Glossary

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.htaccess

Apache web server, and other NCSA-compliant web servers, observe the convention of using files in directories called .htaccess files. These restrict parameters of the web server. In Bugzilla, they are used to restrict access to certain files which would otherwise compromise your installation. For instance, the localconfig file contains the password to your database. If this information were generally available, and remote access to your database turned on, you risk corruption of your database by computer criminals or the curious.

A

There are no entries for A

B

Bug

A "Bug" in Bugzilla refers to an issue entered into the database which has an associated number, assignments, comments, etc. Some also refer to a "tickets" or "issues"; in the context of Bugzilla, they are synonymous.

Bug Number

Each Bugzilla Bug is assigned a number that uniquely identifies that Bug. The Bug associated with a Bug Number can be pulled up via a query, or easily from the very front page by typing the number in the "Find" box.

Bug Life Cycle

A Bug has stages through which it must pass before becoming a "closed bug", including acceptance, resolution, and verification. The "Bug Life Cycle" is moderately flexible according to the needs of the organization using it, though.

I

Infinite Loop

A loop of information that never ends; see recursion.

P

Product

A Product is a broad category of types of bugs. In general, there are several Components to a Product. A Product also defines a default Group (used for Bug Security) for all bugs entered into components beneath it.

Example 1. A Sample Product

A company sells a software product called "X". They also maintain some older software called "Y", and have a secret project "Z". An effective use of Products might be to create Products "X", "Y", "Z", each with Components of User Interface, Database, and Business Logic. They might also change group permissions so that only those people who are members of Group "Z" can see components and bugs under Product "Z".

Q

QA

"QA", "Q/A", and "Q.A." are short for "Quality Assurance". In most large software development organizations, there is a team devoted to ensuring the product meets minimum standards before shipping. This team will also generally want to track the progress of bugs over their life cycle, thus the need for the "QA Contact" field in a Bug.

R

Recursion

The property of a function looking back at itself for something. "GNU", for instance, stands for "GNU's Not UNIX", thus recursing upon itself for definition. For further clarity, see Infinite Loop.

Z

Zarro Boogs Found

This is the cryptic response sent by Bugzilla when a query returned no results. It is just a goofy way of saying "Zero Bugs Found".