What is Bug Life Cycle in Software Testing? and How to Implement It

Table of Content

1. Bug Life Cycle Stages
2. How to Implement a Bug Life Cycle
3. Bug metrics and what they measure
   
4. Conclusion
5. FAQs

Software testing is a crucial process that ensures the quality and functionality of software products. However, software testing is not always a smooth and error-free process. Sometimes, software testers encounter bugs or defects that affect the performance or behavior of the software. These bugs need to be identified, reported, and resolved in a timely and efficient manner.

But how do software testers and developers manage and track the bugs they find? How do they communicate and collaborate with each other and with the stakeholders? How do they measure and improve the quality of their software testing process?

The answer is: by using a bug life cycle.

A bug life cycle is a series of stages that a bug goes through from the moment it is detected until it is resolved. It helps software testers and developers track and manage the status and progress of the bugs, as well as communicate effectively with the stakeholders. A well-defined bug life cycle can improve the quality and efficiency of software testing and development.

In this blog post, we will explain what a bug life cycle is, what are its different stages, and how to implement it in your software testing process. We will also share some of the tools and methods we use or recommend for bug tracking and management.

Bug Life Cycle Stages

A bug life cycle consists of several stages that describe the current state and action of a bug. The exact number and name of the stages may vary depending on the project, organization, or tool used, but the general idea is the same.

Here are some of the common stages of a bug life cycle and what they entail:

New

The bug is first detected and reported by a software tester or a user. The bug report should contain all the relevant information about the bug.

Assigned

A developer or a team leader who is in charge of resolving the bug gets the assignment. The assignee needs to check the bug report and verify if the bug is genuine or not.

Open

The bug is being worked on by the assignee. The assignee should update the bug status and the estimated time for completion.

Fixed

The bug is fixed by the assignee and ready for retesting. The assignee should update the bug status and the resolution details, and request for retesting.

Retest

The bug is retested by the reporter or the stakeholder to verify if the bug is fixed or not. The retester should update the bug status and the retest result.

Verified

The bug is verified by the retester and confirmed to be fixed. The retester should update the bug status and the verification details, and notify the assignee and the stakeholder.

Closed

The bug is resolved and closed. The bug report should contain all the history and information about the bug.

These are some of the basic stages of a bug life cycle. However, there may be some variations or exceptions depending on the situation. For example, sometimes a bug may need to be reopened, deferred, duplicate, rejected, or not a bug.

Also read: Is Test Driven Development in Software Testing The Right Choice For Your Startup?

How to Implement a Bug Life Cycle

Now that you know what a bug life cycle is and what are its stages, you may wonder how to implement it in your software testing process. Here are some practical tips and best practices on how to implement a bug life cycle effectively:

Use a bug tracking tool

A bug tracking tool is a software application that helps you create, manage, and track the bugs in your software testing process. A bug tracking tool can provide you with various features and functionalities, such as bug report templates, bug status updates, bug workflows, bug metrics, bug dashboards, bug notifications, bug collaboration, and more. A bug tracking tool can help you implement a bug life cycle efficiently and consistently, as well as improve the visibility and transparency of your bug management process. Some of the popular bug tracking tools are Jira, Bugzilla, Mantis, Redmine, and Trello.

Follow a bug report format

A bug report is a document that contains all the information about a bug. A bug report is the primary source of communication and collaboration between the software testers and developers, as well as the stakeholders. Therefore, it is important to follow a bug report format that is clear, concise, and complete. A bug report format can help you provide all the necessary details about a bug, as well as avoid any ambiguity or confusion. A bug report format can also help you standardize and organize your bug reports, as well as make them easier to search and filter.

Assign bug severity and priority

Bug severity and priority are two important attributes that help you classify and prioritize the bugs in your software testing process. Bug severity is the degree of impact or damage that a bug can cause to the software functionality or performance. Bug priority is the level of urgency or importance that a bug needs to be fixed. Bug severity and priority can help you decide which bugs to fix first and which bugs to defer or ignore. Bug severity and priority can also help you allocate the resources and time for bug fixing and retesting.

Also read: Software Security Testing: Types, Tools, and Best Practices

Example of bug severity and priority levels

Bug severity

Critical

The bug causes the software to crash or stop working, or results in data loss or security breach. The bug needs to be fixed immediately.

High

The bug causes the software to malfunction or behave incorrectly, or results in incorrect or incomplete data or output. The bug needs to be fixed as soon as possible.

Medium

The bug causes the software to display or respond incorrectly, or results in minor errors or inconsistencies. The bug needs to be fixed within a reasonable time.

Low

The bug causes the software to have cosmetic or aesthetic issues, or results in minor errors or inconsistencies. The bug can be fixed later or ignored.

Priority levels

Urgent

The bug needs to be fixed immediately, as it can have serious consequences for the user or the business. The bug has a high severity and a high impact.

High

The bug needs to be fixed as soon as possible, as it can have significant consequences for the user or the business. The bug has a high or medium severity and a high or medium impact.

Medium

The bug needs to be fixed within a reasonable time, as it can have moderate consequences for the user or the business. The bug has a medium or low severity and a medium or low impact.

Low

The bug can be fixed later or ignored, as it has minimal or no consequences for the user or the business. The bug has a low severity and a low impact.

Define a bug workflow: A bug workflow is a set of rules and actions that define how a bug moves from one stage to another in a bug life cycle. A bug workflow can help you automate and streamline your bug management process, as well as ensure the consistency and quality of your bug reports. A bug workflow can also help you enforce the roles and responsibilities of the software testers and developers, as well as the stakeholders.

Monitor and measure bug metrics: Bug metrics are the quantitative and qualitative indicators that measure the performance and quality of your bug management process. Bug metrics can help you evaluate and improve your bug life cycle, as well as identify and address the issues and challenges in your software testing process. Bug metrics can also help you report and communicate the progress and results of your bug management process to the stakeholders.

Bug metrics and what they measure

• Bug Count: The number of bugs reported, fixed, verified, closed, reopened, deferred, duplicate, rejected, or not a bug in a given period or phase.
• Bug Severity: The distribution of the bugs by their severity levels, such as critical, high, medium, or low.
• Bug Priority: The distribution of the bugs by their priority levels, such as urgent, high, medium, or low.
• Bug Status: The distribution of the bugs by their status, such as new, assigned, open, fixed, retest, verified, closed, reopened, deferred, duplicate, rejected, or not a bug.
• Bug Resolution: The distribution of the bugs by their resolution details, such as the root cause, the solution, and the code changes.
• Bug Verification: The distribution of the bugs by their verification details, such as the date, the environment, and the test case.
• Bug Turnaround Time: The average time taken to fix and verify a bug from the moment it is reported until it is closed.
• Bug Density: The ratio of the number of bugs to the size or complexity of the software product or module.
• Bug Rate: The ratio of the number of bugs to the number of test cases or test executions.

Conclusion

A bug life cycle is a series of stages that a bug goes through from the moment it is detected until it is resolved. It helps software testers and developers track and manage the status and progress of the bugs, as well as communicate effectively with the stakeholders. A well-defined bug life cycle can improve the quality and efficiency of software testing and development.

We hope this blog post has been helpful and valuable to you. If you want to learn more about bug life cycle or software testing, or if you need any assistance or guidance in your software testing process, please feel free to contact us.

We are India’s premier software testing company, specializing in a wide range of testing services, catering to software companies, startups, and enterprise. Our ultimate goal is to address challenges and guide them towards effective solutions. With our expertise and experience in software testing, we can help you implement a bug life cycle that suits your needs and expectations.