JIRA Issues

JIRA is a popular issue-tracking tool that can be used for software testing. It allows you to track bugs, defects, and other issues in your software development process. JIRA issues can be used to track the progress of your testing, identify and prioritize defects, and communicate with your team.

What is an Issue?

An issue in Jira is a unit of work that needs to be completed. It can represent anything from a software bug to a project task to a helpdesk ticket. Issues are the building blocks of any Jira project, and they are used to track progress, assign tasks, and communicate with team members.

Issue keys

Issue keys are unique identifiers for every piece of work you track with Jira. They are easily recognizable and quick to remember.

One can see the issue keys:

• On issues themselves, as a label.
• In search results and saved filters.
• On cards on your boards or in a project’s backlog.
• In links connecting pieces of work.
• In the issue’s URL.
• Anywhere you need to reference the work you’re tracking.

Issue keys are made up of two parts:

• The project key
• A sequential number

Project keys

Project keys are a series of alphanumberic characters that describe to people across your Jira site what pieces of work are related to your project. They’re the most memorable and recognizable piece of an issue’s identifier. For example, our team is codenamed Donut World. We use the project key “DONUT” to help people across Atlassian know and recognize work that relates to our team.

What are Issue Types?

Jira comes with a number of pre-defined issue types, such as bug, task, story, and epic. You can also create custom issue types to meet the specific needs of your project. Issue types are used to categorize issues and to control the workflow for each type of issue.

Jira issue types are used to categorize work items. They define the type of work that needs to be done, and the associated workflow.

The following are the standard issue types in Jira:

1. Epic

• Represents a larger body of work that can be broken down into smaller issues.
• Examples: Start a lemonade stand, develop a new software feature, launch a marketing campaign.

2. Story

• Represents a user requirement.
• Examples: As a lemonade enthusiast, I’d like to have a really cold, crisp drink. As a customer, I want to be able to easily find the products I’m looking for.

3. Task

• Represents a piece of work that needs to be done.
• Examples: Make lemonade, create sign, set up stand.

4. Bug

• Represents a problem that needs to be fixed.
• Examples: The lemonade is too sour, the website is not loading correctly.

5. Subtask

• Represents a smaller piece of work that is part of a larger issue.
• Examples: Squeeze lemons, mix ingredients, pour lemonade into cups.

What is Jira Issue Hierarchy?

Jira issues can be organized into a hierarchy, with parent issues and child issues. Parent issues represent larger pieces of work, while child issues represent smaller pieces of work that are part of the parent issue. The hierarchy can be used to track the dependencies between issues and to visualize the overall progress of a project.

1. Epic

• An epic is a large body of work that can be broken down into smaller, more manageable issues, such as stories, tasks, and bugs.
• Examples: Develop a new software feature, launch a marketing campaign, improve customer satisfaction.

2. Story

• A story is a user requirement or a piece of functionality that needs to be developed. Stories are typically written from the perspective of the user and describe what the user wants to achieve.
• Examples: As a user, I want to be able to easily find the products I’m looking for. As a customer, I want to be able to make a purchase with just a few clicks.

3. Subtask

• A subtask is a smaller piece of work that is part of a larger issue, such as a story or task. Subtasks can be used to break down complex work into smaller, more manageable chunks.
• Examples: Squeeze lemons, mix ingredients, pour lemonade into cups.

What is the Anatomy of an Issue?

Each Jira issue has a number of fields, including:

• Summary: A brief description of the issue.
• Description: A more detailed description of the issue.
• Status: The current status of the issue.
• Priority: The priority of the issue.
• Assignee: The person who is assigned to the issue.
• Due Date: The date by which the issue should be completed.
• Attachments: Files that are associated with the issue.
• Comments: Notes and discussions about the issue.

The issue layout is divided into three sections:

• Description: This is the first section that users see when they open an issue. It is a good place to put the most important fields, such as the issue summary, description, and priority.
• Field tabs: If the issue layout has more than one tab, they will be displayed in this section. Field tabs can be used to organize information that may be relevant to different teams, for example.
• Context fields: These are fields that are not always displayed in the issue view. They are only displayed when they have a value.

What are Parent and Child Issues?

Parent issues and child issues are two types of issues that are related to each other.

1. A parent issue is a larger piece of work that has one or more child issues.
2. Child issues are smaller pieces of work that are part of the parent issue.

For example, a parent issue might be a “new feature” issue, while the child issues might be “design the feature,” “code the feature,” and “test the feature.”

What are Linked Issues?

Linked issues are two or more issues that are related to each other, but they are not parent/child issues. For example, you might link a bug issue to a story issue if the bug is preventing the story from being completed.

Linked issues can be used to track dependencies between issues and to visualize the overall relationships between issues.

The following are the out-of-the-box issue associations in Jira:

• Blocks/is blocked by: This association is used to show that one issue blocks another issue. For example, if an issue is waiting for the completion of another issue, you can use the blocks association to show the relationship.
• Clones/is cloned by: This association is used to show that one issue is a clone of another issue. For example, if you create a new issue that is based on an existing issue, you can use the clones association to show the relationship.
• Duplicates/is duplicated by: This association is used to show that one issue is a duplicate of another issue. For example, if you create a new issue that is essentially the same as an existing issue, you can use the duplicates association to show the relationship.
• Relates to: This association is used to show that one issue is related to another issue in some way. For example, if two issues are part of the same project, you can use the relates to association to show the relationship.

Create and Work with Issues

To create an issue in Jira, you can use the “Create Issue” button in the top navigation bar.

• You will need to select the issue type, enter a summary and description, and set the status, priority, and assignee.
• Once you have created an issue, you can work with it by editing the fields, adding attachments, and leaving comments.
• You can also move the issue through the workflow by transitioning it to different statuses.

Jira issues are a powerful tool for tracking work and managing projects. By understanding the different aspects of Jira issues, you can use them to improve your team’s productivity and efficiency.

Steps to Create Issues

1. Create a new JIRA issue for each bug or defect you find.

2. The issue should include the following information:

• A brief description of the bug or defect.
• The steps to reproduce the bug or defect.
• The expected results.
• The actual results.
• The severity of the bug or defect.

3. Assign the issue to the appropriate developer or tester.

4. Track the progress of the issue until it is resolved.

5. Once the issue is resolved, close the JIRA issue.

Process to Work with Issues

The following is a general process for using JIRA issues for software testing:

1. Create a new JIRA issue for each bug or defect you find.
2. Assign the issue to the appropriate developer or tester.
3. Track the progress of the issue until it is resolved.
4. Once the issue is resolved, close the JIRA issue.

Conclusion

JIRA issues can be a valuable tool for software testing. They can help you track bugs, defects, and other issues in your software development process. By using JIRA issues, you can identify and prioritize defects, communicate with your team, and track the progress of your testing.