Bug Report Tutorial

eyerobot

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Bug Report Tutorial + Truice V2.0

When creating a new bug report, It is important to have a format that is easy for the developers to read, So that they can scan the list quickly, And organize them accordingly.

Bug reports should be submitted in the Cataclysm bug reports forum listed on the main forum page if your working on cataclysm, Otherwise use the appropriate forum for other versions of the game.

A useful tool for viewing your database can be found here. Truice V2.0 https://www.dropbox.com/s/thfwqcbxd3vtw76/Truice_v2.0.0.zip?dl=0
Do not use the execute button in truice, It can damage your database. In the Truice settings, Set the program to only create update queries. Then you can change something, Click the script tab, And that's where you will find the new update query to use in Heidsql, Or to post here on the forums.

Let's begin with the Title of your new thread.

First, List it as a bug. Such as if a quest is bugged. Or list it as a missing npc or gameobject, Or whatever kind of problem it is.
Second, List wether it is about a quest, Or something else.
Third, list the name of whatever is broken, Wether it's a quest name, object name ect.
Fourth, list the version of the server that this report is from.

So a typical broken quest report Title is.
Bug Quest A broken spear 7.02

A missing npc Title is.
Missing Npc Doug Mckensie Goldshire 7.02 - Notice that i add the location for missing things, To make things easier for the devs to verify.

It's as simple as that, And is very easy to read what and where it's about in most cases.

Now for the message body itself.

It is very important that you do not combine bug reports into one long post. It makes it impossible for other testers, And the devs, To search the forums for a particular problem. Say that you made a bug report list for azshara, And placed it all in one long post. The next day i search the forums to see if anyone reported the broken rocketway in azshara. My search will usually show nothing, Even though it's in your list. And then i will roll right over top of all of your work posting new single topics of each bug in azshara.
But if it was listed properly, I would have immediately been informed that there is a preexisting post on the subject, And i could then either add to it, Or skip it entirely.

The golden rule - Always use this form to report bugs, Although for missing npc's and objects, It may need some editing.
http://www.emucoach.com/showthread.php?211-Bug-Report-FORM-MUST-USE

[Name, Type] Gurthalak, Voice of the Deeps, Item
[What it does] It summons the Tentacle of the Old Ones and the tentacle uses melee combat.
[What it should do] The tentacle should use the spell Mind Flay

This is the standard form listed on that thread, Copy and paste it into your bug report.
Highlight and overwrite non pertinent data.

An example would be the rocketway raceway in azshara.
[Name, Type]Azshara, Rocketway Raceway. Transport
[What it does] Nothing, The npc's won't talk to you. So it is unusable.
[What it should do] Speaking to the npc should allow me to choose a destination, And then it transports me there across the raceway.

It should be noted that including the quest id number in your post can be very helpful. Especially when there is more than one quest with the same name, Such as Twilight skies in azshara. There are two of them. And the id number should be used to identify the proper quests.

And when that is completed offer a link or two that shows information about the quest, object, npc, flight path, Whatever your report is about.

http://www.wowhead.com/quest=29146/ridin-the-rocketway
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEbpXjrPg7U&ytbChannel=WoW Quests - For youtube it is important to add wow to the end of your search subject, Such as Ridin' the Rocketway wow. This makes it easier to find.

Now that is a complete bug report. And can be submitted.

But what if you have the location of a missing npc, Or gameobject in your database that pertains to this quest, And you want to submit that too?
First use # button above. This opens up the code enclosures, Where you will submit your sql query. This gives that piece of code a little window of it's own once this thread is posted.

An example is
Code:
This is how your code will look.

So you manually placed an npc, And you want to find it in your database, But don't know how?
Using Heidisql you would run a query such as this.
Code:
SELECT * FROM `creature` WHERE `id`='48568';
The results of this query will be shown beneath the query box itself in list format.
Locate the data line that pertains to your npc, right click the left edge of it.
Choose export grid rows.
Make sure the three options are clipboard,SQL Replace, And Selection. This will give you only the single line of data that you right clicked in your results, And copy them to the clipboard.

Now, Go back to your bug report page, Between the code tags that you created, You need to past what is in your clipboard memory. Either right click, Or control V to paste. And there it is, Written in perfect sql code.

Submit your report, And your fix and you are done. If your bug report includes a fix, Then you may want to add Fix to the end of your title.

Also it should be noted that this sql query post here can be modified for any data table, Just look at the structure of a particular table, And decide which columns information should be used to find a certain thing. And then change it.
In Heidisql you can save these queries as snippets, And over time create your own list of useful queries.

Code:
SELECT * FROM `gameobject` WHERE `id`='27884';

another useful tool for looking at your database is Truice v2.0. https://www.dropbox.com/s/thfwqcbxd3vtw76/Truice_v2.0.0.zip?dl=0
DO NOT ATTEMPT TO USE TRUICE AS A TOOL. It will damage your database. It is only useful for seeing your data in a graphical manner.
 
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Mr. Satan

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Didn't see this post until now, but thanks for posting it, it will be very useful

Stickied the post, so hopefully more people will see it.
 
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