Hi all,
Here is some information and a request of sorts to ask everyone to become better at reporting bugs. I have to be honest, I hadn´t even looked at the guidelines for bug reporting until today ( ) and I´m sure many haven´t . In the official guidelines I saw an link to a debug screenshot tool called Debugmode Wink and this tool is actually really useful and deadsimple to use + it actually is quicker to produce a bug report in Wink than most other ways like trying to explain in words, take screenshots of your own that you have to explain etc. etc.. Here is the link to download wink: http://www.debugmode.com/wink/download.htm
I will start using Wink for all my bug reports from today and I recommend you to do the same. As support also points out in the official guidelines, the clearer and better bug report you produce, the higher the probability is that it will be fixed and fixed quickly. Here are my recommended steps for bug reporting and I have also added the official guidelines written by support underneath the recommended steps:
Recommended steps:
1. Use Wink to take multiple screenshots of the bug (screenshots are best because screencasts like video with audio etc. is not possible from servers, vps´s etc.)
2. Add annotations and next buttons to your screenshots
3. Ideally and when possible prepare a sample BSV
4. Render your Wink bug report (will produce swf, html, js files)
5. Zip the bug report files together with the sample bsv
6. Write reference post in forum problem reports section (simple "FYI" post)
7. Send zipped bugreport to [email protected]
Official guidelines:
Dear Aware IM Users,
before posting a new topic please search the forum and check that the issue has not been posted before. Please also check that the issue has not been mentioned in the Appendix B of the Aware IM User Guide. When posting indicate the build number of your Aware IM version.
The best way to report a bug is to describe the steps required to reproduce the problem:
1. Do this
2. Do that
3. Problem - describe the problem. Send your BSV file to [email protected] if applicable.
Even better way of reporting a problem is to do a screencast demonstrating the problem. You can use this free software http://www.debugmode.com/wink/ to create screencasts.
The better the problem is described the higher the chance that it will be fixed quickly.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Thanks and support or developers, please comment if I have missed something etc. etc.
Recommended steps:
1. Use Wink to take multiple screenshots of the bug (screenshots are best because screencasts like video with audio etc. is not possible from servers, vps´s etc.)
2. Add annotations and next buttons to your screenshots
3. Ideally and when possible prepare a sample BSV + write steps to reproduce
4. Render your Wink bug report (will produce swf, html, js files)
5. Zip the bug report files together with the sample bsv
6. Write reference post in forum problem reports section (simple "FYI" post)
7. Send zipped bugreport to [email protected] together with OS, Aware IM version/build number
I will tell you from personal experience in 8 years using AwareIM, the clarity of your bug report will directly impact the speed of the bug exploration & fix by support.
In all my experience with systems development over the years, I have never seen an organization that is as methodical and quick about bug fixes as AwareIM once they are properly documented and reported.
Update.
Got feedback from support regarding bug reports made via the recommended steps above (using Wink). These reports should only be done when the bug or problem is a difficult one or one that needs specific information to understand the bug (too much hassle/work otherwise). Here is therefore 2 new different recommended steps for better bug reports:
1. Basic bug (most bugs fall into this category): 1. Write an explanation of the bug in an email.
2. Ideally and when applicable, create a sample bsv and configure / prepare the bsv so it automatically populates the app when opened i.e. support log on and the app initialise itself with the bug shown in the main (or other) frame.
3. Write a step by step guide (in the email) for support to follow to reproduce the bug. Also include OS and Aware IM version/build in email.
4. Write reference post in forum problem reports section (simple "FYI" post).
5. Send email / bugreport to [email protected].
2. Complex bug (difficult to understand where more visual explanation is needed etc.): 1. Use Wink to take multiple screenshots of the bug (screenshots are best because screencasts like video with audio etc. is not possible from servers, vps´s etc.)
2. Add annotations and next buttons to your screenshots
3. Ideally and when possible prepare a sample BSV + write steps to reproduce
4. Render your Wink bug report (will produce swf, html, js files)
5. Zip the bug report files together with the sample bsv
6. Write reference post in forum problem reports section (simple "FYI" post)
7. Send zipped bugreport to [email protected] together with OS, Aware IM version/build number