[proposal] [QA-WE Essen 2012] Bug submission API - How to improve the current system

Hello all!

During the German QA meeting some ideas developed. To cut it short, we came to the conclusion, that a Bug Submission API (BS-API) would be very helpful. I made a graphic (http://goo.gl/dHWhu) which should demonstrate a possible solution ( in this very diagram the green field is the goal, and the red one an error. The dark blue rectangle is the start, the light blue ones represent dialogues. If there are any questions, don't hesitate and ask at the QA mailinglist.(Please don't replay on any other list --- thanks). This diagram should be a program flow chart and visualize every step, how a bug report could be semi-automatic reported. The platform for reproducing, creating a step by step introduction how to reproduce the bugs. Only experts have assess to bugzilla. [@freedesktop.org Account related permissions are impossible -- Sorry Florian E.] Every language can have its own ML for doing that (IMHO the users@ ML is a great place for doing that) This would simplify bug submission for the end user and the frustration of both, QAler and end-user when a bug has not been touched for a long time OR the end user doesn't give needed input.

Reaching ~200 words of description, first let me thank you reading all this stuff and thinking about that. So, now be prepared for the "result" of a test right from the German discuss ML or simply answer :wink: - I want to extend the idea more, if I get positive input by the way :wink:

As said above this idea developed during the QA weekend. I had time to think about it and due to the fact that I found 2 nice bugs, which I mailed at the German discuss ML. All in all I wanted to submit 2 bugs in 3 minutes, so the reports where, let's say it polite, short and contained some useful information, but not all (That's because I had to less time). So after 36h here are the results: Productive work has been done and one bug couldn't be reproduced by anyone, including me, the second one could not be reproduced, but I still can reproduce it on a German paralle installation @ Win 7 x64 on a different PC, but I think that will work...

So, I will stop now. If I continue writing nobody will be interested in reading this ;). If there s any question feel free to ask at the QA ML. libreoffice-qa@lists.freedesktop.org <mailto:libreoffice-qa@lists.freedesktop.org> (Maybe I have missed an important point, sorry for that, but the email is currently to long, too...)

Yours

Florian R.