Dive into the stages a bug goes through, from discovery to resolution, in the software development lifecycle.
Bugs are no stranger to software development. But given the seriousness with which they can affect the functionality of systems and software programs, it is essential to resolve each new defect. Unfortunately, it is virtually impossible for any team or developer to guarantee that a product is 100% bug-free.
That's why it's everyone's responsibility — not just the software testing team — to understand the bug lifecycle and contribute to defect management in the software development and testing process. This includes all phases of the defect cycle, from identification to resolution.
Understanding this process helps companies and teams facilitate a more streamlined and effective bug management approach while improving product quality.
What is the bug lifecycle?
In software development, the bug lifecycle is a chronological set of stages that a bug goes through from its discovery to the deployment of the defect fix.
Defect status and the entire life cycle are critical aspects of the quality assurance process. By understanding and recognizing the nature of the bug cycle in software testing, software teams can apply systemic tracking and management systems to resolve bugs, whether they are releasing the first version of the software or tuning it for its next release. It also helps ensure transparency and efficiency in delivering high-quality software.
Bug/Defect Lifecycle Phases
The bug lifecycle provides development teams with a procedural roadmap that facilitates better defect management and tracking while fostering a culture of transparency and collaboration. This helps teams create more reliable, high-quality software products.
New
The bug lifecycle begins with the “new” phase, in which testers first identify discrepancies and issues in the software and then meticulously record them in the team's chosen bug tracking system. After the bug occurs and the team logs it with the assigned status, testers perform a preliminary assessment to understand the severity and potential impact of the issue. This sets the stage for subsequent in-depth analysis and fixes by the development team.
Open
The development team begins a thorough investigation of the bug reported during the “open” phase of the lifecycle. They look deeper into the ramifications and underlying causes of the bug. This phase of the process shapes the bug's resolution trajectory, while also allowing developers to decide whether to resolve the bug immediately or postpone resolution until a later time. A critical part of the decision-making process, the open phase helps teams balance the need to fix a bug with the project's overall project priorities and timeline.
Assigned
During the “assigned” phase of the bug lifecycle, team members take ownership of identified bugs. Assigning these bugs to a specific team/developer depends on the bug's domain expertise, its severity, and the project priorities at that time. This allows teams to align the bug with their best suited resources to better ensure proper and efficient resolution of the issue.
Fixed
Developers employ a variety of tools and methodologies to finish resolving a bug during the “fixed” phase. This includes code optimizations, modifications, or other technical fixes while utilizing other useful tools, such as version control systems like Git, to track changes, as well as debugging tools, which help isolate and fix the problem. This phase involves teams taking critical steps toward improving software stability and functionality.
Test
After developers fix the bug, they hand the task back to the QA team for another rigorous round of testing during the “testing” phase of the lifecycle. This not only ensures that they have applied an effective solution that solves the original problem, but also that their work has not created new complications or problems. Testers use test cases, scenarios and various methodologies to fully validate the solution.
Verified
The “verified” stage occurs when testers confirm the successful resolution of the identified issue without any secondary adverse effects on the product as a whole. Bugs reach verified status when they meet pre-determined criteria. This includes passing all test cases without causing regressions elsewhere to prepare the product for deployment.
Closed
The lifecycle of a bug ends in the “closed” phase, which involves final documentation with all the details about the bug and the resolution process to archive for future reference. This phase indicates that the bug has passed all verification tests and confirms its non-recurrence.
Reopened
If a previously closed bug resurfaces due to unforeseen complications or an ineffective resolution, it returns to the lifecycle in the “reopened” phase. The development team then revisits the bug and examines the initial solution to re-examine possible root causes. This involves going through the cycle again to design a more robust solution.
Bug severity and priority
It's important for teams to understand the priority and severity of a bug to determine its impact on the system, which then dictates the urgency of the fix. By evaluating these issues, development teams allocate resources more efficiently to ensure immediate resolution of critical issues.
Understanding bug severity
Bug severity refers to the level of impact a bug has on a system's functionality. This typically involves dividing bugs into four categories: trivial, minor, major, and critical. Critical bugs are serious issues that have the potential to crash systems or cause significant data loss, requiring immediate attention and resolution.
Major bugs are not necessarily that serious, but they significantly impair functionality. Minor bugs generally involve usability issues and have limited impact, while trivial bugs are cosmetic problems or inconsequential glitches with minimal effect on the operation of the software.
Understanding Bug Priority
Bug priority refers to the urgency of each bug. This helps guide the development team on the order in which they need to fix bugs during the development process. However, this sometimes differs from the severity rating.
While a bug may have a severity of “severe,” it may not always be classified as a top priority if it affects a less critical part of the overall system, thus making it a lower priority. Factors that influence priority involve the critical nature of the affected paths, the impact on users and alignment with business objectives.
Importance of Efficient Bug Lifecycle Management
Bug lifecycle management has a profound impact on the project schedule. Efficient management allows for rapid identification and resolution of bugs to avoid costly delays in the future. This is a catalyst for improving software quality, which leads to a more reliable and error-free product. A well-managed bug lifecycle also promotes excellent team collaboration and communication to build a more unified approach to delivering high-quality software.
Tools to manage the bug lifecycle
Popular project management tools help teams simplify bug handling to ensure more complete and transparent bug handling processes. Tools like JIRA, Bugzilla, and Trello offer features like customizable workflows, detailed reporting, and real-time collaboration to help teams work better together with a centralized point of reference. This allows for more efficient monitoring of bug status and facilitates faster resolution.
Conclusion
The only way for teams to successfully navigate the bug lifecycle is through the use of transparent processes and collaboration tools. Systematic approaches to tracking bugs and their resolutions give teams the ability to strengthen the quality of their products while streamlining overall development. This saves time, money and frustration for all parties involved in the long run.
Additionally, every development team must also focus on making continuous learning and adaptation a regular part of these processes to keep up with the demanding and ever-changing world of development. By doing so, development teams ensure they deliver robust and reliable software products to each customer.
