Bug Tracking

-Locating and repairing software bugs is an essential part of software development.
-Bugs can be detected and reported by engineers, testers, and end-users in all phases of the testing process.
-Information about bugs must be detailed and organized in order to schedule bug fixes and determine software release dates.

Bug Tracking involves two main stages: reporting and tracking.
1.Report Bugs
Once you execute the manual and automated tests in a cycle, you report the bugs (or defects) that you detected. The bugs are stored in a database so that you can manage them and analyze the status of your application.
When you report a bug, you record all the information necessary to reproduce and fix it. You also make sure that the QA and development personnel involved in fixing the bug are notified.

2.Track and Analyze Bugs
The lifecycle of a bug begins when it is reported and ends when it is fixed, verified, and closed.
-First you report New bugs to the database, and provide all necessary information to reproduce, fix, and follow up the bug.
-The Quality Assurance manager or Project manager periodically reviews all New bugs and decides which should be fixed. These bugs are given the status Open and are assigned to a member of the development team.
-Software developers fix the Open bugs and assign them the status Fixed.
-QA personnel test a new build of the application. If a bug does not reoccur, it is Closed. If a bug is detected again, it is reopened.

Communication is an essential part of bug tracking; all members of the development and quality assurance team must be well informed in order to insure that bugs information is up to date and that the most important problems are addressed.
The number of open or fixed bugs is a good indicator of the quality status of your application. You can use data analysis tools such as re-ports and graphs in interpret bug data.