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diff --git a/docs/en/xml/using.xml b/docs/en/xml/using.xml index 80ecb5c0b..4a8f955b9 100644 --- a/docs/en/xml/using.xml +++ b/docs/en/xml/using.xml @@ -1,933 +1,557 @@ <!-- <!DOCTYPE chapter PUBLIC "-//OASIS//DTD DocBook V4.1//EN"> --> -<!-- TOC -Chapter: Using Bugzilla - Create an account - Logging in - Setting up preferences - Account Settings - Email Settings - Page Footer - Permissions - Life cycle of a bug - Creating a bug - Checking for duplicates - Overview of all bug fields - Setting bug permissions - The Query Interface - Standard Queries - Email Queries - Boolean Queries - Regexp Queries - The Query Results - Changing Columns - Changing sorting order - Mass changes - Miscellaneous usage hints - ---> - <chapter id="using"> -<title>Using Bugzilla</title> - <epigraph> - <para> - What, Why, How, & Where? - </para> - </epigraph> - - <section id="whatis"> - <title>What is Bugzilla?</title> - <para> - Bugzilla is one example of a class of programs called "Defect -Tracking Systems", or, more commonly, "Bug-Tracking Systems". Defect -Tracking Systems allow individual or groups of developers to keep -track of outstanding bugs in their product effectively. Bugzilla was -originally written by Terry Weissman in a programming language called -"TCL", to replace a crappy bug-tracking database used internally for -Netscape Communications. Terry later ported Bugzilla to Perl from -TCL, and in Perl it remains to this day. Most commercial -defect-tracking software vendors at the time charged enormous -licensing fees, and Bugzilla quickly became a favorite of the -open-source crowd (with its genesis in the open-source browser -project, Mozilla). It is now the de-facto standard defect-tracking -system against which all others are measured. - </para> - <para> - Bugzilla has matured immensely, and now boasts many advanced features. These include: - <itemizedlist> - <listitem> - <para> - integrated, product-based granular security schema - </para> - </listitem> - <listitem> - <para> - inter-bug dependencies and dependency graphing - </para> - </listitem> - <listitem> - <para> - advanced reporting capabilities - </para> - </listitem> - <listitem> - <para> - a robust, stable RDBMS back-end - </para> - </listitem> - <listitem> - <para> - extensive configurability - </para> - </listitem> - <listitem> - <para> - a very well-understood and well-thought-out natural bug resolution protocol - </para> - </listitem> - <listitem> - <para> - email, XML, console, and HTTP APIs - </para> - </listitem> - <listitem> - <para> - available integration with automated software - configuration management systems, including Perforce and - CVS (through the Bugzilla email interface and - checkin/checkout scripts) - </para> - </listitem> - <listitem> - <para> - too many more features to list - </para> - </listitem> - </itemizedlist> - </para> - <para> - Despite its current robustness and popularity, Bugzilla faces - some near-term challenges, such as reliance on a single - database, a lack of abstraction of the user interface and - program logic, verbose email bug notifications, a powerful but - daunting query interface, little reporting configurability, - problems with extremely large queries, some unsupportable bug - resolution options, little internationalization (although non-US - character sets are accepted for comments), and dependence on - some nonstandard libraries. - </para> - <para> - Some recent headway has been made on the query front, however. - If you are using the latest version of Bugzilla, you should see - a <quote>simple search</quote> form on the default front page of - your Bugzilla install. Type in two or three search terms and - you should pull up some relevant information. This is also - available as "queryhelp.cgi". - </para> - <para> - Despite these small problems, Bugzilla is very hard to beat. It - is under <emphasis>very</emphasis> active development to address - the current issues, and continually gains new features. - </para> - </section> - - <section id="why"> - <title>Why Should We Use Bugzilla?</title> - <epigraph> - <para> - No, Who's on first... - </para> - </epigraph> - <para> - For many years, defect-tracking software has remained - principally the domain of large software development houses. - Even then, most shops never bothered with bug-tracking software, - and instead simply relied on shared lists and email to monitor - the status of defects. This procedure is error-prone and tends - to cause those bugs judged least significant by developers to be - dropped or ignored. - </para> - <para> - These days, many companies are finding that integrated - defect-tracking systems reduce downtime, increase productivity, - and raise customer satisfaction with their systems. Along with - full disclosure, an open bug-tracker allows manufacturers to - keep in touch with their clients and resellers, to communicate - about problems effectively throughout the data management chain. - Many corporations have also discovered that defect-tracking - helps reduce costs by providing IT support accountability, - telephone support knowledge bases, and a common, well-understood - system for accounting for unusual system or software issues. - </para> - <para> - But why should <emphasis>you</emphasis> use Bugzilla? - </para> - <para> - Bugzilla is very adaptable to various situations. Known uses - currently include IT support queues, Systems Administration - deployment management, chip design and development problem - tracking (both pre-and-post fabrication), and software and - hardware bug tracking for luminaries such as Redhat, Loki - software, Linux-Mandrake, and VA Systems. Combined with systems - such as CVS, Bonsai, or Perforce SCM, Bugzilla provides a - powerful, easy-to-use solution to configuration management and - replication problems - </para> - <para> - Bugzilla can dramatically increase the productivity and - accountability of individual employees by providing a documented - workflow and positive feedback for good performance. How many - times do you wake up in the morning, remembering that you were - supposed to do <emphasis>something</emphasis> today, but you - just can't quite remember? Put it in Bugzilla, and you have a - record of it from which you can extrapolate milestones, predict - product versions for integration, and by using Bugzilla's e-mail - integration features be able to follow the discussion trail that - led to critical decisions. - </para> - <para> - Ultimately, Bugzilla puts the power in your hands to improve - your value to your employer or business while providing a usable - framework for your natural attention to detail and knowledge - store to flourish. - </para> - </section> - + <title>Using Bugzilla</title> + <section id="how"> <title>How do I use Bugzilla?</title> - <epigraph> - <para> - Hey! I'm Woody! Howdy, Howdy, Howdy! - </para> - </epigraph> - - <para> - Bugzilla is a large, complex system. Describing how to use it - requires some time. If you are only interested in installing or - administering a Bugzilla installation, please consult the - Installing and Administering Bugzilla portions of this Guide. - This section is principally aimed towards developing end-user - mastery of Bugzilla, so you may fully enjoy the benefits - afforded by using this reliable open-source bug-tracking - software. - </para> - <para> - Throughout this portion of the Guide, we will refer to user - account options available at the Bugzilla test installation, - <ulink url="http://landfill.tequilarista.org/"> - landfill.tequilarista.org</ulink>. - <note> - <para> - Some people have run into difficulties completing this - tutorial. If you run into problems, please check the - updated online documentation available at <ulink - url="http://www.trilobyte.net/barnsons/">http://www.trilobyte.net/barnsons</ulink>. If you're still stumped, please subscribe to the newsgroup and provide details of exactly what's stumping you! If enough people complain, I'll have to fix it in the next version of this Guide. You can subscribe to the newsgroup at <ulink url="news://news.mozilla.org/netscape.public.mozilla.webtools"> news://news.mozilla.org/netscape.public.mozilla.webtools</ulink> - </para> - - </note> Although Landfill serves as a great introduction to - Bugzilla, it does not offer all the options you would have as a - user on your own installation of Bugzilla, nor can it do more - than serve as a general introduction to Bugzilla. Additionally, - Landfill often runs cutting-edge versions of Bugzilla for - testing, so some things may work slightly differently than - mentioned here. - </para> - + + <para>This section contains information for end-users of Bugzilla. + There is a Bugzilla test installation, called + <ulink url="http://landfill.bugzilla.org/">Landfill</ulink>, + which you are welcome to play with (if it's up.) + However, it does not necessarily + have all Bugzilla features enabled, and often runs cutting-edge versions + of Bugzilla for testing, so some things may work slightly differently + than mentioned here.</para> + <section id="myaccount"> <title>Create a Bugzilla Account</title> - <para> - First things first! If you want to use Bugzilla, first you - need to create an account. Consult with the administrator - responsible for your installation of Bugzilla for the URL you - should use to access it. If you're test-driving the end-user - Bugzilla experience, use this URL: <ulink - url="http://landfill.tequilarista.org/bugzilla-tip/"> http://landfill.tequilarista.org/bugzilla-tip/</ulink> + + <para>If you want to use Bugzilla, first you need to create an account. + Consult with the administrator responsible for your installation of + Bugzilla for the URL you should use to access it. If you're + test-driving Bugzilla, use this URL: + <ulink url="http://landfill.bugzilla.org/bugzilla-tip/"/>. </para> + <orderedlist> - <listitem> - <para> - Click the "Open a new Bugzilla account" link. - </para> - </listitem> - <listitem> - <para> - Enter your "E-mail address" and "Real Name" (or whatever - name you want to call yourself) in the spaces provided, - then select the "Create Account" button. - </para> - </listitem> - <listitem> - <para> - Within moments, you should receive an email to the address - you provided above, which contains your login name - (generally the same as the email address), and a password - you can use to access your account. This password is - randomly generated, and should be changed at your nearest - opportunity (we'll go into how to do it later). - </para> - </listitem> - <listitem> - <para> - Click the <quote>Log In</quote> link in the yellow area at - the bottom of the page in your browser, then enter your - <quote>E-mail address</quote> and <quote>Password</quote> - you just received into the spaces provided, and select - <quote>Login</quote>. - <note> - <para> - If you ever forget your password, you can come back to - this page, enter your <quote>E-mail address</quote>, - then select the <quote>E-mail me a password</quote> - button to have your password mailed to you again so - that you can login. - </para> - </note> - <caution> - <para> - Many modern browsers include an - <quote>Auto-Complete</quote> or <quote>Form - Fill</quote> feature to remember the user names and - passwords you type in at many sites. Unfortunately, - sometimes they attempt to guess what you will put in - as your password, and guess wrong. If you notice a - text box is already filled out, please overwrite the - contents of the text box so you can be sure to input - the correct information. - </para> - </caution> - </para> - </listitem> + <listitem> + <para>Click the + <quote>Open a new Bugzilla account</quote> + + link, enter your email address and, optionally, your name in the + spaces provided, then click + <quote>Create Account</quote> + + .</para> + </listitem> + + <listitem> + <para>Within moments, you should receive an email to the address + you provided above, which contains your login name (generally the + same as the email address), and a password you can use to access + your account. This password is randomly generated, and can be + changed to something more memorable.</para> + </listitem> + + <listitem> + <para>Click the + <quote>Log In</quote> + link in the yellow area at the bottom of the page in your browser, + enter your email address and password into the spaces provided, and + click + <quote>Login</quote>. + </para> + + </listitem> </orderedlist> - <para> - Congratulations! If you followed these directions, you now - are the proud owner of a user account on - landfill.tequilarista.org (Landfill) or your local Bugzilla - install. You should now see in your browser a page called the - <quote>Bugzilla Query Page</quote>. It may look daunting, but with this - Guide to walk you through it, you will master it in no time. - </para> + + <para>You are now logged in. Bugzilla uses cookies for authentication + so, unless your IP address changes, you should not have to log in + again.</para> </section> - + + <section id="bug_page"> + <title>Anatomy of a Bug</title> + + <para>The core of Bugzilla is the screen which displays a particular + bug. It's a good place to explain some Bugzilla concepts. + <ulink + url="http://landfill.bugzilla.org/bugzilla-tip/show_bug.cgi?id=1"> + Bug 1 on Landfill</ulink> + + is a good example. Note that the labels for most fields are hyperlinks; + clicking them will take you to context-sensitive help on that + particular field. Fields marked * may not be present on every + installation of Bugzilla.</para> + + <orderedlist> + <listitem> + <para> + <emphasis>Product and Component</emphasis>: + Bugs are divided up by Product and Component, with a Product + having one or more Components in it. For example, + bugzilla.mozilla.org's "Bugzilla" Product is composed of several + Components: + <simplelist> + <member> + <emphasis>Administration:</emphasis> + Administration of a Bugzilla installation.</member> + + <member> + <emphasis>Bugzilla-General:</emphasis> + Anything that doesn't fit in the other components, or spans + multiple components.</member> + + <member> + <emphasis>Creating/Changing Bugs:</emphasis> + Creating, changing, and viewing bugs.</member> + + <member> + <emphasis>Documentation:</emphasis> + The Bugzilla documentation, including The Bugzilla Guide.</member> + + <member> + <emphasis>Email:</emphasis> + Anything to do with email sent by Bugzilla.</member> + + <member> + <emphasis>Installation:</emphasis> + The installation process of Bugzilla.</member> + + <member> + <emphasis>Query/Buglist:</emphasis> + Anything to do with searching for bugs and viewing the + buglists.</member> + + <member> + <emphasis>Reporting/Charting:</emphasis> + Getting reports from Bugzilla.</member> + + <member> + <emphasis>User Accounts:</emphasis> + Anything about managing a user account from the user's perspective. + Saved queries, creating accounts, changing passwords, logging in, + etc.</member> + + <member> + <emphasis>User Interface:</emphasis> + General issues having to do with the user interface cosmetics (not + functionality) including cosmetic issues, HTML templates, + etc.</member> + </simplelist> + </para> + </listitem> + + <listitem> + <para> + <emphasis>Status and Resolution:</emphasis> + + These define exactly what state the bug is in - from not even + being confirmed as a bug, through to being fixed and the fix + confirmed by Quality Assurance. The different possible values for + Status and Resolution on your installation should be documented in the + context-sensitive help for those items.</para> + </listitem> + + <listitem> + <para> + <emphasis>Assigned To:</emphasis> + The person responsible for fixing the bug.</para> + </listitem> + + <listitem> + <para> + <emphasis>*URL:</emphasis> + A URL associated with the bug, if any.</para> + </listitem> + + <listitem> + <para> + <emphasis>Summary:</emphasis> + A one-sentence summary of the problem.</para> + </listitem> + + <listitem> + <para> + <emphasis>*Status Whiteboard:</emphasis> + (a.k.a. Whiteboard) A free-form text area for adding short notes + and tags to a bug.</para> + </listitem> + + <listitem> + <para> + <emphasis>*Keywords:</emphasis> + The administrator can define keywords which you can use to tag and + categorise bugs - e.g. The Mozilla Project has keywords like crash + and regression.</para> + </listitem> + + <listitem> + <para> + <emphasis>Platform and OS:</emphasis> + These indicate the computing environment where the bug was + found.</para> + </listitem> + + <listitem> + <para> + <emphasis>Version:</emphasis> + The "Version" field is usually used for versions of a product which + have been released, and is set to indicate which versions of a + Component have the particular problem the bug report is + about.</para> + </listitem> + + <listitem> + <para> + <emphasis>Priority:</emphasis> + The bug assignee uses this field to prioritise his or her bugs. + It's a good idea not to change this on other people's bugs.</para> + </listitem> + + <listitem> + <para> + <emphasis>Severity:</emphasis> + This indicates how severe the problem is - from blocker + ("application unusable") to trivial ("minor cosmetic issue"). You + can also use this field to indicate whether a bug is an enhancement + request.</para> + </listitem> + + <listitem> + <para> + <emphasis>*Target:</emphasis> + (a.k.a. Target Milestone) A future version by which the bug is to + be fixed. e.g. The Bugzilla Project's milestones for future + Bugzilla versions are 2.18, 2.20, 3.0, etc. Milestones are not + restricted to numbers, thought - you can use any text strings, such + as dates.</para> + </listitem> + + <listitem> + <para> + <emphasis>Reporter:</emphasis> + The person who filed the bug.</para> + </listitem> + + <listitem> + <para> + <emphasis>CC list:</emphasis> + A list of people who get mail when the bug changes.</para> + </listitem> + + <listitem> + <para> + <emphasis>Attachments:</emphasis> + You can attach files (e.g. testcases or patches) to bugs. If there + are any attachments, they are listed in this section.</para> + </listitem> + + <listitem> + <para> + <emphasis>*Dependencies:</emphasis> + If this bug cannot be fixed unless other bugs are fixed (depends + on), or this bug stops other bugs being fixed (blocks), their + numbers are recorded here.</para> + </listitem> + + <listitem> + <para> + <emphasis>*Votes:</emphasis> + Whether this bug has any votes.</para> + </listitem> + + <listitem> + <para> + <emphasis>Additional Comments:</emphasis> + You can add your two cents to the bug discussion here, if you have + something worthwhile to say.</para> + </listitem> + </orderedlist> + </section> + <section id="query"> - <title>The Bugzilla Query Page</title> - <para> - The Bugzilla Query Page is the heart and soul of the Bugzilla - user experience. It is the master interface where you can - find any bug report, comment, or patch currently in the - Bugzilla system. We'll go into how to create your own bug - report later on. - </para> - <para> - There are efforts underway to simplify query usage. If you - have a local installation of Bugzilla 2.12 or higher, you - should have <filename>quicksearch.html</filename> available to - use and simplify your searches. There is also a helper for - the query interface, called - <filename>queryhelp.cgi</filename>. Landfill tends to run the - latest code, so these two utilities should be available there - for your perusal. + <title>Searching for Bugs</title> + + <para>The Bugzilla Search page is is the interface where you can find + any bug report, comment, or patch currently in the Bugzilla system. You + can play with it here: + <ulink url="http://landfill.bugzilla.org/bugzilla-tip/query.cgi"/>.</para> + + <para>The Search page has controls for selecting different possible + values for all of the fields in a bug, as described above. For some + fields, multiple values can be selected. In those cases, Bugzilla + returns bugs where the content of the field matches one of the selected + values. If none is selected, then the field can take any value.</para> + + <para>Once you've defined a search, you can either run it, or save it + as a Remembered Query, which can optionally appear in the footer of + your pages.</para> + + <para>Highly advanced querying is done using Boolean Charts.</para> + </section> + + <section id="list"> + <title>Bug Lists</title> + + <para>If you run a search, a list of matching bugs will be returned. + The default search is to return all open bugs on the system - don't try + running this search on a Bugzilla installation with a lot of + bugs!</para> + + <para>The format of the list is configurable. For example, it can be + sorted by clicking the column headings. Other useful features can be + accessed using the links at the bottom of the list: + <simplelist> + <member> + <emphasis>Long Format:</emphasis> + + this gives you a large page with a non-editable summary of the fields + of each bug.</member> + + <member> + <emphasis>Change Columns:</emphasis> + + change the bug attributes which appear in the list.</member> + + <member> + <emphasis>Change several bugs at once:</emphasis> + + If your account is sufficiently empowered, you can make the same + change to all the bugs in the list - for example, changing their + owner.</member> + + <member> + <emphasis>Send mail to bug owners:</emphasis> + + Sends mail to the owners of all bugs on the list.</member> + + <member> + <emphasis>Edit this query:</emphasis> + + If you didn't get exactly the results you were looking for, you can + return to the Query page through this link and make small revisions + to the query you just made so you get more accurate results.</member> + </simplelist> </para> - <para> - At this point, let's visit the query page. - <ulink url="http://landfill.tequilarista.org/bugzilla-tip/query.cgi"> - landfill.tequilarista.org/bugzilla-tip/query.cgi</ulink> + </section> + + <section id="bugreports"> + <title>Filing Bugs</title> + + <para>Years of bug writing experience has been distilled for your + reading pleasure into the + <ulink + url="http://landfill.bugzilla.org/bugzilla-tip/bugwritinghelp.html"> + Bug Writing Guidelines</ulink>. + While some of the advice is Mozilla-specific, the basic principles of + reporting Reproducible, Specific bugs, isolating the Product you are + using, the Version of the Product, the Component which failed, the + Hardware Platform, and Operating System you were using at the time of + the failure go a long way toward ensuring accurate, responsible fixes + for the bug that bit you.</para> + + <para>The procedure for filing a test bug is as follows:</para> + + <orderedlist> + <listitem> + <para>Go to + <ulink url="http://landfill.bugzilla.org/bugzilla-tip/"> + Landfill</ulink> + in your browser and click + <ulink + url="http://landfill.bugzilla.org/bugzilla-tip/enter_bug.cgi"> + Enter a new bug report</ulink>. + </para> + </listitem> + + <listitem> + <para>Select a product - any one will do.</para> + </listitem> + + <listitem> + <para>Fill in the fields. Bugzilla should have made reasonable + guesses, based upon your browser, for the "Platform" and "OS" + drop-down boxes. If they are wrong, change them.</para> + </listitem> + + <listitem> + <para>Select "Commit" and send in your bug report.</para> + </listitem> + </orderedlist> + </section> + </section> + + <section id="hintsandtips"> + <title>Hints and Tips</title> + + <para>This section distills some Bugzilla tips and best practices + that have been developed.</para> + + <section> + <title>Autolinkification</title> + <para>Bugzilla comments are plain text - so posting HTML will result + in literal HTML tags rather than being interpreted by a browser. + However, Bugzilla will automatically make hyperlinks out of certain + sorts of text in comments. For example, the text + http://www.bugzilla.org will be turned into + <ulink url="http://www.bugzilla.org"/>. + Other strings which get linkified in the obvious manner are: + <simplelist> + <member>bug 12345</member> + <member>bug 23456, comment 53</member> + <member>attachment 4321</member> + <member>mailto:george@example.com</member> + <member>george@example.com</member> + <member>ftp://ftp.mozilla.org</member> + <member>Most other sorts of URL</member> + </simplelist> </para> - <para> - The first thing you need to notice about the Bugzilla Query - Page is that nearly every box you see on your screen has a - hyperlink nearby, explaining what it is or what it does. Near - the upper-left-hand corner of your browser window you should - see the word <quote>Status</quote> underlined. Select it. + + <para>A corollary here is that if you type a bug number in a comment, + you should put the word "bug" before it, so it gets autolinkified + for the convenience of others. </para> - <para> - Notice the page that popped up? Every underlined word you see - on your screen is a hyperlink that will take you to - context-sensitive help. Click around for a while, and learn - what everything here does. To return to the query interface - after pulling up a help page, use the <quote>Back</quote> - button in your browser. + </section> + + <section id="quicksearch"> + <title>Quicksearch</title> + + <para>Quicksearch is a single-text-box query tool which uses + metacharacters to indicate what is to be searched. For example, typing + "<filename>foo|bar</filename>" + into Quicksearch would search for "foo" or "bar" in the + summary and status whiteboard of a bug; adding + "<filename>:BazProduct</filename>" would + search only in that product. </para> - <para> - I'm sure that after checking out the online help, you are now - an expert on the Bugzilla Query Page. If, however, you feel - you haven't mastered it yet, let me walk you through making a - few successful queries to find out what there are in the - Bugzilla bug-tracking system itself. + + <para>You'll find the Quicksearch box on Bugzilla's + front page, along with a + <ulink url="../../quicksearch.html">Help</ulink> + link which details how to use it.</para> + </section> + + <section id="commenting"> + <title>Comments</title> + + <para>If you are changing the fields on a bug, only comment if + either you have something pertinent to say, or Bugzilla requires it. + Otherwise, you may spam people unnecessarily with bug mail. + To take an example: a user can set up their account to filter out messages + where someone just adds themselves to the CC field of a bug + (which happens a lot.) If you come along, add yourself to the CC field, + and add a comment saying "Adding self to CC", then that person + gets a pointless piece of mail they would otherwise have avoided. </para> - <orderedlist> - <listitem> - <para> - Ensure you are back on the <quote>Bugzilla Query - Page</quote>. Do nothing in the boxes marked "Status", - "Resolution", "Platform", "OpSys", "Priority", or - "Severity". The default query for "Status" is to find all - bugs that are NEW, ASSIGNED, or REOPENED, which is what we - want. If you don't select anything in the other 5 - scrollboxes there, then you are saying that "any of these - are OK"; we're not locking ourselves into only finding - bugs on the "DEC" Platform, or "Windows 95" OpSys - (Operating System). You're smart, I think you have it - figured out. - </para> - <para> - Basically, selecting <emphasis>anything</emphasis> on the - query page narrows your search down. Leaving stuff - unselected, or text boxes unfilled, broadens your search. - </para> - </listitem> - - <listitem> - <para> - You see the box immediately below the top six boxes that - contains an "Email" text box, with the words "matching - as", a drop-down selection box, then some checkboxes with - "Assigned To" checked by default? This allows you to - filter your search down based upon email address. Let's - put my email address in there, and see what happens. - </para> - <para> - Type "barnboy@trilobyte.net" in the top Email text box. - </para> - </listitem> - - <listitem> - <para> - Let's narrow the search some more. Scroll down until you - find the box with the word "Program" over the top of it. - This is where we can narrow our search down to only - specific products (software programs or product lines) in - our Bugzilla database. Please notice the box is a - <emphasis>scrollbox</emphasis>. Using the down arrow on - the scrollbox, scroll down until you can see an entry - called "Bugzilla". Select this entry. - </para> - </listitem> - <listitem> - <para> - Did you notice that some of the boxes to the right changed - when you selected "Bugzilla"? Every Program (or Product) - has different Versions, Components, and Target Milestones - associated with it. A "Version" is the number of a - software program. - <example> - <title>Some Famous Software Versions</title> - <informalexample> - <para> - Do you remember the hype in 1995 when Microsoft - Windows 95(r) was released? It may have been several - years ago, but Microsoft(tm) spent over $300 Million - advertising this new Version of their software. - Three years later, they released Microsoft Windows - 98(r), another new version, to great fanfare, and - then in 2000 quietly released Microsoft Windows - ME(Millenium Edition)(r). - </para> - <para> - Software "Versions" help a manufacturer - differentiate their current product from their - previous products. Most do not identify their - products by the year they were released. Instead, - the "original" version of their software will often - be numbered "1.0", with small bug-fix releases on - subsequent tenths of a digit. In most cases, it's - not a decimal number; for instance, often 1.9 is an - <emphasis>older</emphasis> version of the software - than 1.11, but is a <emphasis>newer</emphasis> - version than 1.1.1. - </para> - <para> - In general, a "Version" in Bugzilla should refer to - <emphasis>released</emphasis> products, not products - that have not yet been released to the public. - Forthcoming products are what the Target Milestone - field is for. - </para> - </informalexample> - </example> - </para> - <para> - A "Component" is a piece of a Product. - It may be a standalone program, or some other logical - division of a Product or Program. - Normally, a Component has a single Owner, who is responsible - for overseeing efforts to improve that Component. - <example> - <title>Mozilla's Bugzilla Components</title> - <informalexample> - <para> - Mozilla's "Bugzilla" Product is composed of several pieces (Components): - <simplelist> - <member><emphasis>Administration</emphasis>, - Administration of a bugzilla installation, including - <filename>editcomponents.cgi</filename>, - <filename>editgroups.cgi</filename>, - <filename>editkeywords.cgi</filename>, - <filename>editparams.cgi</filename>, - <filename>editproducts.cgi</filename>, - <filename>editusers.cgi</filename>, - <filename>editversions.cgi,</filename> and - <filename>sanitycheck.cgi</filename>. - </member> - <member><emphasis>Bugzilla-General</emphasis>, - Anything that doesn't fit in the other components, or spans - multiple components. - </member> - <member><emphasis>Creating/Changing Bugs</emphasis>, - Creating, changing, and viewing bugs. - <filename>enter_bug.cgi</filename>, - <filename>post_bug.cgi</filename>, - <filename>show_bug.cgi</filename> and - <filename>process_bug.cgi</filename>. - </member> - <member><emphasis>Documentation</emphasis>, - The bugzilla documentation, including anything in the - <filename>docs/</filename> directory and The Bugzilla Guide - (This document :) - </member> - <member><emphasis>Email</emphasis>, - Anything to do with email sent by Bugzilla. - <filename>processmail</filename> - </member> - <member><emphasis>Installation</emphasis>, - The installation process of Bugzilla. This includes - <filename>checksetup.pl</filename> and whatever else it evolves into. - </member> - <member><emphasis>Query/Buglist</emphasis>, - Anything to do with searching for bugs and viewing the buglists. - <filename>query.cgi</filename> and - <filename>buglist.cgi</filename> - </member> - <member><emphasis>Reporting/Charting</emphasis>, - Getting reports from Bugzilla. - <filename>reports.cgi</filename> and - <filename>duplicates.cgi</filename> - </member> - <member><emphasis>User Accounts</emphasis>, - Anything about managing a user account from the user's perspective. - <filename>userprefs.cgi</filename>, saved queries, creating accounts, - changing passwords, logging in, etc. - </member> - <member><emphasis>User Interface</emphasis>, - General issues having to do with the user interface cosmetics (not - functionality) including cosmetic issues, HTML templates, etc. - </member> - </simplelist> - </para> - </informalexample> - </example> - </para> - <para> - A "Milestone", or "Target Milestone" is a often a planned - future "Version" of a product. In many cases, though, - Milestones simply represent significant dates for a - developer. Having certain features in your Product is - frequently tied to revenue (money) the developer will - receive if the features work by the time she reaches the - Target Milestone. Target Milestones are a great tool to - organize your time. If someone will pay you $100,000 for - incorporating certain features by a certain date, those - features by that Milestone date become a very high - priority. Milestones tend to be highly malleable - creatures, though, that appear to be in reach but are out - of reach by the time the important day arrives. - </para> - <para> - The Bugzilla Project has set up Milestones for future - Bugzilla versions 2.14, 2.16, 2.18, 3.0, etc. However, a - Target Milestone can just as easily be a specific date, - code name, or weird alphanumeric combination, like "M19". - </para> - </listitem> - - <listitem> - <para> - OK, now let's select the "Bugzilla" component from its scrollbox. - </para> - </listitem> - <listitem> - <para> - Skip down the page a bit -- do you see the "submit query" button? - Select it, and let's run - this query! - </para> - </listitem> - <listitem> - <para> - Congratulations! You've completed your first Query, and - have before you the Bug List of the author of this Guide, - Matthew P. Barnson (barnboy@trilobyte.net). If I'm doing - well, you'll have a cryptic "Zarro Boogs Found" message on - your screen. It is just a happy hacker's way of saying - "Zero Bugs Found". However, I am fairly certain I will - always have some bugs assigned to me that aren't done yet, - so you won't often see that message! - </para> - </listitem> - </orderedlist> + <para> - I encourage you to click the bug numbers in the left-hand - column and examine my bugs. Also notice that if you click the - underlined links near the top of this page, they do not take - you to context-sensitive help here, but instead sort the - columns of bugs on the screen! When you need to sort your bugs - by priority, severity, or the people they are assigned to, - this is a tremendous timesaver. - </para> + Don't use sigs in comments. Signing your name ("Bill") is acceptable, + particularly if you do it out of habit, but full mail/news-style + four line ASCII art creations are not. + </para> + </section> + + <section id="attachments"> + <title>Attachments</title> + <para> - A couple more interesting things about the Bug List page: - <simplelist> - <member><emphasis>Change Columns</emphasis>: by selecting - this link, you can show all kinds of information in the - Bug List</member> - <member><emphasis>Change several bugs at once</emphasis>: If - you have sufficient rights to change all the bugs shown in - the Bug List, you can mass-modify them. This is a big - time-saver.</member> - <member><emphasis>Send mail to bug owners</emphasis>: If you - have many related bugs, you can request an update from - every person who owns the bugs in the Bug List asking them - the status.</member> - <member><emphasis>Edit this query</emphasis>: If you didn't - get exactly the results you were looking for, you can - return to the Query page through this link and make small - revisions to the query you just made so you get more - accurate results.</member> - </simplelist> + Use attachments, rather than comments, for large chunks of ASCII data, + such as trace, debugging output files, or log files. That way, it doesn't + bloat the bug for everyone who wants to read it, and cause people to + receive fat, useless mails. + </para> + + <para>Trim screenshots. There's no need to show the whole screen if + you are pointing out a single-pixel problem. </para> - <note> - <para> - There are many more options to the Bugzilla Query Page and - the Bug List than I have shown you. But this should be - enough for you to learn to get around. I encourage you to - check out the <ulink - url="http://www.mozilla.org/bugs/">Bugzilla Home Page</ulink> to learn about the Anatomy and Life Cycle of a Bug before continuing. - </para> - </note> + + <para>Don't attach simple test cases (e.g. one HTML file, one + CSS file and an image) as a ZIP file. Instead, upload them in + reverse order and edit the referring file so that they point to the + attached files. This way, the test case works immediately + out of the bug. + </para> </section> - - <section id="bugreports"> - <title>Creating and Managing Bug Reports</title> - <epigraph> - <para>And all this time, I thought we were taking bugs <emphasis>out</emphasis>...</para> - </epigraph> + <section> + <title>Filing Bugs</title> - <section id="bug-writing"> - <title>Writing a Great Bug Report</title> - <para> - Before we plunge into writing your first bug report, I - encourage you to read some bug-writing guidelines. If you - are reading this document as part of a Bugzilla CVS checkout - or un-tarred Bugzilla distribution, you should be able to - read them by clicking <ulink - url="../../bugwritinghelp.html">here</ulink>. If you are reading this online, check out the Mozilla.org bug-writing guidelines at <ulink url="http://www.mozilla.org/quality/bug-writing-guidelines.html">http://www.mozilla.org/quality/bug-writing-guidelines.html</ulink>. While some of the advice is Mozilla-specific, the basic principles of reporting Reproducible, Specific bugs, isolating the Product you are using, the Version of the Product, the Component which failed, the Hardware Platform, and Operating System you were using at the time of the failure go a long way toward ensuring accurate, responsible fixes for the bug that bit you. - </para> - <para> - While you are at it, why not learn how to find previously - reported bugs? Mozilla.org has published a great tutorial - on finding duplicate bugs, available at <ulink - url="http://www.mozilla.org/quality/help/beginning-duplicate-finding.html"> http://www.mozilla.org/quality/help/beginning-duplicate-finding.html</ulink>. - </para> - <para> - I realize this was a lot to read. However, understanding - the mentality of writing great bug reports will help us on - the next part! - </para> - <orderedlist> - <listitem> - <para> - Go back to <ulink - url="http://landfill.tequilarista.org/bugzilla-tip/"> http://landfill.tequilarista.org/bugzilla-tip/</ulink> in your browser. - </para> - </listitem> - <listitem> - <para> - Select the <ulink - url="http://landfill.tequilarista.org/bugzilla-tip/enter_bug.cgi"> Enter a new bug report</ulink> link. - </para> - </listitem> - <listitem> - <para> - Select a product. - </para> - </listitem> - <listitem> - <para> - Now you should be at the "Enter Bug" form. The - "reporter" should have been automatically filled out for - you (or else Bugzilla prompted you to Log In again -- - you did keep the email with your username and password, - didn't you?). - </para> - </listitem> - <listitem> - <para> - Select a Component in the scrollbox. - </para> - </listitem> - <listitem> - <para> - Bugzilla should have made reasonable guesses, based upon - your browser, for the "Platform" and "OS" drop-down - boxes. If those are wrong, change them -- if you're on - an SGI box running IRIX, we want to know! - </para> - </listitem> - <listitem> - <para> - Fill in the "Assigned To" box with the email address you - provided earlier. This way you don't end up sending - copies of your bug to lots of other people, since it's - just a test bug. - </para> - </listitem> - <listitem> - <para> - Leave the "CC" text box blank. Fill in the "URL" box - with "http://www.mozilla.org". - </para> - </listitem> - <listitem> - <para> - Enter "The Bugzilla Guide" in the Summary text box, and - place any comments you have on this tutorial, or the - Guide in general, into the Description box. - </para> - </listitem> - </orderedlist> - <para> - Voila! Select "Commit" and send in your bug report! Next - we'll look at resolving bugs. - </para> - </section> - - <section id="bug-manage"> - <title>Managing your Bug Reports</title> - <para> - OK, you should have a link to the bug you just created near - the top of your page. It should say "Bug XXXX posted", with - a link to the right saying "Back to BUG# XXXX". Select this - link. - </para> - <orderedlist> - <listitem> - <para> - Scroll down a bit on the subsequent page, until you see - the "Resolve bug, changing resolution to (dropdown box). - Normally, you would "Accept bug (change status to - ASSIGNED)", fix it, and then resolve. But in this case, - we're going to short-circuit the process because this - wasn't a real bug. Change the dropdown next to "Resolve - Bug" to "INVALID", make sure the radio button is marked - next to "Resolve Bug", then click "Commit". - </para> - </listitem> - <listitem> - <para> - Hey! It said it couldn't take the change in a big red - box! That's right, you must specify a Comment in order - to make this change. Select the "Back" button in your - browser, add a Comment, then try Resolving the bug with - INVALID status again. This time it should work. - </para> - </listitem> - </orderedlist> - <para> - You have now learned the basics of Bugzilla navigation, - entering a bug, and bug maintenance. I encourage you to - explore these features, and see what you can do with them! - We'll spend no more time on individual Bugs or Queries from - this point on, so you are on your own there. - </para> - <para> - But I'll give a few last hints! - </para> - <para> - There is a <ulink - url="http://landfill.tequilarista.org/bugzilla-tip/help.html">CLUE</ulink> on the Query page that will teach you more how to use the form. - </para> - <para> - If you click the hyperlink on the <ulink - url="http://landfill.tequilarista.org/bugzilla-tip/describecomponents.cgi">Component</ulink> box of the Query page, you will be presented a form that will describe what all the components are. - </para> - <para> - Possibly the most powerful feature of the Query page is the - <ulink - url="http://landfill.tequilarista.org/bugzilla-tip/booleanchart.html">Boolean Chart</ulink> section. It's a bit confusing to use the first time, but can provide unparalleled flexibility in your queries, allowing you to build extremely powerful requests. - </para> - <para> - Finally, you can build some nifty <ulink - url="http://landfill.tequilarista.org/bugzilla-tip/reports.cgi">Reports</ulink> using the "Bug Reports" link near the bottom of the query page, and also available via the "Reports" link at the footer of each page. - </para> - </section> - </section> - - </section> - - <section id="init4me"> - <title>Where can I find my user preferences?</title> - <epigraph> - <para> - Indiana, it feels like we walking on fortune cookies! + <para>Try to make sure that everything said in the summary is also + said in the first comment. Summaries are often updated and this will + ensure your original information is easily accessible. </para> + <para> - These ain't fortune cookies, kid... + You do not need to put "any" or similar strings in the URL field. + If there is no specific URL associated with the bug, leave this + field blank. + </para> + + <para>If you feel a bug you filed was incorrectly marked as a + DUPLICATE of another, please question it in your bug, not + the bug it was duped to. Feel free to CC the person who duped it + if they are not already CCed. </para> - </epigraph> - <para> - Customized User Preferences offer tremendous versatility to your - individual Bugzilla experience. Let's plunge into what you can - do! The first step is to click the "Edit prefs" link at the - footer of each page once you have logged in to <ulink - url="http://landfill.tequilarista.org/bugzilla-tip/query.cgi?GoAheadAndLogIn=1"> Landfill</ulink>. - </para> + </section> + </section> + + <section id="userpreferences"> + <title>User Preferences</title> + + <para>Once you have logged in, you can customise various aspects of + Bugzilla via the "Edit prefs" link in the page footer. + The preferences are split into four tabs:</para> + <section id="accountsettings" xreflabel="Account Settings"> <title>Account Settings</title> - <para> - On this page, you can change your basic Account Settings, - including your password and full name. For security reasons, - in order to change anything on this page you must type your - <emphasis>current</emphasis> password into the <quote>Old - Password</quote> field. If you wish to change your - password, type the new password you want into the <quote>New - Password</quote> field and again into the <quote>Re-enter - new password</quote> field to ensure you typed your new - password correctly. Select the <quote>Submit</quote> button - and you are done. - </para> + + <para>On this tab, you can change your basic account information, + including your password, email address and real name. For security + reasons, in order to change anything on this page you must type your + <emphasis>current</emphasis> + password into the + <quote>Password</quote> + field at the top of the page. + If you attempt to change your email address, a confirmation + email is sent to both the old and new addresses, with a link to use to + confirm the change. This helps to prevent account hijacking.</para> </section> - <section id="emailsettings" > + + <section id="emailsettings"> <title>Email Settings</title> - <section id="notification" xreflabel=""> - <title>Email Notification</title> - <para> - Here you can reduce or increase the amount of email sent you - from Bugzilla. Although this is referred to as - <quote>Advanced Email Filtering Options</quote>, they are, - in fact, the standard email filter set. All of them are - self-explanatory, but you can use the filters in interesting - ways. For instance, some people (notably Quality Assurance - personnel) often only care to receive updates regarding a - bug when the bug changes state, so they can track bugs on - their flow charts and know when it is time to pull the bug - onto a quality assurance platform for inspection. Other - people set up email gateways to - <xref linkend="bonsai" /> or <xref linkend="tinderbox" />, and - restrict which types of Bugzilla information are fed to - these systems.. - </para> - </section> - <section id="newemailtech"> - <title>New Email Technology</title> - <note> - <para> - This option may not be available in all Bugzilla - installations, depending upon the preferences of the - systems administrator responsible for the setup of your - Bugzilla. However, if you really want this functionality, - ask her to "enable newemailtech in Params" and "make it - the default for all new users", referring her to the - Administration section of this Guide. - </para> - </note> - <para> - Disregard the warnings about "experimental and bleeding - edge"; the code to handle email in a cleaner manner than - that historically used for Bugzilla is quite robust and - well-tested now. - </para> - <para> - I recommend you enable the option, "Click here to sign up - (and risk any bugs)". Your email-box will thank you for it. - The fundamental shift in "newemailtech" is away from - standard UNIX "diff" output, which is quite ugly, to a - prettier, better laid-out email. - </para> - </section> - <section id="watchsettings"> - <title>"Watching" Users</title> - <note> - <para> - This option may not be available in all Bugzilla - installations, depending upon the preferences of the - systems administrator responsible for the setup of your - Bugzilla. However, if you really want this functionality, - ask her to "enable watchers in Params". - </para> - </note> - <para> - By entering user email names into the "Users to watch" text - entry box, delineated by commas, you can watch bugs of other - users. This powerful functionality enables seamless - transitions as developers change projects, managers wish to - get in touch with the issues faced by their direct reports, - or users go on vacation. If any of these three situations - apply to you, you will undoubtedly find this feature quite - convenient. - </para> - </section> + + <para>On this tab you can reduce or increase the amount of email sent + you from Bugzilla, opting in our out depending on your relationship to + the bug and the change that was made to it. (Note that you can also do + client-side filtering using the X-Bugzilla-Reason header which Bugzilla + adds to all bugmail.)</para> + + <para>By entering user email names, delineated by commas, into the + "Users to watch" text entry box you can receive a copy of all the + bugmail of other users (security settings permitting.) This powerful + functionality enables seamless transitions as developers change + projects or users go on holiday.</para> + + <note> + <para>The ability to watch other users may not be available in all + Bugzilla installations. If you can't see it, ask your + administrator.</para> + </note> </section> + <section id="footersettings"> <title>Page Footer</title> - <note> - <para> - By default, this page is quite barren. However, go explore - the Query Page some more; you will find that you can store - numerous queries on the server, so if you regularly run a - particular query it is just a drop-down menu away. On this - page of Preferences, if you have many stored queries you can - elect to have them always one-click away! - </para> - </note> - <para> - If you have many stored queries on the server, here you will - find individual drop-downs for each stored query. Each - drop-down gives you the option of that query appearing on the - footer of every page in Bugzilla! This gives you powerful - one-click access to any complex searches you may set up, and - is an excellent way to impress your boss... - </para> - <tip> - <para>By default, the "My Bugs" link appears at the bottom of - each page. However, this query gives you both the bugs you - have reported, as well as those you are assigned. One of - the most common uses for this page is to remove the "My - Bugs" link, replacing it with two other queries, commonly - called "My Bug Reports" and "My Bugs" (but only referencing - bugs assigned to you). This allows you to distinguish those - bugs you have reported from those you are assigned. I - commonly set up complex Boolean queries in the Query page - and link them to my footer in this page. When they are - significantly complex, a one-click reference can save hours - of work.</para> - </tip> + + <para>On the Search page, you can store queries in Bugzilla, so if you + regularly run a particular query it is just a drop-down menu away. + Once you have a stored query, you can come + here to request that it also be displayed in your page footer.</para> </section> + <section id="permissionsettings"> <title>Permissions</title> - <para> - This is a purely informative page which outlines your current - permissions on this installation of Bugzilla. If you have - permissions to grant certain permissions to other users, the - "other users" link appears on this page as well as the footer. - For more information regarding user administration, please - consult the Administration section of this Guide. - </para> + + <para>This is a purely informative page which outlines your current + permissions on this installation of Bugzilla - what product groups you + are in, and whether you can edit bugs or perform various administration + functions.</para> </section> </section> - - <section id="usingbz-conc"> - <title>Using Bugzilla-Conclusion</title> - <para> - Thank you for reading through this portion of the Bugzilla - Guide. I anticipate it may not yet meet the needs of all - readers. If you have additional comments or corrections to - make, please submit your contributions to the <ulink - url="mailto://mozilla-webtools@mozilla.org">mozilla-webtools</ulink> mailing list/newsgroup. The mailing list is mirrored to the netscape.public.mozilla.webtools newsgroup, and the newsgroup is mirrored to mozilla-webtools@mozilla.org - </para> - </section> </chapter> - <!-- Keep this comment at the end of the file Local variables: mode: sgml @@ -943,8 +567,9 @@ sgml-local-ecat-files:nil sgml-minimize-attributes:nil sgml-namecase-general:t sgml-omittag:t -sgml-parent-document:("Bugzilla-Guide.sgml" "book" "chapter") +sgml-parent-document:("Bugzilla-Guide.xml" "book" "chapter") sgml-shorttag:t sgml-tag-region-if-active:t End: --> + |