I found a bug! Is there some format I should use to report it?

A lot of people often ask me if there is some format that they should use to report bugs to us.  I have seen bug reports from, “X is broken, please fix”, to short stories about a bug.  What is really important to have in a bug is clear and concise repro steps, what the result is, and what you expect to really happen.  This will not only save you and us time, but will increase the chances of getting your bug considered for fixing.  Here is an example of a good bug report:

Title: Calendar application does not launch
Environment: Smartphone <version of MS software, as found in the About Control Panel><manufacturer><model><anything of interest, like low memory>

[Repro]
1. Boot device
2. Press SK1.Start
3. Action on Calendar

[Results]
When step 3 is executed, nothing happens. The device just stays on the Start Menu screen. I am still able to use the device and launch other applications, but for some reason Calendar will not launch.

[Expect]
In step 3, I expect Calendar to launch.

[Notes]
I have been using the device now for 2 weeks and I have been able to launch Calendar several times in the past. I did add Widget Company's Calendar application yesterday, and I think that may be the reason Calendar is no longer working. I removed Widget Company's Calendar, but the MS Calendar still does not launch.

This is a fairly standard bug report that I use for filing bugs internally. Hope this helps many of you out there. Please let me know if you have any questions or comments about this post. Have a good day.

[Author: Stephen Rosenthal]