>Here's my reaction. I also commented to your proposal in the Task Tracker, but over there all text is pasted without any spaces, making it virtually unreadable. So, I also post it here. It's based on the several ideas I laid down in the various messages in the thread #642946. I hope that they make it into the functional design of the Bug Tracker.
>
>
>George, you write: "The interface should allow for an automatically cross reference a workaround by selecting the bug, and then option should be available to enter it."
>I'm Dutchman, so not a native English speaker, and must say that I'm not certain as to what you write here. Are you proposing that people should be able to enter a bug report on the one hand, and a workaround on the other hand?

Yes. For example, you find a bug. You post it here to make sure that it's reproducable. Someone else reproduces it. You find a workaround. You enter not just one entry, but two.

>
>When I'm confronted with a bug that I can't resolve on my own I feel a need to get in contact with others who can help me. So, when I'd post a bug, I'd do so in the hope that I'd get reactions and suggestions for workarounds. This interactive aspect should be covered by the functional design.

This is as good a place as any to find out whether it's something in the code, or a bug.

>A good bug report requires a clear explanation of the problem and often also some accompanying code, classes, forms, etc. to enable the VFP-team or other helpful people to reproduce things. I occasionally take time to create such a 'bundle'.
>But, to my knowledge, threads at Universal Thread don't allow me to attach a zipfile. I think the functional design should enable the attachment to the bug report of a zipfile. Without such a feature the Bug Tracker will have far less chance of being successful.

Many of the bugs can be re-produced through a simple series of steps. However, from personal experience, I understand and agree with what you're saying. Perhaps an option to FTP the source code might do. The biggest problem is that if the "bug" can't be reproduced, it can't be fixed.
>
>In one of the messages I stated that I'm CONFRONTED with bugs each week, if not each day. I wasn't claiming that I DISCOVER bugs each week/day. Certain bugs I'm confronted with each week, or occasionally each day, and it's not always easy to find or accept the workaround. The point I'm trying to make here is that some bugs are once-in-a-year or minor bugs and others spoil my life each week or day. The latter kind of bug might be weighed as being more serious, although the once-in-a-while bug might be serious too and more dangerous for our customers data. It's not enough to 'toggle a checkbox' that indicates that you have also encountered the bug and let the Bug Tracker module write down your userid in a table once. It's better to also ask the developer whether he/she thinks the bug is a heavyweight or a lightweight. An interval or 5-point scale should do.

Here, under VFP 7.0, my experience isn't the same as your's. Bug-free? No, I've found at least one big-timer that I'm trying to track down. Unfortunately, because this one interfaces with an OLE Automation Server, it's very difficult to re-produce.

>
>What I frequently call bugs, aren't always bugs in the eyes of others. They might occasionally call it a quirck, or they might state it's all 'by design'. But a design can stink too. The point I'm trying to make here is that the report is initially about something that looks like a bug, and it's confirmed only later on as being a bug, or quirck, or weakness in the design, or not anything of these at all. This all after some reflection and discussion. But who'll gonna decide what it is? We might have a voting system.

Changes in design should be documented. Sometimes, they're not. A voting system, however, doesn't really address the problem, since only members of the Fox Team know for sure.

Let me say this to any lurkers. I'm not trying to get my "ego stroked" here. Folks have complained about Microsoft's bug handling. Here's an oportunity to help both ourselves and the members of the Fox Team to the benefit of all. However, if you think it's a bad idea, that it "sucks", then I encourage you to say so.