[Python-Dev] checklist for filing a bug

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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