• From: 127.0.0.1
  • Registered: 2001-11-02
  • Posts: 9,167

Topic: Web based bug tracker

Why am I developing a discussion board when there is clearly a much larger need for a decent bug tracker? I've just spent the last few hours looking for a bug tracker to use for PunBB, and I'm telling you, they're ALL crap. The two least useless ones I've found so far are Bugzilla and Mantis, but calling them good is stretching it.

If you by any chance know of a good bug tracker, please let my know! At this stage, I'm even willing to spend a few dollars on it. How difficult can it be? Jesus!

"Programming is like sex: one mistake and you have to support it for the rest of your life."

Rickard's Website

  • From: Gothenburg, Sweden
  • Registered: 2002-07-03
  • Posts: 946

Re: Web based bug tracker

Rickard wrote:

Why am I developing a discussion board when there is clearly a much larger need for a decent bug tracker? I've just spent the last few hours looking for a bug tracker to use for PunBB, and I'm telling you, they're ALL crap. The two least useless ones I've found so far are Bugzilla and Mantis, but calling them good is stretching it.

Maybe the same feeling as when you started creating PunBB :D The search-and-find-crap-scenario is somehow familiar :)

What's the problem with the ones you find? (Maybe I'll get a new project :P)

  • From: 127.0.0.1
  • Registered: 2001-11-02
  • Posts: 9,167

Re: Web based bug tracker

The most obvious flaw in 95% of them is that they look like crap. It's one thing if the bug tracker is going to be used only internally, but I want something that everyone will have access to.

The phpBB team have used phpBugTracker and their setup looks great, but they must have put in a lot of time modifying it. Compare it to the original install and you'll see what I mean.

Edit: Just had a look at phpBugTracker. I guess it's OK, but not more. One thing that strikes me as odd is that I see lots of editable form fields and a submit button when viewing a bug, even though I'm just viewing it as a guest. That's really bad usability.

Why can't there be a bug tracker that looks like this?

"Programming is like sex: one mistake and you have to support it for the rest of your life."

Rickard's Website

  • From: 127.0.0.1
  • Registered: 2001-11-02
  • Posts: 9,167

Re: Web based bug tracker

I just tried installning phpBugTracker, but the latest "stable" release 0.9.1 doesn't install at all (I'm guessing it requires register_globals) and 1.0rc4 spits out a number of errors when I click the install button. *sigh*

"Programming is like sex: one mistake and you have to support it for the rest of your life."

Rickard's Website

5 Reply by Paul

  • Paul
  • Senior Member
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  • From: Wales, UK.
  • Registered: 2003-08-13
  • Posts: 3,089

Re: Web based bug tracker

How difficult can a simple bug tracker be. A few database fields

- Date of report
- Auto assigned id number
- Text description of bug
- short keyword description of bug
- Name of reporter
- Current status of repair (or not)
- Comments by other contributors
- File that bug affect if known

A table to display the above and a form to add/edit with a search widget of some kind.

  • From: 127.0.0.1
  • Registered: 2001-11-02
  • Posts: 9,167

Re: Web based bug tracker

- Users/roles/permissions
- E-mail notifications
- Statistics
- Relations between entries

There's probably more functionality you would want. Still, I agree with you. It shouldn't be all that difficult. If only I had the time :)

"Programming is like sex: one mistake and you have to support it for the rest of your life."

Rickard's Website

7 Reply by Paul

  • Paul
  • Senior Member
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  • From: Wales, UK.
  • Registered: 2003-08-13
  • Posts: 3,089

Re: Web based bug tracker

You mean time to write a bug tracker to track the bugs in the script you really want to work on.

8 Reply by hcgtv

  • hcgtv
  • hcgtv
  • Senior Member
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  • From: Charlotte, NC
  • Registered: 2004-06-25
  • Posts: 1,991

Re: Web based bug tracker

But in writing the bug tracker, how do you keep track of the bugs?

PHPCrossRef . TXP Make . TXP Themes . TXP Tags . TXP Planet . We Love TXP

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  • Smartys
  • Former PunBB Developer
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2004-04-30
  • Posts: 7,844

Re: Web based bug tracker

A forum! tongue

  • From: Gothenburg, Sweden
  • Registered: 2002-07-03
  • Posts: 946

Re: Web based bug tracker

Smartys wrote:

A forum! :P

What an excellent idea! :D

Rickard wrote:

There's probably more functionality you would want. Still, I agree with you. It shouldn't be all that difficult. If only I had the time :)

I might got the time... don't have any ongoing project at the moment. Though, it's not gonna be a big advanced tracker, but I don't think that's needed either :)

  • From: 127.0.0.1
  • Registered: 2001-11-02
  • Posts: 9,167

Re: Web based bug tracker

Chacmool wrote:

I might got the time... don't have any ongoing project at the moment. Though, it's not gonna be a big advanced tracker, but I don't think that's needed either :)

Sounds like a good idea :)

"Programming is like sex: one mistake and you have to support it for the rest of your life."

Rickard's Website

12 Reply by Andy

  • Andy
  • PunBB Donor
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  • From: UK
  • Registered: 2003-08-23
  • Posts: 338

Re: Web based bug tracker

Use Mantis! I have installed it and used it numerous times, it doesn't look that bad and has good functionality.

13 Reply by Paul

  • Paul
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  • From: Wales, UK.
  • Registered: 2003-08-13
  • Posts: 3,089

Re: Web based bug tracker

Rickard wrote:
Chacmool wrote:

I might got the time... don't have any ongoing project at the moment. Though, it's not gonna be a big advanced tracker, but I don't think that's needed either smile

Sounds like a good idea smile

Sounds like an excellent idea. Most of the bug trackers around seem geared towards large projects. I don't even see the need for a bug tracker to handle multiple projects, if its a small enough app just install a fresh copy for each project.

  • From: 127.0.0.1
  • Registered: 2001-11-02
  • Posts: 9,167

Re: Web based bug tracker

I forgot something in my addition to Paul's list, different versions of the product.

"Programming is like sex: one mistake and you have to support it for the rest of your life."

Rickard's Website

15 Reply by zaher (edited by zaher 2004-09-27 17:34)

  • zaher
  • Senior Member
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  • From: Syria, Damascus
  • Registered: 2004-02-16
  • Posts: 773

Re: Web based bug tracker

that is my previous ask in http://punbb.org/forums/viewtopic.php?id=4566

we need "Project Manager" for track downloads and descript it,
and related with Bug tracker for report a bug on a project, i have time to build one (i need it in my companty-when i work), but i am waiting to (Understand punbb 1.2) tongue , i am new with XHML.

Mantis is good but, it's code not good for Mods.

If your people come crazy, you will not need to your mind any more.

16 Reply by Paul

  • Paul
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  • From: Wales, UK.
  • Registered: 2003-08-13
  • Posts: 3,089

Re: Web based bug tracker

The interface of Mantis is also something of a dogs breakfast.

17 Reply by ShayneB

  • ShayneB
  • Guest

Re: Web based bug tracker

My company uses Eventum (the tracker that MySQL uses), however it does require some time to config.  THe problem is that a PunBB style bug tracker (lite, low features) doesnt really exist...i suppose FlySpray (but its crap).

18 Reply by ShayneB

  • ShayneB
  • Guest

Re: Web based bug tracker

http://dev.mysql.com/downloads/other/eventum/

http://dev.mysql.com/downloads/other/ev … shots.html

  • From: 127.0.0.1
  • Registered: 2001-11-02
  • Posts: 9,167

Re: Web based bug tracker

ShayneB: It looks quite promising. I think I'll have a closer look.

Edit: Typo :)

"Programming is like sex: one mistake and you have to support it for the rest of your life."

Rickard's Website

20 Reply by Paul

  • Paul
  • Senior Member
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  • From: Wales, UK.
  • Registered: 2003-08-13
  • Posts: 3,089

Re: Web based bug tracker

That looks better. I can even follow whats going on from the screenshots which is always a good sign.

You would think the members at TFI might have some idea about bugtrackers.

  • From: 127.0.0.1
  • Registered: 2001-11-02
  • Posts: 9,167

Re: Web based bug tracker

Sigh. Eventum uses jpgraph which doesn't work under PHP5 :(

"Programming is like sex: one mistake and you have to support it for the rest of your life."

Rickard's Website

22 Reply by ShayneB

  • ShayneB
  • Guest

Re: Web based bug tracker

Uhh...sure it does.  1.17 added support for php5

  • From: 127.0.0.1
  • Registered: 2001-11-02
  • Posts: 9,167

Re: Web based bug tracker

Well, it sure doesn't work here. I get an error about it using the new operater in a deprecated way (or something). Can't remember the exact error message.

"Programming is like sex: one mistake and you have to support it for the rest of your life."

Rickard's Website

24 Reply by ShayneB

  • ShayneB
  • Guest

Re: Web based bug tracker

Well..that sucks smile  Ive yet to touch php5, so i dont know from experiance.  Oh well, tried to help smile

  • From: 127.0.0.1
  • Registered: 2001-11-02
  • Posts: 9,167

Re: Web based bug tracker

And thank you for that. I'll probably get it to work.

Here's the error BTW: http://punbb.org/stuff/jpgraph.png

"Programming is like sex: one mistake and you have to support it for the rest of your life."

Rickard's Website