In Bugzilla, a Component is a subcategory within a Product that helps to further organize and classify bugs. Think of it as a way to divide a product into its different parts or modules.
Here's a breakdown of what Components are and why they're useful:
Purpose of Components:
- Granular Organization: Products can be complex with many features and functionalities. Components allow you to break down these products into smaller, more manageable units.
- Specialized Handling: Different components might be handled by different teams or individuals with specific expertise. Components help route bugs to the right people.
- Efficient Searching and Reporting: When searching for bugs or generating reports, you can filter by component to focus on specific areas of the product.
- Clearer Responsibilities: Each component can have an "owner" and a "QA contact" assigned, making it clear who is responsible for fixing bugs and ensuring their quality in that specific area.
Example:
Imagine you have a "Web Application" product in Bugzilla. You might divide it into components like:
- Frontend: For bugs related to the user interface, design, and user experience.
- Backend: For bugs related to the server-side logic, database, and APIs.
- Security: For bugs related to security vulnerabilities and exploits.
- Documentation: For bugs related to inaccurate or missing documentation.
How Components are Used:
- Bug Filing: When submitting a bug report, users select the appropriate component to indicate which part of the product the bug affects.
- Assignment: Bugs are often assigned to the owner of the relevant component.
- Filtering and Searching: You can filter bug lists and search results by component to find specific bugs.
- Reporting: Bugzilla can generate reports that show the number of bugs per component, helping to identify areas with more issues.
Key Features of Components:
- Hierarchy: Components can have sub-components, creating a hierarchical structure for even finer organization.
- Ownership: Each component can have an assigned owner who is responsible for addressing bugs in that area.
- QA Contact: A QA contact can also be assigned to a component to ensure the quality of bug fixes.
