7.3.1 - Severity Examples

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Understanding Severity

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Teacher
Teacher

Today, we're going to discuss the severity of defects. Can anyone tell me what we mean by 'severity' in this context?

Student 1
Student 1

Does it refer to how bad a bug is?

Teacher
Teacher

Exactly! Severity indicates the impact a defect has on the application's functioning. For example, a critical severity defect may cause the application to crash. Remember the mnemonic 'Critical Causes Crash' to help you remember!

Student 2
Student 2

What about other levels of severity?

Teacher
Teacher

Great question! We also have major, minor, and trivial levels. Major defects might disrupt significant functionality, while minor and trivial issues are often cosmetic. Let's jump into examples of each.

Examples of Severity Levels

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Teacher
Teacher

Let's examine examples of severity. Can someone provide an example of a critical severity defect?

Student 3
Student 3

An example could be the app crashing when users try to log in!

Teacher
Teacher

Right! And what about a major severity defect?

Student 4
Student 4

A problem with an incorrect calculation in an invoice total could be major.

Teacher
Teacher

Spot on! And for minor, what do we think?

Student 1
Student 1

Maybe a UI alignment issue?

Teacher
Teacher

Exactly! Minor issues still need attention, but they're not urgent. Always remember: 'Critical is Catastrophic'!

Understanding Priority

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Teacher
Teacher

Now, let’s shift to priority. What does priority in defect management mean?

Student 2
Student 2

I think it refers to how quickly we need to fix a defect.

Teacher
Teacher

Exactly! Priority helps us decide which defects should be addressed first. High priority bugs need fixing before release, while low priority bugs can wait.

Student 3
Student 3

How do we decide that?

Teacher
Teacher

Good question! Usually, the product owner or project managers decide priority based on business impact. Always remember the acronym 'HML': High, Medium, Low for priority levels!

The Relationship between Severity and Priority

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Teacher
Teacher

Can someone explain how severity and priority can differ?

Student 4
Student 4

Maybe a bug can be very severe but not urgent to fix.

Teacher
Teacher

Correct! For example, a critical bug that appears only in a rare case might be high severity but low priority. Think 'Critical but Calm' for these situations.

Student 1
Student 1

So, it all depends on the context?

Teacher
Teacher

Exactly! Understanding both helps us manage resources effectively. Always aim to balance severity and priority.

Introduction & Overview

Read a summary of the section's main ideas. Choose from Basic, Medium, or Detailed.

Quick Overview

This section discusses the different levels of severity and priority associated with software defects, providing examples and explaining their significance in bug tracking.

Standard

In this section, we explore the concepts of severity and priority in relation to software defects. Severity refers to the technical impact of a defect, while priority indicates the urgency with which it should be fixed. The section provides examples of each level of severity to illustrate these concepts.

Detailed

Severity Examples

In the context of software quality assurance, understanding the severity and priority of defects is essential for effective defect management. Severity assesses the impact of a defect on the functioning of the software, while priority determines the order in which defects should be addressed based on business needs. The primary levels of severity include:

  • Critical: Severe defects that cause the application to crash, such as crashing on login.
  • Major: Significant issues that affect functionality but do not crash the system, such as wrong calculations.
  • Minor: Cosmetic or trivial issues like UI misalignments or typos in text.

Priorities, on the other hand, dictate how quickly a defect needs to be resolved:
- High Priority: Issues that must be resolved before release.
- Medium Priority: Issues that can be addressed in a subsequent sprint.
- Low Priority: Cosmetic fixes that can wait for future releases.

These classifications help teams focus their resources effectively to ensure timely resolutions and maintain quality standards.

Audio Book

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Critical Severity Example

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C App crashes on login

Detailed Explanation

A critical severity example means that the application is completely unusable in a specific context, such as crashing upon login. This type of defect is serious and needs to be addressed immediately to ensure that users can access the application without interruption.

Examples & Analogies

Imagine you bought a new car, and the moment you turn the key to start it, the engine shuts down completely. This situation is similar to a critical bug in software where you cannot even access it because it crashes.

Major Severity Example

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M Wrong calculation in an invoice total

Detailed Explanation

A major severity defect refers to an issue that significantly affects the functionality of the system but does not completely block it. For example, if the invoice total is calculated incorrectly, it could lead to serious financial repercussions and must be fixed before the software is released.

Examples & Analogies

Consider receiving an invoice for groceries, but the total amount is higher than what you expected due to a miscalculation. While you can still pay, the error affects your budgeting and planning.

Minor Severity Example

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M UI alignment issue on help page

Detailed Explanation

Minor severity defects are those that do not affect the core functionality of the application but may impact user experience or aesthetics. A UI alignment issue on a help page, for instance, disrupts how the information is presented but does not prevent users from accessing help resources.

Examples & Analogies

Think of a book with a few pages where the text is slightly out of alignment. You can still read the content, but it may look unprofessional or distracting.

Trivial Severity Example

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T Typo in footer text

Detailed Explanation

Trivial severity examples are minor errors that do not affect functionality or user experience significantly. A typographical error in the footer text is an example of a defect that is not urgent and can be corrected in the future.

Examples & Analogies

Imagine folding a piece of paper and accidentally leaving a little mark or typo. While it’s noticeable, it doesn’t change the content of what you're conveying, similar to a minor error in software that does not require immediate action.

Definitions & Key Concepts

Learn essential terms and foundational ideas that form the basis of the topic.

Key Concepts

  • Severity: Refers to the technical impact of a defect on the system.

  • Priority: Indicates the urgency to fix a defect.

  • Bug Severity Levels: Include critical, major, minor, and trivial.

  • Bug Priority Levels: Include high, medium, and low.

Examples & Real-Life Applications

See how the concepts apply in real-world scenarios to understand their practical implications.

Examples

  • Critical severity example: Application crashes when users attempt to log in.

  • Major severity example: Incorrect calculations in an invoice total.

  • Minor severity example: UI misalignment in a help page.

  • Trivial severity example: A typo in footer text.

  • High priority example: A defect that must be fixed before the software release.

  • Medium priority example: A defect that can wait until the next sprint.

  • Low priority example: Cosmetic changes to be made in a future release.

Memory Aids

Use mnemonics, acronyms, or visual cues to help remember key information more easily.

🎵 Rhymes Time

  • Critical causes crash, major makes it smash; minor's just a typo, trivial's a little blip, that's the severity tip!

📖 Fascinating Stories

  • Imagine a city (the software) where certain roads (defects) are blocked. A major roadblock (critical defect) halts all traffic, while a small bump (trivial defect) barely affects driving. Knowing which road to fix first helps keep the city moving!

🧠 Other Memory Gems

  • Remember 'CMMT' for defect severity: Critical, Major, Minor, Trivial.

🎯 Super Acronyms

HML

  • High
  • Medium
  • Low for defect priority levels.

Flash Cards

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Glossary of Terms

Review the Definitions for terms.

  • Term: Defect Severity

    Definition:

    The measure of the impact of a defect on the functioning of the software.

  • Term: Defect Priority

    Definition:

    The urgency with which a defect should be fixed, determining the order of resolution.

  • Term: Critical

    Definition:

    A defect that causes the application to crash or renders it unusable.

  • Term: Major

    Definition:

    A defect that significantly affects functionality but does not crash the system.

  • Term: Minor

    Definition:

    A defect that has a small impact and is often cosmetic in nature.

  • Term: Trivial

    Definition:

    A defect that has negligible impact and can be ignored or fixed at a later time.

  • Term: Bug Tracking

    Definition:

    The process of logging, managing, and tracking reported defects or bugs in software.