Defects

Comprehensive reference for defect tracking and lifecycle management in Qualflare.

Overview

Defects are bugs or issues found during testing that require tracking from discovery through resolution. Qualflare provides a complete defect management system integrated with test execution, enabling direct bug logging from failed tests and verification through re-runs.

Defect List View

The defects list provides a comprehensive overview of all defects in the current project.

Columns

Column	Description
ID	Unique defect identifier (e.g., DEF-123)
Title	Summary of the issue
Severity	Impact level with color coding: Critical (red), High (orange), Medium (yellow), Low (green)
Status	Current lifecycle state (Open, In Progress, Resolved, Closed, Reopened)
Assignee	User responsible for fixing the defect
Milestone	Associated milestone (if any)
Created	Date when the defect was logged
Updated	Date of last activity

Filters

Filter defects by:

• Status: Open, In Progress, Resolved, Closed, Reopened
• Severity: Critical, High, Medium, Low
• Assignee: Any team member or "Unassigned"
• Milestone: Specific release targets
• Tags: Custom labels
• Created Date: Date range picker
• Updated Date: Date range picker

Filters can be combined for precise queries (e.g., "Critical AND Open AND Unassigned").

Sorting

Sort by any column:

• Click column headers to toggle ascending/descending
• Default sort: Created date (newest first)
• Common sorts: Severity (highest first), Updated date (most recent activity)

Bulk Actions

Select multiple defects using checkboxes to perform:

• Change Status: Update status for all selected defects
• Change Severity: Update severity for all selected defects
• Assign: Assign all selected defects to a user
• Add Milestone: Link all selected defects to a milestone
• Add Tags: Apply tags to multiple defects
• Export: Export selected defects as CSV or JSON

Quick Actions

Hover over any defect row to reveal quick actions:

• View: Open defect detail page
• Edit: Quick edit title, severity, status, assignee
• Link to Case Run: Connect to a test failure

Defect Detail View

The defect detail page displays complete information about a single defect.

Header Section

Field	Description
Defect ID	Unique identifier (DEF-123)
Title	Clear summary of the issue
Status Badge	Current lifecycle state with color indicator
Severity Badge	Impact level with color coding
Priority Badge	Fix urgency (Urgent, High, Medium, Low)
Assignee	Avatar and name of responsible user
Creator	Avatar and name of user who logged the defect
Created Date	Timestamp when defect was created
Updated Date	Timestamp of last modification

Description Section

• Description: Detailed explanation of the problem
• Steps to Reproduce: Numbered reproduction steps
• Expected Behavior: What should happen
• Actual Behavior: What actually happens
• Environment: Browser, OS, or configuration details

Linked Case Runs

Shows all test failures linked to this defect:

Column	Description
Launch	Test launch containing the failure
Test Case	Name of the failed test
Status	Current status of the case run
Failed Date	When the test failed
Environment	Test environment where it failed

Click any case run to view the failure details.

Attachments

List of files attached to the defect:

• Screenshots: Visual evidence of failures
• Logs: Error messages and stack traces
• Test Data: Input files that trigger the bug
• Screen Recordings: Video of the issue in action

Attachment Limits:

• Maximum file size: 25 MB per file
• Supported formats: PNG, JPG, GIF, PDF, TXT, LOG, MP4, WEBM
• Maximum attachments per defect: 20

Activity Timeline

Chronological history of all defect activity:

• Status Changes: When and by whom
• Assignments: Assignment and reassignment history
• Comments: Discussion thread with timestamps
• Linked Items: Added/removed case runs and milestones
• Attachments: Added files

Each activity entry shows:

• Timestamp (relative and absolute)
• User avatar and name
• Action performed
• Additional details or comments

Create/Edit Defect UI

Creating a New Defect

Access from:

• Defects list: Click "New Defect" button
• Case run detail: Click "Create Defect" action
• Launch summary: Select failed case runs and "Create Defect"

Required Fields:

• Title: Clear, specific summary of the issue

Optional Fields:

• Description: Detailed explanation
• Severity: Dropdown (Critical, High, Medium, Low) - defaults to Medium
• Priority: Dropdown (Urgent, High, Medium, Low) - defaults to Medium
• Status: Dropdown - defaults to Open
• Assignee: User selection
• Milestone: Target milestone
• Tags: Comma-separated labels
• Steps to Reproduce: Multi-line text area
• Expected Behavior: Multi-line text area
• Actual Behavior: Multi-line text area
• Environment: Multi-line text area
• Attachments: Drag-and-drop or file picker

Editing an Existing Defect

Access: Click "Edit" button on defect detail page

All fields are editable except:

• Defect ID: Read-only
• Creator: Read-only
• Created Date: Read-only

Auto-Save: Drafts are saved automatically every 30 seconds

Field Descriptions

Title

• Maximum Length: 200 characters
• Format: [Feature] + [What happened] + [Condition]
• Example: "Checkout fails when billing address differs from shipping"

Description

• Format: Multi-line markdown
• Recommended: Answer "What happened?", "How often?", "What's the impact?"
• No length limit

Severity

Value	Color	Description
Critical	Red	System unusable, data loss, security breach
High	Orange	Major feature broken, significant workaround
Medium	Yellow	Minor feature broken, easy workaround
Low	Green	Cosmetic issue, typo

Priority

Value	Description
Urgent	Fix immediately (blocks release, critical customer)
High	Fix soon (major impact, many users affected)
Medium	Fix in next cycle (minor impact, workaround exists)
Low	Fix when possible (cosmetic, edge case)

Status

Value	Description
Open	New defect, not yet investigated
In Progress	Being actively worked on
Resolved	Fix implemented, needs verification
Closed	Verified as fixed, defect complete
Reopened	Fix didn't work, bug still exists

Milestone

• Dropdown of all active milestones
• Select "None" to leave unassigned
• Defects display in milestone progress tracking

Tags

• Free-text labels for organization
• Separate multiple tags with commas
• Common uses: component, area, release blocker
• No predefined tags - create as needed

Defect Actions

Available actions depend on user permissions and defect status.

Assign Defect

When: Any status except Closed

Steps:

1. Click "Assign" button in defect header
2. Select user from dropdown
3. Optional: Add comment explaining assignment
4. Click "Confirm"

Result:

• Assignee field updates
• Assignee receives notification
• Activity log records the assignment

Change Status

When: Anytime

Valid Transitions:

• Open → In Progress, Closed
• In Progress → Resolved, Open
• Resolved → Closed, Reopened
• Closed → Reopened
• Reopened → In Progress

Steps:

1. Click status badge
2. Select new status from dropdown
3. Optional: Add comment explaining change
4. Click "Confirm"

Result:

• Status badge updates with new color
• Activity log records the change
• Subscribers receive notification

Close Defect

When: Defect is resolved or not a valid bug

Steps:

1. Click "Close" button
2. Select closure reason:
   • Fixed (verified working)
   • Not a Bug (works as designed)
   • Duplicate (links to original defect)
   • Won't Fix (out of scope, by design)
3. Required: Add explanation
4. For duplicates, select the original defect
5. Click "Close Defect"

Result:

• Status changes to Closed
• Activity log records closure reason
• Linked defects updated (for duplicates)

Reopen Defect

When: Bug still exists after attempted fix

Steps:

1. Click "Reopen" button (available on Closed defects)
2. Required: Add comment explaining why
3. Select new assignee if different from original
4. Click "Reopen Defect"

Result:

• Status changes to Reopened
• Defect moves back to active tracking
• Original assignee notified

Link to Test Run

When: Connecting a defect to test failures

Steps:

1. Click "Link Case Run" button
2. Search and select from failed case runs
3. Select from:
   • Recent failures
   • Specific launch
   • Search by test name
4. Click "Link"

Result:

• Case run appears in Linked Case Runs section
• Defect appears on case run detail page
• Test-to-defect connection established for verification

Add Comment

When: Adding context, questions, or updates

Steps:

1. Scroll to activity timeline
2. Type in comment box
3. Optional: @mention team members
4. Click "Post Comment"

Result:

• Comment appears in activity timeline
• Mentioned users receive notification
• Updated timestamp refreshes

Verify Fix

When: Defect is in Resolved status and needs verification

Steps:

1. Click "Verify Fix" button
2. Select verification launch:
   • Create new launch with linked tests
   • Select existing launch
3. Review test results
4. If tests pass: Click "Close Defect"
5. If tests fail: Click "Reopen" and add comments

Result:

• If passed: Status changes to Closed
• If failed: Status changes to Reopened
• Verification launch linked to defect

Defect Lifecycle UI

Status Workflow Visualization

Qualflare displays the defect lifecycle as a visual workflow:

Open → In Progress → Resolved → Closed
         ↓                           ↑
         └─────── Reopened ──────────┘

Interactive Elements:

• Click any status to see defects in that state
• Hover over transitions to see valid state changes
• Color-coded indicators match status badges

Status Indicators

Status	Color	Icon	Meaning
Open	Gray	🔵	New, awaiting triage
In Progress	Blue	🔄	Active work in progress
Resolved	Purple	✅	Fix completed, needs verification
Closed	Green	✔️	Verified, complete
Reopened	Red	↩️	Fix failed, back to active

History Timeline

The activity timeline provides a complete audit trail:

Entry Types:

• Created: Defect creation with creator
• Status Changed: Old → New with user
• Assigned: To whom and by whom
• Severity Changed: Old → New with reason
• Comment Added: Full comment text
• Case Run Linked: Which test was connected
• Attachment Added: Filename and uploader
• Milestone Changed: Old → New milestone

Timeline Features:

• Collapsible entries (click to expand/collapse)
• Show/hide comment-only activity
• Export timeline as PDF

Status Types Reference

Open

Description: New defect, not yet investigated or assigned

Use When:

• Defect was just created
• Awaiting triage
• Investigating before assigning

Available Actions:

• Edit all fields
• Assign to developer
• Change to In Progress
• Close (if not a bug or duplicate)

Duration: Should not remain Open more than 1-2 business days

In Progress

Description: Someone is actively working on investigation or fix

Use When:

• Developer has started investigation
• Code change is in progress
• Fix is being tested by developer

Available Actions:

• Edit description
• Add attachments (fix screenshots, logs)
• Change to Resolved (when fix is done)
• Revert to Open (if blocked or deprioritized)

Duration: Varies based on severity - Critical: hours, Low: weeks

Resolved

Description: Fix has been implemented and needs QA verification

Use When:

• Code change is committed/pushed
• Developer has tested locally
• Ready for QA to verify

Available Actions:

• Link commit/PR in comments
• Assign to QA engineer
• Change to Closed (if verified)
• Change to Reopened (if verification fails)

Duration: Should be verified within 1-2 business days

Closed

Description: Defect is complete and will not be revisited

Use When:

• QA verified the fix works
• Determined not a bug
• Marked as duplicate or won't fix

Available Actions:

• View only (read-only state)
• Reopen (if bug reappears)

Final State: Closed defects don't appear in active defect counts

Reopened

Description: Fix didn't work or bug reappeared after being closed

Use When:

• Verification failed (bug still exists)
• Bug reappeared in production after fix
• Fix introduced new issues

Available Actions:

• All Open/In Progress actions available
• Typically reassigned to developer

Duration: Treat as new In Progress defect

Severity and Priority

Severity Levels

Severity measures impact - how bad the bug is:

Severity	Color	Icon	When to Use	Example
Critical	Red	🔴	System unusable, data loss, security	Login completely broken, database corruption
High	Orange	🟠	Major feature broken, significant workaround	Checkout fails, search returns no results
Medium	Yellow	🟡	Minor feature broken, easy workaround	Wrong sort order, validation unclear
Low	Green	🟢	Cosmetic issue, typo	Misspelled label, slight misalignment

Priority Levels

Priority measures urgency - when to fix:

Priority	Description	Target Resolution Time
Urgent	Fix immediately (blocks release, critical customer)	Same day
High	Fix soon (major impact, many users affected)	1-3 days
Medium	Fix in next cycle (minor impact, workaround exists)	1-2 weeks
Low	Fix when possible (cosmetic, edge case)	Next milestone

Severity vs Priority

Severity and priority don't always align:

Scenario	Severity	Priority
System down for all users	Critical	Urgent
Critical bug affecting one user	Critical	Medium
Cosmetic issue on homepage	Low	High (visibility)
Minor feature edge case	Medium	Low

Linking Defects to Test Runs

Why Link?

Linking defects to test failures creates a verification loop:

1. Bug Discovery: Test fails → create defect
2. Bug Tracking: Defect tracks fix progress
3. Fix Verification: Re-run linked test → verify fix
4. Close Loop: Test passes → close defect

Linking Methods

From Case Run

1. Navigate to failed case run
2. Click "Create Defect" or "Link to Defect"
3. Create new defect or select existing
4. Connection established automatically

From Defect

1. Open defect detail page
2. Click "Link Case Run"
3. Search and select failed case runs
4. Connection established

Bulk Linking

Link multiple case runs to one defect:

1. Select multiple failed case runs in a launch
2. Click "Link to Defect"
3. Select existing defect
4. All selected runs linked

This is useful when one bug causes multiple test failures.

Linked Case Runs Display

On the defect detail page, linked case runs show:

Field	Description
Launch Name	Which test execution
Test Case	Which test failed
Status	Current status (Failed, Passed, etc.)
Environment	Where it failed
Failed Date	When it failed
Actions	View case run, unlink

Attachment Management

Supported File Types

Category	Formats	Max Size
Images	PNG, JPG, GIF, WEBP	25 MB
Documents	PDF, TXT, MD	25 MB
Logs	LOG, JSON, XML	25 MB
Videos	MP4, WEBM, MOV	25 MB
Archives	ZIP, GZ	10 MB

Adding Attachments

Methods:

• Drag and drop onto attachment area
• Click "Choose File" button
• Paste images from clipboard (Ctrl/Cmd + V)

Bulk Upload: Select multiple files at once (max 10 per batch)

Attachment Actions

• Preview: Click image to view full-size
• Download: Save file locally
• Delete: Remove attachment (anyone can delete)
• Replace: Upload new version of same file

Comments and Discussion

Comment Features

• Markdown Support: Bold, italic, lists, code blocks
• @Mentions: Type @ to mention team members
• Code Snippets: Use ``` for code blocks with syntax highlighting
• Links: Auto-detected URLs become clickable
• Edit: Edit your own comments (no time limit)
• Delete: Delete your own comments

Comment Notifications

When notifications are sent:

• Someone comments on a defect you created
• Someone comments on a defect assigned to you
• Someone @mentions you in a comment
• Someone replies to your comment

Notification Channels:

• In-app notifications
• Email (if enabled)
• Webhook (if configured)

Comment Best Practices

• Be specific: Reference actual test results
• Provide context: Explain your reasoning
• Use @mentions: Notify relevant team members
• Link work: Reference commits, PRs, external tickets
• Keep professional: Comments are part of permanent record

Related Features

• Defects Concept - Understanding defect structure and lifecycle
• Track Defects Guide - How to log bugs from test failures
• Manage Defects Guide - Triage, assignment, and verification workflows
• Milestones - Tracking defects toward release targets
• Case Runs - Test execution results that link to defects