A bug tracking tool is an application that is used by testers and developers alike to run a code or a test suite and capture the report thus generated.
Use of bug tracking tools is prevalent among software testers as they are always look for a chance to find out loopholes in the code. So here we list some of the common types of bug tracking tools that are a common preference for examining code.
List of Bug Tracking Tools :
Bugzilla: An open source tool with some great features integrated like -
Notifying the user in case of code change.
Charts to carry out some statistical analysis.
There is an option to generate list of bugs in any format desired.
One can schedule report analysis on a daily, monthly or weekly basis.
Automatic detection of duplicate bugs.
Set bug priorities by involving customers.
Predict the time span required to fix a bug.
Jira: JIRA is a popular tool among software testers as it provides an easy to use interface which helps the user to organise the different activities. For instance, the team of testers may capture and make a note of the issues prevailing within the team, prioritise and update the same with the progress of the project.
Mantis: Mantis is another bug tracking tool that offers ease of use and simplicity. It has a desktop as well as mobile version. It is compatible with various databases like MySQL, Postgre SQL, MS SQL along with integrated chat, time tracking, wiki, RSS feeds and so on. Some of the noticeable features of this tool are-
Open source.
Email notifications.
Reporting with the help of graphs.
Custom field support.
Time tracking management.
The ability to handle multiple projects at a given point of time.
Clarity in understanding the various changes that have been made so far.
Any number of users, projects and issues could be handled at a certain point of time.
Redmine: It is an open source tool that integrates with Source Code Management. It is a cross platform tool and supports multiple databases. Redmine uses Gantt charts and calendars for reporting bugs. Redmine is a web application for handling projects which was developed using Ruby on Rail.
Features:
A sorted system for managing files, news and other documents.
Creation of issues via email.
Support for all types of databases.
Issue tracking is flexible enough.
Access to a specific issue is role based.
Support for different languages.
Trac:The framework is developed in Python which is a superior version of wiki. One can browse through the code, view history, track changes if any and many more.
Features:
The process of reporting a bug is convenient enough.
Roadmap and milestone tracking.
Managing number of users handling the tool.
A variety of plugins are available.
Axosoft: This tool is used for hosted or on-premises software. Generally Scrum teams use Axosoft for managing their software development project. Project managers and developers can view the status of the ongoing tasks, the requirements, defects and incidents that may occur in the system. The Scrum board can thus be used to manage user stories, defects, support tickets and one may post screenshots of the work in progress.
Features:
Scrum planning board to list the test plans.
Scrum burn down charts to track the progress of the Scrum project.
Managing requirements.
Representing data in the form of charts, diagrams, pictures and so on.
Configuration management by integrating the different modules from time to time.
Incident tracking to offer support.
HP quality centre: HP ALM is a tool for tracking bugs with support for Agile projects as well. It is an expensive tool and is not cross browser compatible.
eTraxis: This tool offers a flexible and centralised platform for managing a project. It is developed in PHP and supports databases like Oracle, MySQL, Postgre SQL and MS Server. One can create multiple users and projects, create custome workflows as per requirement.
Features:
support for file exchange and attachments.
flexibility in assigning permissions.
robust filtering mechanism on issues.
custom workflow.
access to complete history of events.
Bugnet:Written in ASP.net this tool requires MySQL database to work with. Besides one can efficiently manage, create issues and projects. The 'pro-version' of this tool is licensed and commercial.
Features:
Email notification.
Ways to efficient manage issues.
Multiple project and database support.
Excellent security measures.
An online support community.
Feature to manage and measure a project's milestone.
Easy navigation and administration.
Fogbuzz: A centralised location for managing and organising development tasks. One can search for wiki articles, content of cases and customer correspondence. Provides support for all types of operating systems like Android, iOS, Blackberry etc. Fogbuzz is a commercial product but one who needs it would find it quite reasonable.
Features:
Track issues efficiently.
Test case creation is hassle free.
Support desk is available.
Automated error reporting.
Integrated wiki along with other tools as well.
Time tracking mechanism.
Bug Genie: Use of Bug Genie is faster. One can add their desired number of custom fields to the issues, exports all searches and project timeline in the form of RSS feeds. When a user wants to view an issue along with related actions, he may do so with the help of a single click. The tool has a search option using which we can type in our desired search criteria.
Lighthouse: It is a bug tracking tool which includes features like advanced search, saved searches and an effective tagging system. A number of useful services can be integrated with this tool like Airbrake, Github, Beanstalk etc. Hence managing issues is just a few clicks away.
Zoho bug tracker: Zoho bug tracker is quite a powerful tool that offers option to filter an issue based on its degree of severity or priority. The bug tracker helps the user to identify the number of reproducible bugs thus improving productivity. Zoho is an online tool which has options like other tools like creating and managing projects, bugs, milestone, reports, documents etc. on a central platform.
Features:
Offers bug view and integration.
Flexible workflow and issue tracker.
Classify issues into categories.
BugHost: A commercial tool meant for large sized companies who needs licensing for a longer time period with minimum cost. It can be accessed on cloud and create issues for the project under test.
Features:
Provision to record unlimited number of defects.
Integrate emails and file attachments.
Linking bugs with one another.
One can update a number of bugs at a given point of time.
Collabtive: This tool is meant for small and medium sized organisations. It is cloud based and has all the necessary features of a bug tracking tool.
Team Foundation Server: This tool allows stakeholders to take part in the development process. The tool gives notifications to the team members and maintains the record of the persons to whom the bug was assigned.
Features:
Version control.
Planning and collaboration for Agile process.
Test case management and bug tracking notification.
IBM Rational ClearQuest: It can capture and manage any type of bug. It is cross platform framework with support for HP-UX, Linux, Microsoft windows operating system.
Features:
Integrates with other tools.
Provision for real time reporting.
Team collaboration.
Unfuddle: With this tool, developers can commit source code.
Features:
Feature request.
Bug and issue management.
Milestone tracking.
DevTrack: A defect tracking system with the following features:
Automatic routing of issues to the right users.
Email notifications.
Team members can have access to the bug, track them and thus resolve the issues.
Create and assign issues to the appropriate person.
Authenticate users.
Salesforce: A web based bug tracking tool that facilitates planning, creating stories to track tasks and assess reports and statistics. Some of the features are:
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