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Asking questions the smart way

Published 2014-10-28 |

This guide shows how to ask technical questions effectively on Samsung Developer Forum.

Contents

Adding detailed background information to your questions helps the support teams to give you a better solutions faster. Without a proper technical description of the problem, the issue will take longer to investigate and the answer might be incomplete.

Asking about code

When asking to debug your code, give a hint what sort of problem we should be looking for. Posting a dozen lines of code, saying “after line 7 I was expecting to see <x>, but <y> occurred instead” is much more likely to get you a response. The most effective way to be precise about a code problem is to provide a mini application demonstrating the bug.

What’s a mini test application?

It’s an illustration of the problem; just enough code to demonstrate the undesirable behavior and nothing more.

How to create a mini test application?

If you know which line or section of your code causes the problematic behavior, make a copy of it and add just enough supporting code to produce a complete example (i.e. enough code to be able to launch the app on a TV/BD). If you can’t narrow it down to a particular section, make a copy of the source and start removing chunks that don’t affect the problematic behavior. The smaller your minimal test case is, the better.

You can find source code of a simple test application in Creating a Video Application

Remember to check if the code executes on a device.

If preparing a test application is not possible, it is recommended to upload the full source code.

If you simply want a code review, just tell us and indicate the areas you think might be particularly problematic.

Adding the full source code

If it is hard to indicate where exactly the problem occurs, send us the application source code. To provide good quality support we need the complete sources. Ideally, we’d like to receive code that is commented, easy to read, and follows the rules listed below.

Application source code

  1. The source code should not be deliberately obfuscated or formatted in a way that is not suitable for reading by humans. It makes the code impossible to debug for us.
  2. All application source code should be included in the app package. Dynamically loaded external scripts are not allowed.
  3. It is recommended to use jQuery library included in the platform’s Common directory. You can verify the included version by using alert($.fn.jquery).
  4. If you are using Ad Hub in your application, it is worth to check if you are using the latest version.
  5. Comment your code properly, so that we don’t have to guess what it does.

How to get the Defect ID?

TV Seller Office -> Application -> Certification menu -> Defect List

Before you ask

Before asking a technical question in Q&A consider the following:

  1. SamsungDForum Q&A is the main and recommended way to discuss issues and defects.
  2. Please check if you are using the latest firmware. It is possible that your issue has been already resolved in the latest firmware. To get new firmware version visit http://www.samsung.com website.
  3. TV Emulator is not a representative device for reproducing any TV or BD defects or issues. However, issues related directly to the SDK (TV Emulator) are also welcome.
  4. The Official language for discussion is English.
  5. Many of the common issues are already described in the Development Guide. It is possible that your issue has been resolved. Try to search on SamsungDForum before posting a new question.

How to get firmware version and model code?

TV
Menu key -> Support - > Contact Samsung. When a new page appears, find the product information. It should include the model code and software (firmware) version.
BD
Home key - > Settings - > Support - > Contact Samsung

Requesting support

Defects or issues detected during the QA testing process

If you are facing an issue reported by the testing team and need our assistance, provide the defect ID. Including the application ID is helpful but optional. Feel free to add your own analysis of the problem.

If we need something more, we will ask.

Defects or issues detected during development

If you encounter issues during development, we suggest that you raise them with us as soon as possible. Provide all the relevant information with your issue report — this will allow us to find a solution quickly.

Try to write questions as clearly as possible. In development question don’t forget to select the correct category.

If the application needs some additional configuration to run, describe it in a few points. Reproduction scenarios are also very important. The faster we reproduce the defect, the less time it will take to find a solution.

Screenshots and movies presenting the issue are very helpful.

Application version

Your question concerns the current application version on SDF

If you are facing a defect in an application and it is the same version as in SDF, you can just send us your Application ID and we will be able to download the full source code. However, providing a mini test application presenting your issue would be more helpful.

Your question concerns an unreleased version of the application

Indicating the version of the affected application helps to avoid misunderstanding and saves time. Remember to attach the source code to your question.

If your application hasn’t been uploaded to SDF yet, please provide the full source code or at least a mini test application presenting the issue.

In both cases we recommend to provide the firmware version and model number of your test device. Otherwise we won’t be able to reproduce this defect in the same environment.

Others

Depending on category:

Flash 

Source code (*.fla, *.as) and the .swf file is necessary.
SDK (Samsung Development Kit / TV Emulator):
Screenshots presenting the issue.
IME
Source code and screenshots.
Apps Framework
Link to the document referenced during development.
Stream media
The streaming URL and a description of the technology and/or method used.

If you didn’t get any answer

If you didn’t get an answer, you can create a follow-up post in the same thread and ask for an update. Sometimes engineers may be busy with investigating other issues. In general, all your posts in Q&A are always noticed, thus re-posting for any update won’t stay without an answer. However, give us some time before reposting. If no answer appears for a long time, you can try to contact your Samsung Content Manager.

Confused?

If you ever get confused or something is unclear, don’t hesitate to ask for advice. We’re here to help!

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