An explicit bug is existing functionality in software that is not operating as designed or required.
There is no grey area. The functionality should be doing A, and it is doing B. It’s not an implicit bug.
Extra – how best to communicate explicit bug
Three bits of info required:
- What did I do to get there (what steps did I take)
- What should happen (my expected behaviour)
- What happened instead
Adding screenshots is generally very helpful
Advanced – bug classification
This informs urgency. The lower the below score, the more time-sensitive resolution is by the service provider.
A higher score means that the issue is having a low impact on the business.
Issue categories are as follows:
| Category | Score | Description |
| Critical | 0-2 | Halts critical processes |
| Major | 3-9 | Encumbers processes |
| Medium | 10-20 | Impairs non-critical system functioning |
| Low | 21-64 | Low negative impact on process |
Priority or severity is determined by the following formula: Severity/impact x Pervasiveness x Nature
For example, the Severity/impact score of an issue is a 3, the Pervasiveness score of the same issue is 1, the Nature of the same issue is 0 –> the score (3 x 1 x 0) is 0. The issue is assigned to category Critical.
| Severity/impact | |
| Score | Description |
| 0 | Affects critical data or functionality and leaves users with no workaround |
| 1 | Affects critical data or functionality and forces users to employ a workaround |
| 1 | Lack of feature/feature issue creates data work “debt” |
| 2 | Affects non-critical data or functionality and forces users to employ a workaround |
| 3 | Affects non-critical data or functionality and forces users to employ a workaround |
| 4 | Affects aesthetics, professional look and feel, “quality” or “usability” |
| Pervasiveness: Likelihood/visibility | |
| Score | Description |
| 1 | Experienced by all or almost all users who use the application (>=95% of users) |
| 2 | Experienced by more than 2/3 of the users who use the application (>67% and <95%) |
| 3 | Experienced by about half the users who use the application (>33% and <66%) |
| 4 | Experienced by about 1/3 or less of the users who use the application (>0% and <32% |
| Nature: Class of defect | ||
| Score | Description | |
| 0 | Stability, reliability and availability | Testability |
| 0 | Security | Storage (data loss/corruption) |
| 0 | Legal (liability, copyright) | |
| 1 | Performance and efficiency
(use of resources: memory, disk, CPU) |
Scalability |
| 2 | Functionality | Compatibility |
| 2 | Logic or calculation | Interoperability |
| 3 | Usability | Documentation |
| 3 | Learn ability | Consistency |
| 3 | Readability | Workflow |
| 4 | Typographic or grammatical | Appearance or cosmetic |
| 4 | Aesthetics | |
These impact codes are recommended to be used as guidelines.
