How you call a missing requirement? Is it a bug or suggestion or an enhancement?

When I asked this question "How you call a missing requirement?  Is it a bug or suggestion or an enhancement?" at one of the social media, I got an awesome response from many testers. Different people have shared  different opinion for that question. Few says its a bug, few as a suggestion and some says is an enhancement. some apart from these categories. It is common that people have a different opinion. But I felt there are no unique answer to it. So, this make me to feel and call testing as an "Orphan baby". That's why  people have a different name like (bug, defect, error, issue) where everything comes under a category called as  a software problem. Also there are "N" number of definition to all of these though it is meant for the same thing.

What is a missing Features(module): 

Features that are missed out(not listed) in the document. It might be due to some reason

1.Like intentionally left out.

2.May not be  aware of it(not discussed)

3.Known(discussed but, forgot to document it).

When I say its a missing Features? 

When we analyse the document and when we feel that some "X" features should be added so, that it might not cause a problem to the product or it might add a value to it (if the missed features are added), etc.

Is it possible to document all the features? May be or may not. its totally depends on the  people concerned. But it gives a clear picture only when all the requirements are documented.

When the requirements are  missed and it is found in the analyse phase of SDLC. I would say it is a suggestion or an enhancement rather saying it as a bug. When the requirement are known and if it undocumented then it could be an enhancement.

For the question  which  I asked some replied as  

"How could you not have requirements missing?"

"Could ask a question".

"How do you know if is it a missing requirement and not an intentionally left out feature?"

"Pradeep, you will never have *all* requirements documented."

"I believe that if the issue is generated from a Use Case that wasn't considered, it's a "bug". If the missing requirement is something that "ought to be" in the product, its an enhancement suggestion that should be addressed prior to release."

"Ask the question orally. discuss the issue see what you come up with. Then if you believe it necessary sum it up in an email."

 "Does it really matter since "it depends" is at play here. A bug or suggest or other data is information. ET and testing are about providing information to the stakeholders."

 "I call missing requirement 'not knowing' - so, not sure if that fits in bug or suggestion."

" I think i understand what you're saying. I would personally call it as a suggestion/question in my subject header. I will bring it up with customers, development team, etc.. to see if there is another better name can be suggested!

cheers,"

 "One place I worked, we (testers, BA, developers, ...) did not call the item a "bug report", "an error report" or anything like that. We call the "software action report" (something the team needed to address). We had fields where the team could enter if was a programming error, design problem, requirements issue, and about 4 o 5 other classifications. The team could agree how to classify things. This information formed the basis for a taxonomy analysis to improve both the product under development and our testing. In general, I use taxonomies to improve my mental model of how to test, what test design approaches to use, and creation of patterns (attacks) which I can reuse to find "actions". This is a driving consideration in Whittaker's books and soon my book/classes on test attacks to help ET."

"Requirements and functional analysis are testable stuff as well as code is, so if there's something incorrect like missing use cases then it is a bug to me."

When the missed features becomes a missed requirement?

The features are called as a missed requirement only when it is discussed with the client(the owner of the product) but not documented or it is documented but not developed. Other wise when one report that feature as a missed one, It could be  either a suggestion nor an enhancement. After being approved from the client those suggestion could turn out as a requirements.

Feedback's are most welcome

My Contact Information:

Email id: ktg.pradeep@gmail.com

Mobile: 07639959901

Skype: pradeep.lingan