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I found error that occurs due to another error. If first error will be fixed, I can't reproduce second. Developers are going to fix both of them simultaneously. Should I create two bug reports for two of them or discribe second error as a consequence of first in single test report? And how best to check it after?

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It depends

Depending on the exact nature of the two errors and your software, you can either report the second error (error 2) as an outcome in your report of the first error (error 1) or as a separate bug report.

Some circumstances are:

  • There is no chance the first error will be deployed as a known issue - In this situation, where you know that the problem which causes your second (dependent) issue is not going to be released in any circumstances, you are safe merely mentioning error 2 as a cascading consequence of error 1.
  • There is no way error 2 can occur without error 1 being present - If there is no way to reproduce error 2 without error 1 occurring first, it is safe to mention error 2 as a consequence of error 1.
  • Error 2 has a higher fix priority than Error 1 - if error 1 is seen as a minor problem and error 2 as a major one, it's possible that error 2 is likely to be fixed first. In this case, you definitely want to create two bug reports, and link them with the information that error 2 can occur as a consequence of error 1.
  • Error 1 is likely to be released - It's a sad fact that bugs are released and (hopefully) documented as known issues when this happens. If error 1 is likely to be released, error 2 needs to be documented as a separate issue and also flagged as a known issue when the software is released. Once again, error 2 should be documented as a consequence of error 1.

Regardless of whether you document 2 bugs or one, you should definitely report the second either as an outcome if you document as one bug, or as a second, linked bug if you create 2.

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    +1. I would add "Error 1 will cause many Error 2's". As a developer it can be quite frustrating when you tell people "X is a known issue and we're working on it", but someone still enters 10 bug reports where nothing else works because they're trying to use X.
    – c32hedge
    May 7, 2018 at 13:59
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I would recommend to document both the errors. Devs might be mistaken otherwise there would no bugs be existing. It might turn out that the actual root cause is different so having both the problematic behaviors described would minimize the risk of missing the fixes.

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In addition to what Alexey suggested, there is surely a way to link those two bug reports together. Connect those two error reports together in the comment section at least.

It is not uncommon for bug reports that are interconnected to each other.

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You should report the first and second errors in two different issues - but provide an explanation that the second error occurs due to first error. And also link the first error in the second issue, and vice-versa.

During your testing, this helps you to test both the issues either way.

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This is a classic "Ask your manager" situation. Some places will want you to do it one way, some another. There are advantages of doing it each way, but things like this are as much a question of policy as to what is the "right thing" to do.

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Separate issues need to be reported for an error that has occurred due to another error.

This would also helps in tracking the same and Flagging the issue to the related parties.

Example: Error A displayed when user log's in to the Application. After clicking 'OK' button on the Error A another error pops up with some code.

So both the issues needs to be reported separately and moreover this approach is also being widely followed by top software testing companies.

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