Dealing with Bugs
*****************

Python is a mature programming language which has established a
reputation for stability.  In order to maintain this reputation, the
developers would like to know of any deficiencies you find in Python.

It can be sometimes faster to fix bugs yourself and contribute patches
to Python as it streamlines the process and involves less people.
Learn how to contribute.


Documentation bugs
==================

If you find a bug in this documentation or would like to propose an
improvement, please submit a bug report on the tracker.  If you have a
suggestion on how to fix it, include that as well.

You can also open a discussion item on our Documentation Discourse
forum.

If you’re short on time, you can also email documentation bug reports
to docs@python.org (behavioral bugs can be sent to python-
list@python.org). ‘docs@’ is a mailing list run by volunteers; your
request will be noticed, though it may take a while to be processed.

See also:

  Documentation bugs
     A list of documentation bugs that have been submitted to the
     Python issue tracker.

  Issue Tracking
     Overview of the process involved in reporting an improvement on
     the tracker.

  Helping with Documentation
     Comprehensive guide for individuals that are interested in
     contributing to Python documentation.

  Documentation Translations
     A list of GitHub pages for documentation translation and their
     primary contacts.


Using the Python issue tracker
==============================

Issue reports for Python itself should be submitted via the GitHub
issues tracker (https://github.com/python/cpython/issues). The GitHub
issues tracker offers a web form which allows pertinent information to
be entered and submitted to the developers.

The first step in filing a report is to determine whether the problem
has already been reported.  The advantage in doing so, aside from
saving the developers’ time, is that you learn what has been done to
fix it; it may be that the problem has already been fixed for the next
release, or additional information is needed (in which case you are
welcome to provide it if you can!). To do this, search the tracker
using the search box at the top of the page.

If the problem you’re reporting is not already in the list, log in to
GitHub. If you don’t already have a GitHub account, create a new
account using the “Sign up” link. It is not possible to submit a bug
report anonymously.

Being now logged in, you can submit an issue. Click on the “New issue”
button in the top bar to report a new issue.

The submission form has two fields, “Title” and “Comment”.

For the “Title” field, enter a *very* short description of the
problem; fewer than ten words is good.

In the “Comment” field, describe the problem in detail, including what
you expected to happen and what did happen.  Be sure to include
whether any extension modules were involved, and what hardware and
software platform you were using (including version information as
appropriate).

Each issue report will be reviewed by a developer who will determine
what needs to be done to correct the problem. You will receive an
update each time an action is taken on the issue.

See also:

  How to Report Bugs Effectively
     Article which goes into some detail about how to create a useful
     bug report. This describes what kind of information is useful and
     why it is useful.

  Bug Writing Guidelines
     Information about writing a good bug report.  Some of this is
     specific to the Mozilla project, but describes general good
     practices.


Getting started contributing to Python yourself
===============================================

Beyond just reporting bugs that you find, you are also welcome to
submit patches to fix them.  You can find more information on how to
get started patching Python in the Python Developer’s Guide.  If you
have questions, the core-mentorship mailing list is a friendly place
to get answers to any and all questions pertaining to the process of
fixing issues in Python.
