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bug-tracking

What is your definition of a 'Component' in a software Product?


We are working on standardizing our Bugzilla application across all projects. The default installation has bugs grouped into Products which have Components and Versions.

We are united in our definitions of Product and Version but there is still some confusion/discussion/argument about what constitutes a Component.

How would you define a Component as far as it relates to classifying bugs in a project?


Solution

  • For bug tracking purposes, I would use Component to represent high-level areas that different developers tend to handle. For me, Component [in bug tracking] == Area of Concern.

    For example, for a fictional EventPlanner application, I would list my components as:

    • Calendar
    • User Interface
    • Printing

    Note that this may be different than what I, as a developer, would typically consider a software component. For example, my EventPlanner app might have use Calendar API, but "User Interface" and "Printing" themselves are not software components.