[Python-Dev] checklist for filing a bug (original) (raw)

Raymond Hettinger python at rcn.com
Fri Jul 8 22:53:58 CEST 2005

In order to lower the barrier for reporting bugs, writing patches, and handling CVS commits, I am writing up checklists for each and I will put them up on python.org.

-0 on the checklists. I don't think existing "barriers" are high at all. The entries may be variously regarded as codifying common sense or listing nice-to-haves instead of must haves. Based on the SF activity over the last few years, I conclude that the checklists attempt to solve a non-problem (or rather a very minor irritant).

Yes, it would be great if everyone searched SF for all previous related bug reports, and spent time isolating/reproducing the cause, and if all bug reports were reproducible 100% of the time, and if someone wrote a unittest for it. Heck, it would be nicer still if they debugged the exact problem and fixed it ;-) However, in real life, we get plenty of useful reports that don't fit one or all of those criteria. I don't want to unnecessarily raise the bar and not have someone report a potentially valid bug.

IMO, the proposal is administrivia that doesn't add value and possibly makes things worse (by causing some folks to not go through the hassle of filing a report).

Raymond

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