[S] Error reports

[GanonZD]

I mentioned this suggestion in another topic, but I think it is worth its own topic: Could we make an error report system on AAO? That is, the player should have a "Report" button where you can send frame number and state (value of variables etc.) to the author of the trial (using a PM or something similar). It would be much easier to report small errors, like typos, this way, and knowing the state and position exactly makes it easier to locate bugs as well. Possibly, we could also have an option to send the report to Unas instead, if it is a bug in the player itself you are reporting. In order to prevent spam, we might require that users be logged in to report.

An alternative, but related suggestion (mentioned here) is to have a button that prints the mentioned data in plain text format. This data can then be included in error reports to the author or to Unas at this forum.

[Enthalpy]

Opposed as confusing the forums and player, too abusable, and a bad time investment.

You'd also need the user to write a few sentences explaining the problem, which naturally suggests a forum-based solution, not a player-based solution that also requires adding new features to the forums. The forums are also a better solution, because it allows non-authors to look at the report as well, and perhaps help the user if they find that it isn't a bug at all.

I don't even want to imagine how often this system might be used for hint requests instead...

With the save system, showing the author/AAO-developers the gamestate of a bug is already a solved problem. The one benefit of this system is that it makes bug reporting marginally easier for people who either don't want to take the time to deliver a full report through existing channels, or who haven't realized that you can use a save to show a bug. In other words, people who are more likely to give confusing bug reports in the first place. That's not enough to make this worthwhile, especially when weighed against the fact that this method bypasses non-authors who could look into the report.

Given the recent uptick in the number of suggestions, an idea that would take a while to code, wouldn't add much, and actually costs us something is the last thing we need.

[GanonZD]

I must admit, I hadn't thought about using the save feature to accomplish it. I hope those who discover errors will.

[Unas]

Actually, the possibility to send error reports, with a save automatically attached, is not bad.
But as Enth said, I would not leave it at the player's control : I expect that users would report anything and it would be most annoying for authors. However, what might be possible would be to detect times when the player hangs (basically using window.onerror to catch unexpected exceptions), and open an interface to write an comment for the error report to be sent.
It might even be able to send the error report to different people according to the type of error : 0-frame redirection to the trial author, other unexpected exceptions to the Bug reports forum or something.

As for it being forum-based, that's not really an issue. The AAO apps are integrated with the forum after all : all of AAO's php pages include the forum's basic libraries for user management and so on, so it's perfectly possible to make it so that the editor actually sends a PM. Or it should be possible and even simpler to have it redirect the player to the PM form prefilled with the information, or something.


But really, for typos I don't think it's worth it.