Best Practices for Reporting Errors
Tags: beginners, productivity, tutorial, ai
Published: 2024-07-03 07:25:20

Effective error reporting is crucial for efficient troubleshooting and resolution. A well-documented error report can save time and resources by helping developers quickly understand and address the issue. Here are some best practices for reporting errors:

#### 1. Describe the Issue
Clearly describe what the system is doing incorrectly. Provide specific details to avoid ambiguity.
- **Example**: "The system incorrectly allows multiple financiers to be selected instead of restricting the selection to only one."

#### 2. Expected Behavior
State what you expect the system to do. This helps developers understand the intended functionality and how the system is deviating from it.
- **Example**: "The system should restrict the selection to only one financier."

#### 3. Steps to Reproduce
Provide the steps to reproduce the issue if applicable. Detailed reproduction steps allow developers to experience the error themselves and understand the context in which it occurs.
- **Example**:
  1. Navigate to the financier selection page.
  2. Attempt to select a financier from the list.
  3. Observe that multiple financiers can be selected.

#### 4. Environment Details
Mention any relevant details about the environment, such as the browser, operating system, and version of the software. This information can help in identifying whether the issue is environment-specific.
- **Example**: "Browser: Google Chrome, Version 91.0; OS: Windows 10; Application Version: 2.3.1."

#### 5. Include Screenshots/Logs
If possible, include screenshots or logs to provide more context. Visual evidence and log files can give developers additional clues about what might be going wrong.
- **Example**: "Attached is a screenshot showing the multiple selections."

### Example of a Well-Reported Error

**Title**: System selects multiple financiers instead of one

**Description**: When attempting to select a financier, the system allows multiple selections instead of restricting to a single financier.

**Expected Behavior**: The system should restrict the selection to only one financier.

**Steps to Reproduce**:
1. Navigate to the financier selection page.
2. Attempt to select a financier from the list.
3. Observe that multiple financiers can be selected.

**Environment**: 
- Browser: Google Chrome, Version 91.0
- OS: Windows 10
- Application Version: 2.3.1

**Additional Information**: Attached is a screenshot showing the multiple selections.

### Additional One-Sentence Error Examples

Here are a few more examples of how to describe errors in one sentence:

1. "The login button does not respond when clicked on the mobile version of the site."
2. "The checkout page fails to load when the cart contains more than ten items."
3. "The search function returns no results even for known existing entries."
4. "The application crashes when trying to upload a file larger than 5MB."
5. "The email notification system sends duplicate emails for the same event."
6. "The user profile page displays incorrect information after editing the details."
7. "The report generation feature times out for reports exceeding 50 pages."
8. "The password reset link in the email leads to a 404 error page."
9. "The dropdown menu overlaps with other content on smaller screen sizes."
10. "The API returns a 500 error when queried with a specific date range."

By following these best practices, you can ensure that your error reports are clear, concise, and actionable, leading to quicker resolutions and more efficient troubleshooting.