What is the primary purpose of a defect tracking tool?

The primary purpose of a defect tracking tool is to manage and track defects during the testing lifecycle. This tool plays a crucial role in software testing by providing an organized method to report, prioritize, and monitor bugs or issues found in software. It helps teams ensure that all identified defects are addressed effectively, allowing for better collaboration among developers and testers. The tool typically allows users to document the nature of the defect, the steps to reproduce it, its severity, and the status of its resolution. By tracking defects throughout the development process, teams can improve software quality and facilitate communication, ensuring that critical issues are resolved before the software goes into production.

Other activities, such as creating new test cases, evaluating code performance, or automating regression testing, do not align with the core functionality of a defect tracking tool, which is specifically focused on defect management.