Bika users log and track, escalate issues in web-based trackers, speeding up resolution via e-mailed alerts and the co-operation of Bika team and community members. The trackers keep all related information together and a searchable knowledge base is steadily built up

General items are discussed by Bika community members on trackers for Bugs and Feature requests hosted by SourceForge.net. Bika lab systems' clients may select to log support and feature requests, bugs in private at http://support.bikalabs.com/ under their support contracts

Provide as much information possible

Programmers cannot do much if only being told 'the system is not working' - it is important to log issues in as much details possible, attach screenshots and examples and provide page addresses (URLs) where the issue was picked up

How to log an issue at the Bika community trackers

1. Navigate to Bugs or Features
   
   Bugs are for system errors
   Features for customisations or new functionality required
2. Log in. Anonymous visitors may browse the trackers but not submit new items. If you don't have one already, create a SourceForge account by following the [Create account] link at the very top right of the page
3. Click [Submit New] - the SourceForge screens are busy, [Submit New] is at left just below the horizontal row of tabs
4. Optionally:
   Select a |Category| from the drop-down menu
   Select a |Group| from the drop-down menu
   Assign the issue to a project member from the |Assign to| drop down
5. Select a value 1 - 10 from the |Priority| drop-down menu
   It is advisable not to use the highest priority unless absolutely necessary, that removes the opportunity to escalate the issue at a later stage
   
6. Complete the Summary field with short meaningful title from which the scope of the issue could be immediately grasped.
   Try to think how you would identify the item on a list amongst other issues
   
7. In the Detailed Description field, provide as much information possible about the issue
   
   If it is a bug, what function the user was doing when it occurred
   Always copy and paste the address of the page at which the error occurred
   Always copy and paste any error messages
   Try saving the page as html and attach it to the issue
   Save and attach a screen shot for further clarity
8. Saving screenshots and files
   html
   From the browser's |File| menu, select Save page as ...
   In the File type field, select Web page, html only
   Save to a convenient folder from where the file can be attached to the item in the issue tracker
   
   screenshot
   
   In Windows, any display can be copied with the Printscreen function to the clipboard, from where the image can be saved. The keyboard combination [alt]+[PrtSc] captures the current display
   Open a new image in your graphics program of choice, paste the screenshot from the clipboard and save the image as a jpeg (.jpg). MS Paint under Accessories in the Program menu is Windows' default graphics program
   Save to a convenient folder from where the file can be attached to the item in issue tracker
9. Attach the screenshot or file
   Click [Browse] next to the File field to find the file to be attached, select it
   If a second file needs to be attached, please do so in a subsequent submission to the same issue
10. You may want to add a File Description
11. Click [Submit]

How to log an issue at Support.bikalabs.com

1. Navigate to http://support.bikalabs.com/ and log in with the username ans password provided
2. Click [Create New]
   
3. Complete the Title field with short meaningful text from which the scope of the issue could be immediately grasped.
   Try to think how you would identify the item on a list amongst other issues
   
4. Select bug, feature or support from the |Issue type| drop-down menu
   
   Bugs are for system errors
   Features for customisations or new functionality require
   Support for general help with using the system
5. Select low, normal, high or highest from the |Priority| drop-down menu
   It is advisable not to use highest unless absolutely necessary, that removes the opportunity to escalate the issue at a later stage. Urgent issues are phoned through to the Bika helpdesk
6. Leave the status set at no selection - the status will be used to indicate progress during the resolution process
   
7. Superseder is usually left blank too - select a previously logged issue from [list] if the new issue indeed branches from that
8. In the Change note field, provide as much information possible about the issue
   
   If it is a bug, what function the user was doing when it occurred
   Always copy and paste the address of the page at which the error occurred
   Always copy and paste any error messages
   Try saving the page as html and attach it to the issue
   Save and attach a screen shot for further clarity
9. Saving screenshots and files
   html
   From the browser's |File| menu, select Save page as ...
   In the File type field, select Web page, html only
   Save to a convenient folder from where the file can be attached to the item in the issue tracker
   
   screenshot
   
   In Windows, any display can be copied with the Printscreen function to the clipboard, from where the image can be saved. The keyboard combination [alt]+[PrtSc] captures the current display
   Open a new image in your graphics program of choice, paste the screenshot from the clipboard and save the image as a jpeg (.jpg). MS Paint under Accessories in the Program menu is Windows' default graphics program
   Save to a convenient folder from where the file can be attached to the item in issue tracker
10. Attach the screenshot or file
    Click [Browse] next to the File field to find the file to be attached, select it
    If a second file needs to be attached, please do so in a subsequent submission to the same issue
11. Click [Submit new entry]
    

How to track and escalate issues

Issues can be re-visited and edited and added to at any later stage. Browse to the issue from the lists at the tracker's home page. Status changes will indicate progress and captured dialogue shown chronologically. All new posts to the issue will be e-mailed to the submitter and the Bika support team

If an issue becomes more urgent, the submitter may escalate its priority from its drop-down menu. All support team members are notified by e-mail of the escalation

How to close issues

Only the submitter of an issue may close it upon final resolution. Change to the final status on the |Status| drop-down. The issue will no longer be listed as open

Bika Users and Developer's mailing lists

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