• [v19 ++] slow page generation The performance of this Mantis version is really sluggish, making it hard to use even on decent hardware. For a reference, here are saved pages with queries executed taken from our server: Attach:mantis-19-queries-firsttime.zip when viewing for the first time Δ and Attach:mantis-19-queries-loggedin.zip after logging in Δ.

• Suggestion: order items as follows: [ ], ID, Category, Priority, Severity, Summary, #, Status, [Update]. I'd suggest dropping the Updated column (Status is more important), and use "Pri" as Priority column heading ("P" is unclear).
• BTW, dropping Updated should also speed up the page generation, esp. on long bug lists, since obtaining that date needs to be done on every single bug report separately, resulting in as many queries as are the bugs listed. See Attach:mantis-19-queries-loggedin.zip pages with queries Δ (a ZIP file).

Done on versions 0.18.2 (tweaked, installed on https://jumbo.fav.zcu.cz/mantis/) and 0.19.2 (on http://www.kiv.zcu.cz/services/bugs/). The version of Mantis to which a problem applies, is indicated as [v18], [v19] or [all]; perceived severity of the problem is indicated by + to +++ tag.

* Suggestion: order items as follows: [ ], ID, Category, Priority, Severity, Summary, #, Status, [Update]. I'd suggest dropping the Updated column (Status is more important), and use "Pri" as Priority column heading ("P" is unclear). * BTW, dropping Updated should also speed up the page generation, esp. on long bug lists, since obtaining that date needs to be done on every single bug report separately, resulting in as many queries as are the bugs listed. See Attach:mantis-19-queries-loggedin.zip pages with queries Δ (a ZIP file).

• Suggestion: order items as follows: [ ], ID, Category, Priority, Severity, Summary, #, Status, [Update]. I'd suggest dropping the Updated column (Status is more important), and use "Pri" as Priority column heading ("P" is unclear). (BTW, dropping Updated should also speed up the page generation, esp. on long bug lists, since obtaining that date needs to be done on every single bug report separately, resulting in as many queries as are the bugs listed.)

• Suggestion: subdue borders and link underlines where they are functional, remove where not (e.g. main menu, end-page parts of the View Bug page), use simple list-based design instead of tables in View Bug page details part, use a palette of similar color hues.

Summary: Flyspray has it right :)

• [v18 ++] bug summary hard to find The most important piece of information for a BT system is not emphasized and is put to the right of (which is most often interpreted as "behind in importance") items like category and # of notes which are less important.
  • Suggestion: order items as follows: [ ], ID, Category, Priority, Severity, Summary, #, Status, [Update]. I'd suggest dropping the Updated column (Status is more important), and use "Pri" as Priority column heading ("P" is unclear).

• Suggestion: set max-width for page, or better restructure bug list so that the problem does not occur

Summary: Flyspray has it right :)

• [all +++] page top cluttered The top part of issue simple details table (from ID down to Status/Product Version in 0.19) is tall, scattered, hard to scan for information. Especially the important Severity, Status, Assigned to, Summary and Description fields are hard to find.
  • Suggestion: Put category, severity, priority, status, assigned to+last update together in a prominent place. Put reporter+date submitted, view status, etc. under these, subdued. Emphasize summary and description block. Look at Flyspray bug page design ;-)
• [all ++] page bottom cluttered by boxes Below the Update issue etc buttons, lines and boxes have turned loose.
  • Suggestion: The Relationships and Monitoring users boxes don't actually need the borders, they can be formatted as simple list. The Upload file box should be merged with Attached files line. The Add note box should be merged with the Notes part. Look at Flyspray bug page design ;-)

• Suggestion: (1) reduce the simple view to basic facts on the bug report only (summary, description, status+priority, assigned to). (2) format it in a simple way, emphasizing summary and status.

• Attach:mantis-18-summary.png version 0.18 Δ
• Attach:mantis-19-summary.png version 0.19 Δ

• [v18 +] page too wide When the Categories names are long, the page width is unwieldy (see Attach:mantis-18-widepage.png snapshot Δ)
  • Suggestion: set max-width for page, or better restructure bug list so that the problem does not matter

• [all ++] bug IDs? hard to read The leading zeroes in bug IDs? should be stripped off, since they make the IDs? hard to read. They are a nice example of information noise, btw :-)

• [all +++] too many borders and boxes Pages tend to be really cluttered and noisy - all those (table) borders, mosaics of different cell backgrounds, etc create a lot of visual noise. In the end, these separator elements are countereffective, making information harder to find.
  • Suggestion: subdue borders and link underlines where they are functional, remove where not (e.g. main menu, end-page parts of the View Bug page), use simple list-based design instead of tables in View Bug page details part.

Summary page

Reference screenshots:

• TBD

Problems

• [all ++] page cluttered The layout of the page makes it hard to find specific information, since the individual report boxes are just stacked upon each other without any hierarchical ordering.
  • Suggestion: Level one improvement: group the boxes into regions "Bug stats", "Reporter/Developer stats", and try to merge boxes that logically hang together (status+severity, resolution+priority, by date + time stats). Level two improvement: split the page into several pages (along the lines of e.g. My Account) leaving only most vital stats (I'd suggest status, category) on the Summary front page.

General

Problems

• [all] bug IDs? hard to read The leading zeroes in bug IDs? should be stripped off, since they make the IDs? hard to read. They are a nice example of information noise, btw :-)
  • Suggestion: obvious

• [all +++] simple view same as advanced There is apparently very little difference between the simple and advanced views of a bugreport. Most importantly, these two views do not differ in complexity -- the advanced basically only adds the platform, steps-to-reproduce etc fields. There is no added value in the advanced view report, or - worse - the simple view is not simple. (Version 0.19 is a little better - simple view is simpler - than 0.18)

Problems

• [all +++] simple view same as advanced There is apparently very little difference between the simple and advanced views of a bugreport. Most importantly, these two views do not differ in complexity -- the advanced basically only adds the platform, steps-to-reproduce etc fields. There is no added value in the advanced view report, or - worse - the simple view is not simple.
  • Solution: (1) reduce the simple view to basic facts on the bug report only (summary, description, status+priority, assigned to). (2) format it in a simple way, emphasizing summary and status.

Bug view page

Reference screenshots:

• Attach:mantis-18-bugview-simple.png version 0.18 simple Δ and Attach:mantis-18-bugview-advanced.png advanaced Δ
• Attach:mantis-19-bugview-simple.png version 0.19 simple Δ and Attach:mantis-19-bugview-advanced.png advanced Δ

I'll add edited versions of these suggestions to the above list of problems.

You may add your own findings WRT Mantis usability here. Just hit "Edit Page" at the complete bottom of this page, enter any username and the word edit for password, and please write only below, not above this text. To save an edited text, you'll have to also write your name into the Author field just below page text editing area.

Place for reporting your findings

You may add your own findings WRT Mantis usability here. Just hit "Edit Page" at the complete bottom of this page, enter any username and the word edit for password, and please write only below, not above this text.

Done on versions 0.18.2 (tweaked, installed on http://jumbo.fav.zcu.cz/mantis/) and 0.19.2 (on http://www.kiv.zcu.cz/services/bugs/). The version of Mantis to which a problem applies, is indicated as [v18], [v19] or [all]; perceived severity of the problem is indicated by + to +++ tag.

• [v19 +++] bug list page overloaded
• [v18 ++] bug summary hard to find The most important piece of information for a BT system is not emphasized and is put to the right of (which is most often interpreted as "behind in importance") less important items like category and # of notes.

• [all +++] bug summary not clickable The most obvious way to click-open a bugreport does not work; instead, obscure bug ID has to be clicked.
  • Suggesion: obvious
• [v19 ++] filter section too complex
  • Suggestion: by default, have only a single line with stored filters dropdown, let the user click-open the whole section on demand only

Place for your comments

• [v18] bug summary hard to find. The most important piece of information for a BT system is not emphasized and is put to the right of (which is most often interpreted as "behind in importance") less important items like category and # of notes.

• [v19] bug list page overloaded.
• [v19] filter section is too complex.

A critical review of usability of the "Mantis bug-tracking tool":http://www.mantisbt.org/ , based on my several-year experience and prompted by the apparent simplicity of "Flyspray":http://flyspray.rocks.cc/bts/ (at least a first-sight simplicity).

Done on versions 0.18.2 (tweaked, installed on http://jumbo.fav.zcu.cz/mantis/) and 0.19.2 (on http://www.kiv.zcu.cz/services/bugs/). The version of Mantis to which a problem applies, is indicated as [v18], [v19] or [all].

The version of Mantis to which a problem applies, is indicated as [v18], [v19] or [all].

Bug list page

Reference screenshots:

• Attach:mantis-18-buglist.png version 0.18 Δ
• Attach:mantis-19-buglist.png version 0.19 Δ

Problems

• [v18] bug summary - the most important piece of information for a BT system - is not emphasized and is put to the right of (which is most often interpreted as "behind in importance") less important items like category and # of notes.
  • Suggestion: order items as follows: TBD
• [v19] filter section is too complex.
  • Suggestion: by default, have only a single line with stored filters dropdown, let the user click-open the whole section on demand only

Bug list page (Attach:mantis-18-buglist.png reference screenshot Δ)

A critical review of usability of the "Mantis bug-tracking tool":http://www.mantisbt.org/ , based on my several-year experience and done on versions 0.18.2 (tweaked, installed on http://jumbo.fav.zcu.cz/mantis/) and 0.19.2 (on http://www.kiv.zcu.cz/services/bugs/).

Bug list page

• bug summary - the most important piece of information for a BT system - is not emphasized and is put to the right of (which is most often interpreted as "behind in importance") less important items like category and # of notes

Mantis Usability Review

A critical review of usability of the "Mantis bug-tracking tool":http://www.mantisbt.org/ , based on my several-year experience.

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