How to report on bugs in software

This is a brief guide on things you should mention when reporting a problem with a piece of software. If you mention these things, it should be much easier for a programmer to efficiently track down an error in the software.

Exactly what was the problem?

Exactly where did the problem happen?

A good description of what section of the program you were in helps narrow down the possibilities.

Write down everything you remember about what you were doing when the error happened.

Some errors only occur under very special circumstances, so you should describe thoroughly the steps leading up to the error.

Can you repeat the error or is it inconsistent?

Try the same steps a second time and see if the computer has the same problem.