by admin | Dec 9, 2021 | Mobile App Testing, Blog, Latest Post |
If you have been wondering if it is possible to perform mobile app testing on all mobile devices (Android & iOS) without purchasing them, the answer is yes, it is very much possible to do that. There are even a couple of options to do so as well. You can either opt for cloud-based solutions to access real devices or use simulators and emulators to mimic a device. Each of these options does have its own advantage and disadvantages, but as a leading mobile app testing company, we always prefer to use cloud-based solutions to get the best results. So in this blog, we will be listing the various cloud-based mobile app testing solutions you can use to test an app on all devices without purchasing them and explore the scope of emulators and simulators. Let’s get started.
Prioritization is the key to having an effective testing mobile app testing strategy. Your objective shouldn’t be to just test your application on every available device out there as it is not smart to do so. There is nothing wrong with being thorough, but you shouldn’t waste your time and resources on obsolete devices or devices that will not be used by your intended audience. With that said, let’s first explore cloud-based solutions.
Cloud-Based Mobile App Testing Solutions
- BrowserStack
- pCloudy
- Sauce Labs
- AWS Device Farm
- SeeTest.io
- Perfecto
- Kobiton
- Firebase Test Lab
Though this list has been mentioned in a random order, BrowserStack is undoubtedly the best choice from these options. BrowserStack keeps adding new devices instantaneously and they stand out from the crowd with their helpful blogs and tech support that can guide you through the entire mobile app testing process. But if you do feel like you want to check out all the other tools before making a choice, make sure to visit our Cloud Testing Platforms blog as we have discussed these tools individually.
Emulators
Though emulators are open-source options, they are not as effective as cloud-based solutions. They are also not easy to use as you would have to download and install the emulators for each and every device you want to test. Since emulators just mimic devices, they are also not that reliable to use. So the only possible scenarios where emulators would be effective would be when it is used during the early stages of development or for simple tests.
Now that you know the ways you can test the mobile app without buying new devices, make sure to go through our Mobile App Testing Checklist and its Peculiarities blog.
The Alternative Solution
If at all you feel overwhelmed by all these options and think you will not be able to handle the task on your own, do not fret. You can always outsource the tasks to a leading Mobile App Testing Service Company like us. We have been able to extend our mobile app testing services to large firms, start-ups, and even independent developers. The scale of the project has never been an area of concern. If you compromise on your testing, the chances of your app succeeding in the market becomes very slim. So we hope you now have a clear understanding of all the various options you can employ to get your app tested effectively.
by admin | Dec 8, 2021 | Software Testing, Blog, Latest Post |
Not many know that there is a lot of difference between Quality Assurance and Software Testing. Though they both contribute towards better software quality, they differ in terms of goal, approach, and so on. To put it in simple terms, software testing is the process of finding bugs that already exist in the software. Whereas, Quality Assurance is the process of preventing the creation of such bugs and future problems. So we would first perform software testing to find all the bugs, then with the available data, we will be able to perform quality control to achieve quality assurance. As a leading QA company, we have been able to successfully test products and provide quality assurance to many of our clients. So in this blog, we will be focusing on the core differences between QA and Software testing and explore why Quality Assurance is important.
The Differences between QA and Software Testing
Quality Assurance is much broader in scope as covers every process, policy, tool, guideline, training, workflow, etc. that a team will need to meet with their quality objectives. So software testing is basically a sub-branch of the quality assurance process. Now let’s take a look at the tabulated version of the key differences between QA and Software Testing.
| S. No |
Software Testing |
Quality Assurance |
| 1 |
The Primary Objective Is To Make The Application Bug-Free. |
The Primary Objective Is To Make The Application Meet The Stakeholder’s Expectations. |
| 2 |
Performed Once The Code Has Been Written. |
Involved In Every Step Of The Development Process. |
| 3 |
Checks Or Validates The Behavior Of The Application. |
Improves The Application’s Quality Using Various Methods, Tools, Policies, Etc. |
| 4 |
It Is Reactive In Nature As It Is A Corrective Action. |
It Is Proactive In Nature As It Is A Preventive Action. |
| 5 |
Focused On The Product. |
Focused On The Process. |
| 6 |
Developers Or Testers Perform The Tests. |
Quality Assurance Activities Are Followed By All. (Stakeholders, Business Analysts, Developers, And Testers) |
The Importance of Quality Assurance
We know for a fact that lack of bugs alone doesn’t make a quality product. If we were to go by an analogy, we can consider a dish that has been cooked in accordance with the given recipe & procedure. But what if there was something wrong with the recipe or the cooking process itself? The consumer still may not like the food though everything went according to plan. Likewise, an end-user might not feel satisfied with your product though it is bug-free.
Moreover, believing that the software being developed will have zero errors is a fallacy. Since we are aware of the obvious result, is it not wiser to follow quality assurance methods to minimize the effects of any quality issues later down the pipeline? It is impossible for the software tester who receives the code with the bugs to have any control over the development process. So the more attention and effort you put into quality assurance, the easier it gets while testing a product.
Which one do you need?
So it is evident that creating a successful product without either of these two is not possible. Though companies might have an internal team for executing basic tests, it will not be enough. A dedicated QA team will be mandatory as we all know that quality cannot be tested into a product. If there are any doubts regarding the team’s expansion, one can always outsource their QA needs to one of the best outsourcing companies such as us to get the job done without breaking a sweat while still staying on budget. We hope you are now clear of the various differences between QA and software testing
by admin | Dec 7, 2021 | Selenium Testing, Blog, Latest Post |
Object locating technique is one of the fundamental when it comes to automation testing. If we test the application manually, we would interact with various objects or elements like links, buttons, radio buttons, lists, text boxes, sliders, and so on. So for us to mimic an actual user, the automation tool would also have to perform the same actions, and locating the objects that have to interact with is the first goal. Once the object is located, we can perform the desired actions like clicking on it, entering text, and so on. Selenium is one of the prominent automation testing tools and it uses the concept of ‘Locators’ to identify the elements/objects. So let’s take a look at the Different XPath Methods in Selenium as they are the building blocks of any Selenium automation script.
Steps to find elements in DOM:-
Before we head over to explore the Different XPath Methods in Selenium, let’s also look into a few basics like the ways to find elements in DOM and the different locators that exist in Selenium.
1. First and foremost, you have to open the website that you want to automate. Once it has loaded, click on the ‘F12’ key to open DevTools. As shown in the below image, click on the inspect icon to enable it and then click on the element you want to inspect.
2. There are also other ways to open the developer’s tools. You can either click on the ‘Menu’ option in the browser, click on ‘More Tools’ under that, and then click on the ‘Developer tools’ option that is shown.
3. If not you can just right-click on the element you want to inspect and click on the ‘Inspect’ option to locate the element.
Different Types of Locators in Selenium:-
Now that we know the ways to open Developer tools in our browser, let’s take a look at the different types of locators that can be used to identify the various web elements.
- ID
- Name
- LinkText
- Partial LinkText
- CSS Selector
- Xpath
ID Locator:-
ID is the first choice for many testers as it is one of the safest and fastest locators that can be used to find the location of an element. What makes ID so effective is that it is unique for each element on the web page, making it easily identifiable. IDs are mostly account numbers, university roll numbers, usernames, passwords, and so on as they will be unique.
Name Locator:-
If you want to locate an element that doesn’t have too many elements with similar names, you could use the name locator as it is also an effective way to locate an element. If we take a form to be an example, you might have various text fields and one submit button. So locating text fields using the names can be hard. But since there is only one submit button you will be able to locate it without much confusion. If at all there are two or more elements with the same name attribute, then the first element with the value of the name attribute will be returned. If at all there are no elements that have a matching name attribute, then a NoSuchElementException will be raised.
LinkText:-
Of the Different Types of Locators in Selenium, there are two locators that can be used to locate hyperlinks on a webpage. So let’s say you want to verify if a link is working correctly on a page. You can make use of linkText to locate that hyperlink by using the exact match of the string.
Partial LinkText:-
The main distinction from the LinkText in Selenium to the Partial LinkText is that it doesn’t investigate the specific match of the string. So it will even be able to identify fractional matches. This will come in handy when you have to search hyperlinks that have a high text length.
CSS Selector:-
What if you have to locate complex elements on the page? The CSS selector will be the best choice for you. The only downside with CSS identification is that it is not supported by all browsers. But it may not be a huge concern as it is supported by all the widely used browsers like Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, Opera, and so on.
Xpath:-
XPath stands for XML path language. It is based on the tree model of XML documents and provides the ability to navigate around the tree by selecting nodes using a variety of criteria. Though XPath locators are reliable, they are slower in comparison to the CSS Selectors. XPath is also supported by all the major web browsers. Now, let’s take a look at the different XPath methods and their syntaxes.
The Different XPath Methods in Selenium:-
basic xpath – To select a node based on the attribute,
Syntax:
//tagname[@attribute =' value']
contains – We can use partial text to find an element,
Syntax:
//tagname[contains(@attribute,'value')]
using OR – The element will be located if any one condition or both conditions are true.
Syntax:
//tagname[@attribute='value' or @attribute ='value']
using AND – The element will be located only if both the conditions are true,
Syntax:
//tagname[@attribute='value' and @attribute ='value']
starts-with – This can be used in a webpage where the attribute value changes on refreshing the page or due to dynamic operation on the page as it will locate the element with the starting text alone,
Syntax:
//tagname[starts-with(@attribute,'value')]
text() – It is an inbuilt function used to locate the element based on the text of the element,
Syntax:
axes – Can be used to locate elements that are more complex and dynamic by following various methods like following, parent, child, and so on.
Locating Techniques:-
Knowing the Different XPath Methods in Selenium is the first step, but employing them in an effective manner to get the job done is the key. As a leading automation testing company, we make use of some of the best locating techniques that have made our job easy. So let’s explore them now.
1) To find an element using the last and position keywords
//input[@type='text'][position()=1 or position()=last()]
We can get the first and last element inside a div tag using the position and last keywords.
2) To locate an element with the keyword count
We can locate an element by the count of another element. In this example, we have located the div tag by the count of its child input tags (i.e.) 2.
3) To identify an element with the parent keyword
//input[@id='name_id']/parent::div
Since we can locate an element with the element of the “parent” keyword, we have located the div tag which is the parent of the input tag.
4) To locate an element with the following- sibling keyword
//input/following-sibling::input[@name='Gender']
In this example, we have three input tags under a parent tag div. If you want to locate only one input tag among the three tags, we can use the following-sibling keyword to do so.
5) To identify with a single class attribute
Consider a situation where there are 4 input tags and that one input tag has a class attribute. In this case, if all the other elements for the input tags are the same, we can locate the element with the help of the Class attribute.
//div[@class='content_2']//input[@class]
6) Odd & Even Rows in a Table
We can even locate the elements in an odd and even row of a table by using the below commands. It will work like a filter as we will get all the elements in the even/odd rows as the result.
ODD ==> table[id=table1] td:nth-child(2n+1)
Even ==> table[id=table1] td:nth-child(2n+2)
7) List of elements in a table
If you’re looking to locate a list of elements in a table by sorting them in ascending or descending orders, we can use the below technique.
//table[@id='table1']//td[3]
8) The Indexing Technique
If you want to select an element inside the table, you can use this indexing technique to locate the particular element.
//table[@id='table1']//td[1]//following::td[text()='Sam']
9) To locate elements based on the value
We have used an example where all the elements that have a price that is less than or equal to 2 are located.
10) To verify if a checkbox has been checked or not
Say you want to pick out elements that have not yet been checked in a list of elements, you can use the below technique to isolate the type of elements you want.
input#good:checked
input#good:not(:checked)
Here, input - tag name, good - id
Conclusion
We hope you found this blog to be informative as knowing the Different XPath Methods in Selenium is one of the must-know basics of automation testing. As a leading QA company, we are always keen on the knowledge and the positive mindset that is required to create swift solutions to big problems. So gaining an in-depth understanding of the various techniques will play an instrumental role in your growth as an automation test engineer. If you are not clear, then you will have a tough time figuring out quick solutions for your automation needs.
by admin | Dec 3, 2021 | Software Testing, Blog, Latest Post |
Making a career choice is no easy task, you should know if you’re on the right path by exploring various options, you should then clear any and all misconceptions you might have in the role by taking a deep dive. Following this, you’ll have to check the various skills you’ll need, the certifications to work for and so much more. As a leading software testing company, we know what makes great software testers. So assuming you have checked other options and have made a job in software testing a viable option, we will be exploring all the avenues you’ll need to focus on to become a successful software tester. We will start by introducing you to the role of a software tester so that you will not have any fallacies about the job.
Who are Software Testers?
Software Testers, also known as QA Professionals play an integral part in ensuring the quality of the software in various parts of the software development cycle. The process of ensuring quality involves creating defined expectations that the software is expected to meet and then testing it to see if the said expectations are met. It can either be done manually or by using automation. Software testing doesn’t just require people with an eye for the details as quality goes beyond what meets the eye. Quality should be ingrained in the software tester’s mindset that doesn’t just stop issues but also prevents them from occurring by encouraging the team to follow the best practices.
Quality is such a huge deal as no user would be interested to use buggy software though it has the best features. The software will fail if the team fails to nail to user experience. So software testing isn’t just about detecting bugs, it is about ensuring smooth performance and a great user experience. So let’s take a look at the various skills you will be needing to accomplish this objective.
Skills of a Software Tester
Be it any job, you will need both technical and non-technical skills to excel at it. We will not be compartmentalizing skills based on specific methods of testing as we always believe it is important for a tester to have comprehensive knowledge across all the methods and approaches. If you find this list overwhelming, please keep in mind that these are the skills you will be needing not to just get started. So you can get better at it in the due course time.
Technical Skills Required for Software Tester
Domain Knowledge
Remember how we mentioned there will be defined expectations for the application to meet with? So technically you would have to understand such expectations of the stakeholders and the end-users to create test cases that will define what has to be tested and how it has to be tested. You can’t use one type of test in all scenarios, right? So you would have to learn the different types of testing like performance testing, smoke testing, regression testing, etc., and know when to use what type of testing. Once all this is ready, you must also be in a position to execute these test cases, determine the result of the tests and create test reports. Our Software Testing Tutorial for Beginners is a great blog you can ready to learn such skills. In addition to that, you must familiarize yourself with software development approaches like agile.
Coding
Since software testers would have to understand what the code means when testing an application, it goes without saying that programming is a must-have skill for testers. In addition to that, it is important to improve your coding skills to implement automation to perform repetitive tasks as the need for automation is on the rise to keep up with the demand for quality software. Apart from being able to read and comprehend the code, you must have a high level of understanding of the widely used programming languages. You must also have a stronghold in the basics such as the fundamentals of object-oriented programming, architectures, algorithms, and so on.
Linux Commands
Though Windows and macOS are the most commonly used operating systems for regular use, you should have a basic understanding of Linux commands as the deployment of applications like databases, web services, Docker, Kubernetes, and application servers are deployed on machines running on Linux.
Databases and SQL
Nowadays applications tend to have large chunks of data in their back-end using databases. Since software testing is about ensuring overall quality, it is vital for software testers to have ample knowledge about databases like MYSQL or Oracle. So if you have the task of validating the data in the databases, you should be able to create SQL queries to verify if the data is stored properly or not.
Tool Knowledge
Just like how to test execution requires effort, test management also requires a lot of effort. Using the appropriate tools can reduce the required effort in storing test cases, bug tracking, and so on. So make sure you have awareness and as many hands-on experiences with the tools that can be helpful. As a pioneer in the industry, we have curated lists of the best test management tools and the top 10 automation testing tools every tester must know about. Make sure to visit that blog to find what tools will be best suited for the various requirements.
Certifications
There is a lot a candidate can claim in their resume, and certifications can add a lot of value to your application and help you stand apart from the crowd. Developing all the above-mentioned skills should be the primary objective as there will be no use for you if you decide to get certified just for the sake of getting certified. There are various free certifications that can help you get started and a lot of paid certifications that will help you gain more recognition. So make sure to visit our blog to learn more about the best QA testing certifications that we have mentioned below.
- ISTQB – Foundation Level
- CAST – Certified Associate In Software Testing
- CSTE — Certified Software Test Engineer
- CTM — Certified Test Manager
- CSSBB — Six Sigma Black Belt Certification
- ISTQB – Advanced & Expert Level
It is a comprehensive list of the certifications you should focus on for your career growth and not a starter kit. You could also use platforms like Coursera and Udemy to get a lot of useful certifications.
Non-Technical Skills Needed by a Software Tester
Passion is the very first non-technical aspect that you should be strong in and we have already covered that in the earlier part of this blog. So now let’s take a look at the other non-technical skills you would have to work on.
Attention to Detail
Oversight is never an acceptable option when it comes to software testing as one small oversight issue can create a ripple effect of serious issues down the lane. Stopping assumptions is the first step towards avoiding oversight. You can even improve such skills on a daily basis with the help of memory games, puzzles, and brain teasers.
Curiosity
The moment you make assumptions out of the equation, there will be a natural spur of curiosity in your brain. This curiosity will play a major role in helping you find bugs that could go undetected when following conventional methods. For example, if we take a look at exploratory testing, it definitely relies heavily on the tester’s intuition, creativity, and willingness to test new waters.
Problem-Solving Skills
Once you find a bug, you should never analyze it on a surface level, you should be able to identify the root cause of the issues. Such an approach will help you test better. Having an analytical and problem-solving mindset will also help you compartmentalize the software into smaller units and make the entire process more effective.
Organizational & Communication skills
Being well organized is definitely a must-have skill for all jobs. Even with regards to software testing, having all the data in a well-organized manner will definitely aid and boost your analytical skills. Plus, if the tester fails to use clear and comprehensible statements while creating test artifacts like test cases, test plans, test strategies, bug reports, and so on. The entire development process will see setbacks. Plus, as a software tester, you must be able to retrieve all such documents in a snap as you will never know when you will need them.
Flexibility and Team working skills
The communication skills should extend towards making yourself a team player as well. If you work in an agile environment, you would have to work in tandem with other teams as well. So make sure you show flexibility in internal aspects like willingness to perform any kind of testing. One should never stay within the comfort zone if one wants to improve and grow. Likewise, have a unified vision when working with other teams. There will be no point in playing the blame game with the developers once something bad happens.
Holistic
Yes, concentrating on something deeply is definitely a good sign to get effective results. But at the same time, you shouldn’t focus on just one or two aspects completely and lose track of the other parts of the application. If that happens, you might even miss the most straightforward bugs. So make sure your work is holistic in terms of coverage.
Conclusion
We hope you found all of this information to be useful. As stated earlier, don’t feel overwhelmed with the many skills you would need to become successful in your journey. As a leading QA company, we always make sure to implement a boot camp training session for all our new recruits by using the discussed skills as the base. We have found it to be very beneficial and hopefully, you will too.
by admin | Dec 3, 2021 | Mobile App Testing, Blog, Latest Post |
Testing apps can be a great boon to a business, whether the platforms are iOS, Android, or any other options on the market. While automated testing tools can provide a good idea of how well an app functions, it is also vital to test apps manually. Manual tests are not only more precise but can also improve the user experience of an app. To ship quality applications, businesses should utilize both kinds of testing software.
If you are in the process of developing a minimum viable product (MVP), the key is to find methods that will deliver quality output while scaling back on cost and time-to-market. This blog post will shed light on manual and automated testing and when to use them to drive results.
Automated vs Manual Mobile App Testing: Which Is Better?
Automated testing tools are the most efficient way to ensure that an app will function properly, but it is worthwhile to test apps manually as well. Here is a guide to help you know which testing method to use when developing your app.
Automated Mobile App Testing
When developing an app, testers need to be sure that its features work seamlessly so that the app can function as advertised. Automated testing tools are ideal for this purpose, as they can run through a large number of test cases quickly to ensure that the app functions as designed. Automated testing tools are also good for finding bugs, as they can run through a large number of test cases quickly to ensure that the app functions as designed. It is important to note that automated tools cannot be used to test all features of an app, and they should not replace manual testing. Instead, the two types of testing should be used together.
Manual Mobile App Testing
Manual testing provides a more detailed view of how an app works and how it will impact the user experience. Manual testing allows testers to test interactions directly and make decisions based on these interactions. For example, a tester examining an app’s user interface might notice that the background color is very bright and difficult to read, which could negatively impact user experience. Other issues that can be found using manual testing include unexpected behavior of a feature, even if the feature works as planned, and performance issues.
Which One Should You Use?
The answer depends on the development stage of the app. Automated testing should be used during the early stages of the development process to ensure that the app functions as expected. It is fine to use automated testing tools during all stages of development, but the tests should be updated as the app is updated to ensure that the app continues to function as expected.
Manual testing should be done after automated testing is completed because manual testing provides deeper insight into the app. Manual testing also allows the tester to test for issues not found by tests automation.
Conclusion
The best way to ensure that an app will function properly is to use both automated and manual testing. While automated testing tools can automatically test for features that are essential to the functioning of the app, manual testing allows testers to test for other elements that are outside of the scope of automation.
Let Codoid help you find the best automated and manual testing tools for your app development. Codoid is an industry leader in QA. We don’t say this just to brag; we say this because it is our passion to help guide and lead the Quality Assurance community. Our brilliant team of engineers loves to attend and speak at: software testing meetup groups, forums, Software Quality Assurance events, and Automation testing conferences. Work with a reliable automation testing company, and give us a call today!
by admin | Dec 2, 2021 | Software Testing, Blog, Latest Post |
If you had read that title and assumed that it isn’t possible to be true, then you assumed wrong. Facebook, now known as Meta does not employ dedicated personnel for testing their product. But you might wonder how it is possible for an application that has around 2.89 billion active users built using 60 million lines of code to work without testers. Here’s the catch, Facebook does in fact test its product. It just doesn’t employ dedicated people to get the job done. Instead, Facebook makes use of automation testing wherever possible. Automation also does have its own limitation as not all tests can be automated. So let’s find out Facebook’s Testing Strategy to manage this obstacle.
Facebook’s Testing Strategy
Development-Driven Approach
Facebook tries to reduce the number of bugs that get past the developers by making the developers test their own code and test each other’s code as well. Though developers will be more careful with their work, this method does lack the benefit of fresh and unbiased eyes reviewing the code.
Dogfooding Technique
Another one of Facebook’s Testing strategies is dogfooding all their employees by making them use the application. They are also provided with the required tools to report the bugs they find. So almost every employee is a tester in this scenario, but what makes it different is that testing alone isn’t their main task. Likewise, few employees will be focused more on QA, but that alone will not be their purpose.
Canary Releases
Facebook will not deploy any changes directly to their entire base. Instead, they make canary releases to their employees at first. If there are no reported issues, it is released to a smaller group of real-world users before it makes a worldwide release. Facebook’s various clients are also made to perform QA activities as their services are heavily reliant on the platform. Clients will be able to access the beta versions by visiting beta.facebook.com 24 hours prior to the release.
Bug Bounty Programs
As a part of Facebook’s Testing Strategy, they have been running bug bounty programs ever since 2011. It is used as a way to discover any major concerns that could have slipped past their existing tests. The prize amounts are calculated based on the severity and impact levels of the issues that are discovered. On the 10th anniversary of their bug bounty program, Facebook announced that had awarded over $1.98 Million for the winners. According to a former Facebook employee, they even have a few privileged channels through which ex-employees can report the issues they find. The employee also claimed that he reports around 13,000 bugs every month.
User Data
Owing to the larger user base, Facebook has large amounts of data at its disposal to monitor the performance of the newly deployed changes. Facebook has aggregated user reports and workflow success rates to analyze the success. It also keeps the existing users under check by using data like how many messages were sent during this hour of this week versus the previous week.
Are Testers not required?
Facebook’s Testing Strategy is in no way a perfect way to go about testing your product before a release. In fact, Facebook itself is aware of the shortcomings in its strategy. But they still follow it as Facebook feels social media is non-essential. This kind of approach shouldn’t come as a surprise as the motto for the company’s developers was “Move Fast and Break Things” until 2014. As a leading QA company, we believe that involving all the employees and developers to focus on testing makes it impossible for them to focus on their primary objectives to deliver their best. It is also a very messy plan that can be difficult to keep track of. A dedicated team can be instrumental in bringing down issues and costs in the longer run.
