OpenJDK bug database: DRAFT Developer Workflow

[Brian Beck]

On 12/16/11 11:07 AM, Iris Clark wrote:
> [snip]
> 1.  Dispatched:  A bug comes in.
> 2.  Accepted*:  Component teams do initial triage.  The goal is to verify that
>      there's sufficient information to investigate the bug and determine
>      importance of the reported problem assuming it is real.  An initial
>      Priority, Cat/Subcat, and target release are verified/assigned as
>      appropriate.
>      NOTE:  There is no guarantee that the problem actually exists!
> 3.  The reported problem reproduced.  Priority, target release, etc. may be
>      adjusted.
> 4.  BT Cause Known/JIRA Understood:  Sufficient investigation preformed to
>      gain a basic understanding of how the problem should be addressed.
>      Evaluation updated.
> 5.  BT Fix Understood/JIRA Understood:  A potential solution is devised.
>      Impact and risks associated with the solution are known.  Suggested fix
>      updated.
> 6.  Fix in Progress:  Active work started to address the problem.
>
> Did I miss anything?   [ Note that 3 does not have a name in either the
> proposed JIRA workflow or BT.  Minimally, that needs to be addressed. ]
>
> 3-5 feel like they're very tightly related so are perhaps a single status with
> sequenced substatuses?  (I don't know if JIRA supports the concept of "sequenced
> substatuses", so these might need to be individual statuses.)
>
To me 3-5 are very waterfall-esque.  In particular, 4 and 5 are sort of 
theoretical states.  Very often they don't exist as discreet points of 
time.  For many bugs I can't say I understand the problem until I know 
the fix.  Likewise I can't say I understand the fix until I've made it 
and tested it.

There may be some element of personal style in this.  I have met 
engineers who rigorously take bugs through all these states in 
Bugster.   But I know this doesn't suit me.  I also know from my days on 
the Bug Police that it doesn't suit lots of others.

 From a project management point of view the states that need to be 
distinguished are:

  1. Open (a.k.a. accepted, a.k.a. triaged) - a valid bug that's waiting 
to be worked on
  2. In Progress - an issue that is currently being worked on
  3. Resolved - an issue that is solved

These conditions need to be tracked widely across all types of issues 
and all types of work styles.  When it comes to how much is known about 
an individual bug, this is best left to the description and commentary.  
They are far better at recording the nuances that are necessary to 
resolve a  particular issue.

Brian.