What Is a Software Defect?
A software defect is a deficiency in a software product that causes it to perform unexpectedly. From a software user’s perspective, a defect is anything that causes the software not to meet their expectations. In this context, a software user can be either a person or another piece of software. A few examples are listed in Table 1-1. From a software developer’s perspective, a defect is anything that must be corrected in a software work product.
| Typical Examples of Software Defects | |
| User Expectation | The software will help me accomplish a task |
| Software Defect | Desired software functionality is missing |
| User Expectation | Clicking on the button performs the task I want to do ... |
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