them?

The purpose of defect reports is to make it easier for engineers to identify and correct errors. A developer is often given a defect report by QA, reads it, and then replicates the errors on the software product by taking the procedures outlined in the report. After that, the developer makes the necessary corrections to get the intended result outlined in the report.

Defect reports are essential and carefully constructed as a result. Defect reports should be concise, well-organized, and to the point, and include all the details a developer needs to reproduce the reported flaws by following the same procedures and methods used to identify them.

QA teams frequently receive defect reports from clients that are either too brief to recreate and fix or too extensive to comprehend what went wrong.

How to Create a Defect Report:

Defect Identification: Identify the defect during the testing process by executing test cases and closely observing the system’s behavior. Document the defect’s characteristics, such as its severity and impact on the software.
Clear Description: Provide a clear and concise description of the defect, explaining the issue’s symptoms and how it deviates from the expected behavior. Include any relevant error messages or screenshots to aid the developer in understanding the problem.
Steps to Reproduce: List the exact steps needed to reproduce the defect, enabling developers to recreate the issue in their environment for effective debugging and resolution.
Environment Details: Include relevant details about the testing environment, such as operating system, browser version, device specifications, etc. These specifics help developers identify if the defect is environment-dependent.
Severity and Priority: Assign a severity level to the defect based on its impact on the software’s functionality and the user experience. Additionally, prioritize the defect according to its urgency for resolution.
Assign to Developer: Specify the developer or development team responsible for addressing the defect. This ensures accountability and expedites the resolution process.
Attach Supporting Materials: Attach any relevant files, logs, or additional information that can aid the developer in understanding and fixing the defect.

Example of a Defect Report:

Defect ID: FBLOGIN-001 Description: Unable to enter the username in the login field. Steps to Reproduce:

Open the Facebook login page.
Attempt to enter a valid username in the username/email field.
Observe that the username is not being accepted, and no characters are displayed. Environment Details: OS: Windows 10, Browser: Google Chrome Version 95.0.4638.69 Severity: High Priority: Urgent Assigned to: Development Team A Attachments: None

Defect ID: FBLOGIN-002 Description: The password field does not accept input. Steps to Reproduce:

Open the Facebook login page.
Attempt to enter a valid password in the password field.
Observe that the password is not being accepted, and no characters are displayed. Environment Details: OS: macOS Big Sur 11.6, Browser: Safari Version 15.0.1 Severity: High Priority: Urgent Assigned to: Development Team B Attachments: None

Defect ID: FBLOGIN-003 Description: “Forgot Password” link is not working. Steps to Reproduce:

Open the Facebook login page.
Click on the “Forgot Password?” link.
Observe that the page does not redirect to the password reset page. Environment Details: OS: Windows 11, Browser: Mozilla Firefox Version 100.0 Severity: Medium Priority: High Assigned to: Development Team C Attachments: None

Defect ID: FBLOGIN-004 Description: Captcha is not displayed on the login page. Steps to Reproduce:

Open the Facebook login page.
Check for the presence of the Captcha verification field.
Observe that there is no Captcha displayed for verification. Environment Details: OS: Ubuntu 20.04 LTS, Browser: Chromium Version 94.0.4606.81 Severity: Low Priority: Medium Assigned to: Development Team D Attachments: None

Defect ID: FBLOGIN-005 Description: “Remember Me” functionality not working. Steps to Reproduce:

Open the Facebook login page.
Enter a valid username and password.
Check the “Remember Me” checkbox.
Log in and close the browser.
Reopen the browser and access the Facebook login page.
Observe that the user is not automatically logged in. Environment Details: OS: macOS Catalina 10.15.7, Browser: Safari Version 14.1.2 Severity: Medium Priority: High Assigned to: Development Team A Attachments: None

Defect ID: FBLOGIN-006 Description: Incorrect error message displayed for invalid credentials. Steps to Reproduce:

Open the Facebook login page.
Enter an invalid username and password combination.
Click on the Login button.
Observe that the error message displayed is “Username not found” instead of “Invalid credentials.” Environment Details: OS: Windows 10, Browser: Microsoft Edge Version 94.0.992.50 Severity: Low Priority: Medium Assigned to: Development Team B Attachments: None

Defect ID: FBLOGIN-007 Description: The login button is unresponsive. Steps to Reproduce:

Open the Facebook login page.
Enter a valid username and password.
Click on the Login button.
Observe that the Login button is unresponsive and does not initiate the login process. Environment Details: OS: macOS Big Sur 11.5.2, Browser: Google Chrome Version 94.0.4606.81 Severity: High Priority: Urgent Assigned to: Development Team C Attachments: None

Defect ID: FBLOGIN-008 Description: Auto-capitalization in the username field. Steps to Reproduce:

Open the Facebook login page.
Enter a valid username in lowercase letters.
Observe that the username is automatically capitalized. Environment Details: OS: iOS 15, Browser: Safari Version 15.1 Severity: Low Priority: Medium Assigned to: Development Team D Attachments: None

Defect ID: FBLOGIN-009 Description: “Login with Facebook” button not redirecting to the Facebook login page. Steps to Reproduce:

Open the Facebook login page.
Click on the “Login with Facebook” button.
Observe that the button does not redirect to the Facebook login page for authentication. Environment Details: OS: Android 11, Browser: Mozilla Firefox Version 94.0 Severity: Medium Priority: High Assigned to: Development Team A Attachments: None

Defect ID: FBLOGIN-010 Description: Browser freezing during login. Steps to Reproduce:

Open the Facebook login page.
Enter a valid username and password.
Click on the Login button.
Observe that the browser freezes and becomes unresponsive. Environment Details: OS: Windows 11, Browser: Microsoft Edge Version 96.0.1054.43 Severity: Critical Priority: Urgent Assigned to: Development Team B Attachments: None

Sample Defect Report Format:

Defect ID: [Unique Identifier] Description: [A brief description of the defect] Steps to Reproduce: [Step-by-step guide to reproducing the defect] Environment Details: [Details of the testing environment] Severity: [Severity level – Low, Medium, High, Critical] Priority: [Priority level – Low, Medium, High, Urgent] Assigned to [Assigned developer or development team] Attachments: [Supporting materials like screenshots, logs, etc.]

Conclusion:

The Defect Report is an indispensable component of the software testing process, ensuring that defects are effectively identified, documented, and addressed. By providing clear and concise information about the issue, developers can understand and resolve defects efficiently. Embracing the Defect Report helps in delivering a high-quality, reliable software product that meets user expectations. Remember, an effective Defect Report is a cornerstone of streamlined software quality assurance!

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