MOBILE TESTING

While doing Mobile App Testing, we come across with few challenges. What are those major challenges? As we all know that mobile industry keeps changing at a very fast past pace with new competitors entering into the market with latest mobile OS and dimensions .Today, Mobile world is totally dependent on the quality of applications it consists of. This is because a single risk in application can spoil the interest, entertainment and business of the users resulting in loss of faith towards the market leaders. It is important for a mobile application to be compatible with the platform like Android, Windows, Blackberry and many more. Apart from this, there is a major role of the type of Operator and its services so that there could be a performance test E.g. how frequently the application runs under different carrier technique like GPRS, EDGE, 3G or 4G. In addition there are some more factors need to keep while testing are screen size, keypad and sensitivity of full-touch. Hence it is important to test mobile applications under all circumstances so as to draw the interest of the users. The major challenges in Mobile App Testing due to wide range of handset makers, carriers, locations and operating systems are : a) Building a bug-free mobile app which is incredibly difficult and expensive. b) To ensure that the applications works properly for everyone, everywhere, all the time. c) Testing the common features as installation, login, and search etc. d) Need of security testing to save application from hackers. e) Multiplicity of mobile devices: Every mobile has different technical capabilities such as free memory space, screen resolution and orientation, network options, etc. f) Multiple Operating Systems: Today there are number of OSs available in the market such as Android, iOS, Symbian, Blackberry, etc. So, in order to test the mobile application we need to check the compatibility of the applications across all the mobile operating systems. g) Bandwidth: Due to lower bandwidth in the mobile connection application responds slowly which impacts the performance and functionality of the application. While doing the mobile application testing, we can introduce automation, what are those areas? There are various areas where we can use test automation during mobile application testing. We can use test automation when we need to convert test cases into the scripts i.e. write and record cases. We will later execute these test scripts onto the devices through automation. Best part is this is repeatable and reusable. In Mobile testing, automation is used to take care of look and feel like a native application for a specific phone models. In messaging function, we can also use automation technique, like T9 dictionary. Now touch apps are also used in mobile phone in which we can also use automation for touch apps. Automation can be used on call features like we speak any name on mobile speaker then application automatically searches for the respective user and gives the information of that user and also connect a call (if needed) or message to the same. For more details knowledge on Mobile Testing, please visit  http://www.qainfotech.com/mobile_testing_services.html

automation in mobile application testing

We all know about the automation, Can we use automation in mobile application testing?  Discuss about the various area where we can use it.

When we are taking about mobile application testing, we need to understand that it has code which is not much different than the normal application code. So, one area of application is regression tests as we have it in the application testing. And then when you have different versions of the same OS supported by different handsets, there also you can take help of automation to reduce manual effort of testing each version separately.

Areas where we can use automation for Mobile Applications are:
  
• We can prepare test automation script for device features used in app i.e. Camera, accelerometer, GPS & Bluetooth
• Call & SMS interrupts by using call function scripts
• We can perform test automation scenarios regarding Voice-mail
• Network latency Major
• Regression & Negative testing
• Touch Apps
• We can automate Record/Playback capabilities of a mobile application

mobile testing

I would like to ask a question to mobile testing experts that while testing of an I Phone Application, what are the basic steps would you follow?

While Testing of an I phone Application Basics steps that needs to be followed are:
1)First make a self signed certificate.
2) Download that file onto your desktop.
3) Open Terminal (applications > Utilities > Terminal).
4)In Terminal window, type "python ", then drag-n-drop "gen_entitlements.py" from desktop into terminal window
5)Hit space and type in following with quotes:
"program name" "program_name.xcent"
e.g. python /Users/your user/bin/gen_entitlements.py "program name" "program_name.xcent"
6)Hit Enter. Wait for a couple seconds and you should see file named "program name" on your desktop.
7) Open Text Edit (search > Text Edit) and paste following into opened window:
[export CODESIGN_ALLOCATE=/Developer/Platforms/iPhoneOS.platform/Developer/usr/bin/codesign_allocate
if [ "${PLATFORM_NAME}" == "iphones" ]; then
python /Users/your user/bin/gen_entitlements.py "my. company.${PROJECT_NAME}" "${BUILT_PRODUCTS_DIR}/${WRAPPER_NAME}/${PROJECT_NAME}.xcent";
code sign -f -s "iPhone developer" --resource-rules "${BUILT_PRODUCTS_DIR}/${WRAPPER_NAME}/ResourceRules.plist" \
--entitlements "${BUILT_PRODUCTS_DIR}/${WRAPPER_NAME}/${PROJECT_NAME}.xcent" "${BUILT_PRODUCTS_DIR}/${WRAPPER_NAME}/"
fi ]
8)Save that file on desktop. Name it something like "device_debug_script.rtf".
9) Removing signature checks from Mobile Installation & Springboard.
10) Now Code time. Make sure you restart it if you had it started while doing previous steps
11) Open it and load some test project.
12) Project > New Build Phase > New Run Script Build Phase
13) At opened window, switch to first tab & paste into it everything you got in "device_debug_script.rtf" file from your desktop.
14) Close that window & click Build & Clean all targets.
15)On project window, on top left - select to debug on device & hit build and go. If app is started on device then you are done.

As the development of mobile testing is growing day by day, at the same time challenges of mobile testing is also increasing. Give yours expert view on these challenges.

As the development of mobile testing is growing day by day, at the same time challenges of mobile testing is also increasing. Give yours expert view on these challenges.

Like websites, mobile web applications are also used by the large number of costumers all over world.  One thing is common in testing of both web and mobile apps testing i.e. if QA fails somewhere then end users will be affected.  Some major challenges faced by QA while testing mobile app are as follows:

Platforms:

There are varieties of operating platforms -I Phone, Blackberry, Android, and Windows. QA teams needs to understand the complexity and behavior of each type of platform.

Network:

More than 400 mobile networks operators are their worldwide. This working on different local network standards (GSM, CDMA etc.) also adds complications.

Devices:

As a survey there are 10,000 different type of client devices that can use mobile site, this multitude of devices add complexity. Different sets having variations in screen size, configurations, hardware capabilities of rending image.

Processing time:

After code submission it takes quite a bit time for the applications to be available for different markets. To verify any code change team has to wait for some time. Also there are various standards of code of different platforms which adds complexity.

Core Challenges:

Multiplicity of mobile devices with different capabilities, features and restrictions. Devices may have different technical capabilities such as amount of available memory, screen resolution, screen orientation and size of the display, network connectivity options, support for different standards and interfaces.

User Interface Issues :

It is possible that may be mobile Use would be different from a user expects or different from the Operating System underlying platform visual capabilities resulting in applications that work as “designed”, do not meet user expectations and hence viewed as poor quality.

Latency Issues : 

Less bandwidth of a mobile connection that generates higher latency which can impact on both performance as well as the functionality of the MobileApp.

Is a test strategy really becoming an obsolete artifact?

Is a test strategy really becoming an obsolete artifact?

Until a few years ago, I vividly remember a separate phase in the software test life cycle that used to be dedicated to the development of a master test plan or the so called holy test strategy which served as the guiding document outlining the software testing process specific to the product under test. It was usually drafted by the test director or the test manager and was representative of the test team’s intelligence in helping them making the product sign off call. Such was the importance of this document; it also served as a reusable artifact often carried across releases, products and teams. Given the relative stability in the development environment such cross sharing and reusability were feasible.   

To read more, visit our blog: http://www.qainfotech.com/blog/2012/04/is-a-test-strategy-really-becoming-an-obsolete-artifact/

Mobile Testing Experts

When it comes to Mobile testing services with core domian expertise our frameworks empower us to extend additional test coverage for applications built with latest mobile and web technologies including HTML 5, CSS 3. Some major categories here include: 

• Testing for learning content on e readers touching upon areas such as functionality, performance, usability, accessibility, instructional design
• Testing for BFSI specific applications on smart phones covering functionality, performance, security, usability
• Testing enterprise level deployment of devices (e.g. e-readers or notebooks in large scale deployments such as governmental organizations) and associated applications primarily focusing on functionality, performance, security
• Testing common end user applications (in domains such as retail, media, gaming) on devices such as smart phones, e-readers focusing on functionality, performance, usability, accessibility

To know more about Mobile Testing : http://www.qainfotech.com/mobile_testing_services.html