Streamline and centralize issue reporting guidelines

[Jayman2000]

At the moment, there’s three different guides that explain what should be included in engine issues:

• “Filing an issue on GitHub”
• “Reporting bugs”
• Godot’s issue reporting template

In practice, I end up having “Reporting bugs” open in one browser tab, and the new issue page open in another. Those two pages don’t include all of the same information, so I end up switching between them multiple times to make sure that I’ve added all of the information.

To make the bug reporting process easier, here’s what I propose:

1. Update the issue template so that it asks for all the same information that “Filing an issue on GitHub” and “Reporting bugs” ask for.
2. Remove “Filing an issue on GitHub” and “Reporting bugs” and replace them with something that just says “Open an issue here. Be sure to follow the template!”

I’m more than happy to open pull requests if this proposal makes sense.

Edit:
I’ve opened pull requests to implement this proposal:

• Streamline and centralize bug reporting guides godot#58518
• Streamline bug reporting process godot-docs#5644

[azur-wolve]

There's a problem with templates → users really will follow them?

The current GitHUB format asks for explain non-simple things with diagrams.
Have you seen many users on the proposals repository using diagrams?

However for bugs can be a different things so..

But users tend to not complicate themselves and not to follow the guidelines.
When they see an issue they report it in the way they want, and if there's a lot of rules to follow they get bothered and just ignore them, or abort the whole process.

Not sure how doable would it be, but allow the users to make reports from the Editor (even from projects generated with Godot) could be something convenient.

[Jayman2000]

There's a problem with templates → users really will follow them?
[…]
But users tend to not complicate themselves and not to follow the guidelines.
When they see an issue they report it in the way they want, and if there's a lot of rules to follow they get bothered and just ignore them, or abort the whole process.

That’s a good point. I’d argue that this proposal would increase the chances that people follow the guidelines, but perhaps guidelines aren’t the best way to make sure that certain information gets included in bug reports. Either way, this proposal will make it easier for people who do follow the guidelines.

Not sure how doable would it be, but allow the users to make reports from the Editor (even from projects generated with Godot) could be something convenient.

It’s definitely doable. See:

• Autofill bug report godot#51090

[azur-wolve]

In general I would say that people is more inclined to collaborate on stuff like that if they are "forced" to fill text boxes instead, responding a certain question or whatever.
If those are the only on-screen, following a "Next →" progression, it even can get better.

[azur-wolve]

@Jayman2000 thanks for share;
#3063 it looks like the thing will work soon, only missing the Windows Build check.

If they do it well (and continue improving it) could suppose a growth in bug reporting, since many users surely discover bugs, but are too lazy, don't know use GitHUB or are too busy.

But if they put the way in front of them + a good documentation in the docs that shows the workflow to use it effectively could change.

[Jayman2000]

I’ve opened pull requests to implement this proposal:

• Streamline and centralize bug reporting guides godot#58518
• Streamline bug reporting process godot-docs#5644

[mhilbrunner]

FYI, the above PRs have now been merged. Do we consider that enough for this proposal? :)

[Jayman2000]

FYI, the above PRs have now been merged. Do we consider that enough for this proposal? :)

Definitely!