5 Most Common Bug Regression Mistakes:
Day #5

There will be times when you will need assistance to regress a bug. When this happens be sure you do what it takes to receive that help.

There are many testers who are afraid of other members of their project team; within and outside of QA. This is not sustainable behavior. QA is a necessary part of the project team, and as a part of the team QA must be able to effectively interact with other team members.

Mistake #5:
Not Asking For Help

If the bug involves a judgment call to verify, you may need help. If a bug reads, “The text is too green.” then you will need to track down the person who entered the bug or the person responsible for deciding just how green the text should be in order to verify the desired “green-ness” for the text. You will need help because, obviously, you would never enter a bug this ambiguous!

Once this judgment is made by the appropriate party, then you either Verify, Comment, and Close the bug, or Assign back to the appropriate party to continue to attempt fixing the green text – always commenting on the actions you have taken

If verifying the bug requires Engineering to explain the fix and show you why it is working, then by all means have them explain themselves to you. You are the one that will be responsible for Closing the bug, so make sure that you fully understand what was fixed, what the current behavior is, and why it is an acceptable fix.

While performing this review with Engineering, it may become apparent to both you and the engineer that this fix is not appropriate and that a different fix must be implemented. When this is the case, is it up to you to ask the right questions until you understand the fix and help the engineer understand how their code is interacting with the rest of the program.

Don’t walk away until you understand. Don’t pretend that you understand just so they think you’re smart! The key here is to understand what is happening in the program and to be able to make an accurate call as to whether or not the bug is actually fixed. If you need help, ask for it!

If QA in not able to effectively communicate with the rest of the project team, this becomes a debilitating liability. Not all communication is easy. You may have to deliver or receive some difficult information, but it crucial that you be able to do so. Always keep the lines of communication open!

You have just learned all you need to know to begin your mastery of Bug Regression. You have the 5 Steps to follow and you have learned the 5 Most Common Errors to avoid. You have the tools to take the Bulletproof Bugs you have written and finish them up.

5 Most Common Bug Regression Mistakes

1. QA Resolves A Bug
2. Non-QA Closes A Bug
3. Not Commenting
4. Commenting In The Wrong Place
5. Not Asking for Help

Sidestep these common traps and your work will remain professional from start to finish. Your work will be consistent, you will be consistent, and that will build trust.

You will be able to bring your greatest strengths to bear each day as your consistency will allow you to focus on the issues that are most pressing. You won’t be distracted by having to answer questions about the meaning or relevance of your work.

Congratulations!