Observations

Observations are the main units of the Exploratory session, capturing findings, ideas, bugs, and more in a flexible format.

Searching and filtering

Users can search for observation by entering the query into the corresponding input field on the Exploratory session page. You can search using any phrase, word, or symbol from the observation description.

Below are some of the attributes that can be used for filtering:

• Author – Filter observations by the user who created them
• Created – Narrow results by creation date
• Improvement – Show only observations linked to an improvement suggestion
• Issue – Display only observations associated with a reported issue
• Observation Type – Filter by a specific observation types

Navigate to the specific observation

When an exploratory session contains a large number of observations, scrolling to find a specific one can be inconvenient. To improve efficiency, we introduced a feature that allows users to quickly navigate to a specific observation by clicking on its label in session summary section.

Creating an observation

Note

To perform this action, you must have the role of Engineer or higher

Info

This action is only available for open exploratory session.

To document an observation, users must complete the observation form, which includes the following fields:

Field	Description
Observation type	Specifies type of the observation
Elapsed time	(Optional) Time spent investigating and documenting the observation
Description	Detailed information about the observation, including findings and potential impact
Attachments	(Optional) Upload relevant files (screenshots, logs, etc.) to support the observation
Issue	(Optional) Associate the observation with an existing issue or create a new one
Improvement	(Optional) Connect the observation with an existing improvement or create a new one

Warning

One exploratory session may contain a maximum of 200 observations.

Linking an issue to an observation

Zebrunner allows you to keep a relation between observations and issues (defects) for the sake of traceability. It is possible to either link existing issues from 3rd party systems or create new ones directly from Zebrunner UI and link them automatically.

Info

This functionality requires corresponding systems to be configured and enabled in project integrations sections. More on this in the Integrations guide.

To link an observation to an existing issue, follow these steps:

1. Click the Link issue button at the bottom of the dialogue
2. Select defect tracking system from the dropdown (if you have multiple configured and enabled)
3. Search for the issue you want to link
4. Choose the issue from search results and click the Link button

Issue will be linked to the observation and issue label will appear on UI. Clicking on the label will take you to the issue page/view in the corresponding system.

Linking an improvement to an observation

Zebrunner allows you to keep a relation between observations and improvements for the sake of traceability. It is possible to either link existing improvements from 3rd party systems or create new ones (currently available for Jira only) directly from Zebrunner UI and link them automatically.

Info

This functionality requires corresponding systems to be configured and enabled in project integrations sections. More on this in the Integrations guide.

To link an observation to an existing improvement, follow these steps:

1. Click the Link improvement button at the bottom of the dialogue
2. Select defect tracking system from the dropdown (if you have multiple configured and enabled)
3. Search for the improvement you want to link
4. Choose the improvement from search results and click the Link button

Improvement will be linked to the observation and improvement label will appear on UI. Clicking on the label will take you to the issue page/view in the corresponding system.

Creating and linking a new issue/improvement

Note

This feature is currently only available for Jira.

To create and link a Jira issue to an observation, perform the following:

1. Click the Link issue/improvement button at the bottom of the dialogue
2. Click the Create a new issue/improvement button
3. Select the Jira project and issue type and fill out the required fields
4. Click the Create and link button

Issue will be linked to the result and issue label will appear on UI. Clicking on the label will take you to the issue page/view in the corresponding system.

Editing an observation

Note

To perform this action, you must have the role of Engineer or higher

Info

This action is only available for open exploratory session.

Users can modify an existing observation to update details, correct errors, or add additional information.

1. Identify the observation you wish to edit
2. Click the button next to the observation
3. Update Observation Type, Description, Attachments, Issue, or Improvement
4. Save you changes

Deleting an observation

Note

To perform this action, you must have the role of Engineer or higher

Info

This action is only available for open exploratory session.

Users can delete an existing observation by perform following steps:

1. Identify the observation you wish to delete
2. Click the button next to the observation
3. Confirm your action

You can delete several observations in bulk by performing the next steps:

1. On the Exploratory session page, select the observations you want to delete using checkboxes in the top left corner of the observations
2. Click the Delete button at the top of the observations
3. Follow the on-screen prompts to confirm the bulk action

Selecting a range of exploratory sessions

Click on the checkbox of the first exploratory session you want to select to initiate the selection. Then, hold down the Shift key and click on the last checkbox to select all exploratory sessions in the range between the first and last clicked checkboxes.