r15 - 04 Sep 2007 - 14:44:56 - MikeTYou are here: OSAF >  Projects Web  >  QualityAssuranceTeam > InstructionsForDogfooders

Instructions for Chandler Dogfooders/Early adopters

If you are an intrepid Chandler dogfooder, here are some guidelines on how to report bugs you might encounter while using Chandler. A bug is a problem in the way software functions. Bugzilla is the software the OSAF team is using to track bugs.

You will need a Bugzilla account if you don't already have one.

If you come across a problem please feel free to tell us about it in any of the following ways, whichever makes most sense to you.

If you're unsure of what the problem is or have trouble describing it, the best thing to do is to either:

  1. Chat with Chandler developers on IRC. Here are the instructions on how to join the channels.
  2. Post a question to the Chandler mailing list. Here's a list of all the mailing lists and how to join them.

However, if you have a pretty good idea about what the problem is, the easiest way to tell us about it is to log a bug in Bugzilla. Here are some important guidelines on what relevant information is needed when you file a bug.

  1. While creating a bug report, set the correct version of Chandler in the version field. You can find the version number using the Chandler menu -> About Chandler option or from the startup screen.
  2. If you know the Component, file the bug under that component because this directly assigns the bug to the developer working on that component. If not, then set the field to 'To be assigned' and we will assign it to the right component and developer.
  3. Do set the correct Platform and the OS you are running Chandler on.
  4. Give a very detailed summary in the summary line. For example: Chandler crashed when accessing the calendar or Sorting on date in the dashboard gave incorrect results.
  5. In the description section there are handful of things to note that would help the developers in debugging the problem.
    • Build version - you can get the exact build version from the Chandler menu -> About Chandler
    • Steps to reproduce the problem - This is the most important information you can provide to the developers. Please provide as much detail as you can. Here's an example:
      1. Launched Chandler by double clicking the icon on the desktop
      2. Added an event in the calendar for today.
      3. This event showed up in the preview area.
      4. Moved this event from today to a date in the future by dragging the event in the calendar.
      5. Actual Result : The event continued to show in the preview area
      6. Expected Result : The event should no longer be displayed in the preview area.
    • You may provide additional information if you can to help the developer. For e.g.
      1. How long had you been running Chandler before this problem occurred
      2. Is the problem consistently reproducible?
      3. Was Chandler doing anything in the background when this error occurred? Look at the status window at the bottom of the application window to see that.
      4. Was the desired behaviour different from the actual result? If so, please explain how?
      5. Did the design confuse you? If so, how?
  6. Attach log files - Under the Test menu -> Show Logging -> Show the Log window shows the Chandler log file. If you encounter a problem, look for errors in the log file. It might be helpful to attach it to the bug report. There is an option to copy the log file to clipboard. You can paste that directly in the description section. The window also shows the location of your log files in case you want to upload the log file to the bug report.
  7. Many a times a developer might request access to your repository for debugging the problem. We now have a nifty tool for submitting the repository to a machine where the developer has access to it. You first need to backup your repository before submitting it. You can create a backup by pressing the CTRL key when Chandler is starting up. A dialog will come up with many options. You want to choose 'Make a snapshot of your repository for submitting a bug report' option there. That makes a backup of your repository in your chosen location. Then you can use the url above for submitting it.
  8. If the problem is related to a specific event in your calendar, it may be helpful to export your calendar as a .ics file and attaching that to the bug report. Note: If you are concerned about exposing your sensitive data in the .ics file, mention you have the ics file in the report and the developer will contact you directly for getting access to it
  9. A talkback window may sometimes appear when an error is encountered while performing certain actions. There is an option to 'Send the feedback' on that window. When you click that button the feedback is saved as an xml file in the same directory as your Chandler log file. Attach the feedback file to the bug report.
  10. There may be times when certain actions in Chandler may cause data corruption or inconsistency. It may be worthwhile to run a data check on the repository. Under the Test menu -> Repository use the 'Check Repository' option to check for errors in the repository. If the check comes back with errors, please note it in the bug report.
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