[Pnet-developers] Procedures for bug reporting

[Rhys Weatherley]

Since there has been so much time wasted on debating closed bugs, perhaps it 
is time to formalize the bug reporting procedures.

Let me make it clear first, that these procedures are not proposals to be  
debated - they are the way it will be done.  In other words, "my project, my 
rules, and these are the rules".

Rule #1: All bugs will end up in the Closed state - no bug will be left open 
indefinitely just to salve someone's ego.

Rule #2: Rhys is the final arbiter of design decisions.

Rule #3: If you submit a bug to the bug database, then the natural assumption 
is that you expect someone other than yourself to address the issue.  Bugs 
that you wish to fix yourself should be entered into the Patch Manager, with 
a working patch.

Rule #4: If Gopal or Rhys decides that a bug is unimportant for some reason, 
then the reasons why will be entered on the bug and it will be left open for 
a period of no more than one week.  If no further information has been 
supplied in that time, the bug will be closed.  Also, see Rule #2.

Rule #5: Rule #4 doesn't apply to bugs that are obviously invalid - e.g. 
duplicates, wrong pnet version used to test, odd behaviour that is consistent 
with other implementations.

Rule #6: Disagreeing with a decision is fine, as long as you back it up with 
working code.  A promise to look into an issue is not working code.

Rule #7: A bug that has been fixed cannot be re-opened unless a new test case 
is provided that demonstrates the same bug in a new situation.  If fixing a 
bug causes another to manifest, because it was previously blocked by the 
first, then a new bug must be raised.

Rule #8: Re-opening the same bug because you didn't like the fact that the 
first instance was closed is never acceptable under any circumstances.

Cheers,

Rhys.