by Arthur Williams | Oct 8, 2024 | Mobile App Testing, Uncategorized, Blog, Latest Post |
In today’s world, we rely on our mobile devices. Because of this, a good user experience is very important. A key part of getting this is careful API testing. This blog will help you learn the basics of mobile app API testing. You will see why it matters, the types involved, how to put it into practice, and the best ways to do it. When developers understand and follow these ideas, they can build safe, strong, and fast mobile applications that meet the needs of users.
Key Highlights
- API testing for mobile apps is important. It helps check the quality, security, and performance of the APIs in your mobile applications.
- There are different types of testing involved, including functional testing, security testing, performance testing, and compliance testing.
- A good testing environment with the right tools is important for effective API testing.
- Creating detailed test cases for different situations and edge cases is key for thorough API testing.
- Automating your API tests can make your work faster and improve test coverage.
- Following best practices such as continuous integration, monitoring, and logging can enhance your API testing strategy.
Understanding Mobile App API Testing
The application programming interface, or API, is crucial for today’s mobile apps. It helps different software systems talk to each other and share data. Mobile API testing examines these APIs without checking the user interface. This testing ensures that the APIs work well and are safe.
This process is about sending requests to the API and checking the answers. This step is crucial to ensure the API functions correctly, remains secure, and meets all standards. By doing careful API testing during the development process, developers can find and fix problems early. This leads to a final product that is more reliable and effective.
The Importance of API Testing in Mobile Applications
In mobile app development, API testing is very important for a good user experience. APIs help different parts of an app talk to each other and connect with other services.
Thorough API testing is important for a few key reasons. First, it ensures that the app works properly by handling data requests and responses correctly. Second, API testing can help find security problems. This protects sensitive data that moves between the app and the server.
It also looks at how well an API works in different situations. This helps to ensure it replies quickly. It also tries to stop bottlenecks that could harm the overall user experience.
Key Components of Mobile App APIs
To better understand mobile app API testing, let’s look at the key parts:
- API stands for Application Programming Interface. It is a set of rules that help different parts of a mobile app or other apps talk to each other. You can think of it like a waiter. The waiter takes your order to the kitchen, which is another system, and brings back your food.
- API Endpoint: This is a special web address that a mobile app uses to connect to a server. It is where the app sends requests and gets replies. You can compare it to the address of a restaurant. You need the right address to order.
- HTTP Requests: These are messages an app sends to an API endpoint. You can view these requests as telling the waiter what you want to order. They often use methods like GET to read data, POST to send new data, PUT to change existing data, and DELETE to get rid of data.
Types of Mobile App API Testing
Mobile app API testing comes in several types. Each type focuses on different areas.
- Functional testing checks each function of the API to make sure they work correctly.
- Performance testing tests how quickly the API responds. It also looks at how reliable it is and how well it can manage different workloads.
- Security testing searches for weaknesses in the API that could lead to attacks.
- Compliance testing ensures that the API meets industry rules and standards.
There are other ways to test too, like fuzz testing. In fuzz testing, random data is used to see how the API reacts. Using these different tests helps developers find out more about the API’s performance, security, and reliability.
Functional Testing for App Logic Verification
Functional testing ensures that every API function performs correctly. It requires creating specific test case scenarios. These scenarios confirm that the API processes orders properly, returns the correct information, and manages errors appropriately.
A key part of functional testing is to ensure the API logic meets the needs of the application. This involves checking rules for data validation, input limits, and error handling. For example, if a user submits a form without completing all the fields, the API should display a clear error message.
By testing each part carefully, developers can check that the API works well. This step helps to improve user satisfaction. Clear functional tests are very important. They help to build a mobile application that is reliable and easy to use.
Security Testing to Safeguard Data
In today’s world, cyber threats are happening more often. This is why security testing matters. It helps find weak spots that could let sensitive data get into the wrong hands or cause issues for the whole system.
Security tests check for issues in areas like login security, user permissions, and data safety. For example, testers might try to break login rules, enter hidden parts of the app, or catch data that passes between the app and the server.
When developers find and fix weak areas early, they can make the API stronger. This helps protect against unauthorized access, data leaks, and other harmful actions. It also keeps user privacy and data safe.
Performance Testing for Optimal App Response
Performance testing measures how well the API handles requests. It looks at how the API responds, grows, and stays reliable when there are different levels of use. This testing is important to make sure the API can manage actual usage without slowing down or crashing.
There are many ways to perform testing on how well something works. This includes load testing, stress testing, and endurance testing. These tests check how fast the API responds. They also measure how many transactions the API can handle each second. Lastly, they look at how many system resources the API needs, both during normal times and when it is busy.
Careful performance testing helps developers find and fix problems with API performance. These problems can be slow database queries or poor coding. This work ensures the app remains fast and reliable for users. Good performance is key to keeping users happy. We want to avoid losing them because of annoying delays.
Setting Up Your Environment for API Testing
Before you start testing, it is important to set up a good environment. This usually means using a special server or a cloud testing platform.
The testing area should feel like the real world. This will help you get honest test results. Choosing the right testing tool is very important. You can find tools ranging from simple REST clients to more complex API testing suites. When you pick a tool, think about several points. Consider what protocols it supports and how easy it is to use. Also, make sure it works well with other tools you use in development.
Tools and Resources Needed
Choosing the right API testing tool is very important for good tests. There are many tools available for different needs. Each one has its own features. These features can include automated testing, performance tracking, and security checks.
| Tool | Description |
| Postman | A popular choice providing a user-friendly interface for sending requests, analyzing responses, and creating automated tests. |
| JMeter | Open-source tool designed for load testing, enabling you to simulate heavy user traffic and measure API performance. |
| Swagger UI | If your API is documented with Swagger (OpenAPI), Swagger UI provides an interactive interface to test API endpoints directly. |
| HyperTest | A new-age testing tool that leverages existing traffic to create comprehensive tests without needing code. Versatile choice that integrates well with CI/CD pipelines. |
- In addition to these tools, you might also need resources like mock servers. They help to mimic API responses.
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- You will need API documentation to learn about the endpoints and how to format requests.
- A version control system, such as Git, is also key. It helps you keep track of your test scripts.
Configuring the Test Environment
Setting up the test environment is very important. It is like having the right tools. You need to arrange the settings, requirements, and data to feel like the real world where the API will be used.
First, set up the network. Make sure your mobile device or emulator sends data to the test environment and not to the live server. This helps you test with the right version of the API. Next, check if all outside services that your API uses are either simulated or can be accessed in your test environment.
Lastly, put the data you need into the test environment. This could mean creating fake user accounts, test products, or other important details for your API tests. The aim is to set up an environment that seems very real. Doing this will help you find problems before they affect real users.
Designing Effective API Test Cases
Effective API testing requires good test cases that consider various situations. Each test case tells you what condition or action to test. It also describes the result you expect and how to perform the test.
Start by outlining the main steps users take in your mobile app when they make API calls. Think about the different types of data they might enter, any errors that could happen, and unusual situations. A good test case is not just about checking if the API works. It’s also about making sure it can handle unexpected inputs and errors well.
Having complete test coverage for different user cases is important for a stable and reliable mobile app. A single bug in the API can lead to several problems in the user interface. So, it is essential to test carefully.
Identifying Key Scenarios for Testing
Start by looking at the parts of your mobile app that use the API. For example, when users register, log in, get data, or make in-app purchases, they often rely on API calls. Each of these actions can be a good chance to test.
- Consider both positive and negative test cases.
- Positive test cases use valid inputs. They verify if the API functions correctly during normal conditions.
- For instance, checking if a user can log in with the correct information.
Negative test cases use incorrect or unexpected inputs. These tests see if the API handles errors properly. They check for issues like wrong data formats, unauthorized access, or attempts to exceed API limits. By looking at both types of tests, you make sure to have good test coverage.
Crafting Precise Test Cases
A good test case is easy to understand. It should aim for a clear goal. It must include the API endpoint being tested. Also, add the HTTP method, such as GET, POST, PUT, or DELETE. Mention any headers or parameters needed too. Lastly, say what the expected status code and response data are.
When we test the API that updates user data, we will say to use the PUT method in the test case. We will add the endpoint URL and the JSON body that has the updated data. We will also expect the status code to be 200 OK, which means the update was a success.
Good documentation of test cases is very important. It makes things easier to manage and use again. A well-organized test suite is a useful tool for future coding. It also helps solve problems, especially when your API changes or when you add new functionalities.
Implementing API Test Automation
Automation is key for good API testing. Automated tests run faster than manual ones. You can easily repeat these tests. This makes them ideal for checking updates and changes.
When you automate your API tests, your QA team can focus more on challenging tests and come up with fresh ideas. Human judgment is very important in this process. However, remember that not everything should be automated. Some things do not need it.
Selecting the Right Automation Tools
Choosing the right tools for automation is important for better API testing. Think about how complex your API is. Also, consider the skills of your team and your budget when you decide.
Tools like Postman and JMeter are popular for automated API testing. Postman has an easy-to-use interface. You can quickly create and run tests with it. JMeter, however, is better for performance testing. It can handle heavy loads very well.
There are special tools for security testing, contract testing, and other types of API testing. You should look at different options. Pick the tool that fits your needs and skills the best.
Automating Test Execution and Scheduling
Once you create your automated tests, it should be simpler to use them. A good way to do this is by connecting your test framework to your CI/CD pipeline. This will let your tests run automatically any time there is a change in the code.
Tools like Jenkins, GitLab CI, and CircleCI are popular for making the testing process easier. They let you set up workflows. These workflows can run your API tests automatically when new code is added or merged into a branch.
You can set specific times for your tests to run. This lets you check how healthy your API is. It is especially good for finding problems early. By doing this, your API will stay stable and reliable, even when your code changes fast.
Best Practices in Mobile App API Testing
Adopting good habits can make a big difference in your mobile app API testing. Here are some key strategies to think about:
- Continuous Integration: Add your API tests to your CI/CD pipeline. This way, they will run automatically when changes are made in the code.
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- Thorough Documentation: Write simple notes for all your test cases. Include what they do, the steps to follow, what the expected results are, and any dependencies.
- Monitoring: Use tools to check API performance in real-time. This can help you find and fix problems before they grow into bigger issues.
By using these practices, you create a good quality assurance culture. This leads to mobile applications that are reliable and function smoothly. They meet and exceed what users want.
Continuous Integration for Ongoing Quality Assurance
Continuous integration (CI) is the practice of bringing together code changes from different developers regularly into one spot. Whenever changes are combined, an automated system builds and tests the code. This practice helps to find errors early in the development process.
By adding your API tests to your CI pipeline, you can check every change in code before it goes live. This lowers the risk of bugs in the production version. It makes your app more stable and reliable.
QA engineers and developers can team up to decide which tests to add to the CI pipeline. This teamwork helps ensure that the important API functionalities are tested regularly for errors or strange actions.
Monitoring and Logging for In-depth Analysis
Monitoring and logging are important for understanding how your mobile API works. You need to collect, check, and show several details about API calls. This includes how long they take to respond, how often errors happen, and how resources are used.
When you pay attention to these details, you can spot problems like slow speeds, high errors, or unusual traffic that could show issues with the API. By noticing these problems early, you can fix them before they upset the users.
Logging gives helpful information about how the API works in real life. By looking at this log data, you can notice patterns, fix problems, and improve your API over time. This keeps your API running well and steady.
Conclusion
In conclusion, knowing the basics of mobile app API testing is very important. This testing ensures your mobile applications run smoothly, are safe, and work well. By testing your APIs properly, you can improve user experience, protect sensitive data, and make your app more responsive. To do this, set up the right testing environment. Create good test cases and use automation. Following best practices like continuous integration and monitoring can boost the quality of your mobile apps. Stay informed, be proactive, and pay attention in your API testing to provide your users with a smooth and safe mobile experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What Makes Mobile App API Testing Essential?
API testing is very important for mobile app development. It affects user experience a lot. A well-tested API helps create a smooth and seamless user experience. This is because how well the app talks with and gets data in a safe way affects the overall user experience.
- How Can I Ensure Comprehensive API Test Coverage?
To get complete test coverage, use an API testing tool. It is important to make different test case scenarios. Think about both good and bad test cases. Also, check boundary conditions and edge cases in your mobile API testing. This way, you can make sure thorough API testing is done.
- What Are the Most Common Challenges in API Testing?
In API testing, there are several common challenges you might face. First, you may deal with authentication. Next, it's important to make sure that data transfers correctly. You also need to manage different data formats. Another concern is keeping test environments running properly. Additionally, there may be problems with version compatibility and security.
- Which Tools Are Preferred for Automated API Testing?
Popular tools for API testing are Postman and JMeter. Postman is well-liked because it is easy to use and offers many testing options. JMeter, on the other hand, is best for load testing and checking performance. When you pick a tool, think about your needs and the difficulty of your automation tasks.
by Charlotte Johnson | Oct 7, 2024 | Mobile App Testing, Blog, Latest Post |
In today’s challenging market for mobile apps, providing a smooth user experience is essential. Mobile app testing is a key part of the development process. This involves examining every section of the app closely. This practice ensures that the app works properly, runs without problems, and offers users a good experience.
Key Highlights
- Important in a Busy Market: Many apps are trying to grab people’s attention. Testing your app properly helps it shine.
- Helps Keep Users: Bugs and crashes lead people to delete apps. Good testing makes users feel happy.
- More Than Just Working Well: Testing looks at how the app performs, its safety, ease of use, and how it works on different devices.
- Key for a Good User Experience: A tested app runs smoothly, is user-friendly, and stays safe. This keeps users satisfied.
- Smart Quality Control: Finding and fixing issues early in development saves time and effort. It also helps protect your brand’s reputation.
Understanding the Importance of Mobile App Testing
Mobile app testing is more than just a step in making the app. It is a key part that can impact how successful your app is. A well-tested app shows that you value quality. This can help to build trust with users, leading to improved reviews and ratings. If the app has bugs, it can upset users. This often causes negative reviews and makes users leave the app.
Testing is very important. Apps need to work well with different devices, operating systems, and network settings. Your app should be stable on various devices. Testing helps make sure your app runs smoothly, no matter the device or network issues. This way, users have a good and consistent user experience.
The Impact on User Experience
User experience is very important for a mobile app to succeed. A good user experience attracts more users to the app. It also makes them want to return and recommend it to others. However, if the user experience is poor, many people might uninstall the app quickly. This can damage the brand’s image.
Testing is really important for the user experience. It helps find and fix issues that can hurt how the app works or how easy it is to use. When developers see and fix bugs, crashes, slow loading times, or hard-to-navigate sections, they can make the app better and easier for users.
A well-tested app makes sure all its features work well. The app should have an easy-to-use interface that responds fast. A smooth experience builds user trust, leads to better reviews in the app store, and helps the app succeed in the long run.
Ensuring App Stability Across Different Devices
The mobile app world is really diverse. There are many devices in use. These have different screen sizes, resolutions, operating systems, and hardware. This variety makes it hard for developers to make a mobile app that runs well on each device.
Good testing plans include checking how the app runs on different real devices. This ensures the app is compatible and works smoothly. It is important to test it on various screen sizes. By doing this, UI elements show up correctly, and the layout changes easily. This gives all users a good experience.
By fixing issues that come from different devices, developers can create a stable and reliable mobile app. This means the app will work well on any device. It also helps the app reach more users, keeps them happy, and builds a strong reputation as a quality product.
Key Areas in Mobile App Testing
When you test a mobile app, you might have different needs. This depends on how complex or feature-rich the app is. Still, there are some important areas that need extra attention during mobile app testing. These areas are important because they affect how the app performs, how easy it is to use, its safety, and its overall quality.
When developers focus on these basic areas, they can lower the chance of major issues after launching. This helps make the experience better and more fun for users. Beginning with these areas creates a strong base for future updates and new features.
Functionality and Performance Testing
Functional testing is important in app testing. It makes sure that the mobile app functions work correctly. This means checking main features like user registration, logging in, moving through the app, and managing data input or processing. Each feature gets tested using different inputs and situations to find and fix any bugs or problems.
Performance testing goes hand in hand with functional testing. It looks at how well the app runs, its stability, and how it uses resources under various situations. This means testing the app with different user traffic, several network conditions, and types of data to understand its performance. The goal is to find and fix any delays, crashes, or slow speeds that can impact user experience.
By doing functional testing and performance testing, developers can find out what the app does well and what it does not. This information is key for making the app better. It helps to ensure that the app runs smoothly and reliably, even when there are a lot of users or tough network issues.
Security and Privacy Measures
In today’s world, keeping mobile apps safe is crucial. This is most important when dealing with sensitive user data. Security testing helps to find weak spots that may allow unauthorized access or cause data breaches. It closely examines how the app protects itself. This means checking how it verifies users, encrypts data, and stores information safely.
- Some common ways to find gaps are vulnerability assessments, penetration testing, and code reviews.
- By simulating real attack scenarios, developers will improve the app’s security.
- This helps keep mobile apps safe.
Taking care of user data is important. In many places, it is also required by law. When developers focus on security testing, they show that they care about user privacy. This can help create trust in their app.
Usability and Accessibility Considerations
Usability testing is about seeing if the app is easy to use and understand. It looks at how real users interact with the app. You watch what they do and listen to their feedback about their experience. Here are some key things to check during usability testing:
- Easy navigation: Users can easily go around the app.
- Clear content: Text, images, and info are simple to read.
- Quick task completion: Users can complete tasks quickly and easily.
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- Mistake prevention: The app should help lower mistakes and give clear steps.
Accessibility testing is a key step in usability testing. It makes sure that the app is easy for people with disabilities to use. This includes:
- Screen reader compatibility: This lets people who have vision challenges read the app content with screen readers.
- Font size adjustment: Users can change the font size to what suits them best.
- Color contrast: Good color contrast is important for users with visual issues.
Developers want their products to be easy to use and accessible. This shows they care about including everyone and want to make users feel good.
Detailed Testing Checklist
A complete testing checklist is important for a good mobile app launch. This checklist serves as a guide. It helps testers check different scenarios and details that need careful attention.
- It goes beyond basic functions.
- It also covers important areas like:
- Cross-Platform Compatibility Tests: We check if the app runs well on various systems like Android and iOS, and on different device brands.
- Network and Connectivity Scenarios: We test how the app works with different network types, such as 2G, 3G, 4G, and Wi-Fi. This ensures it functions well, even with weak connections.
- Interface and Visual Design Evaluation: We make sure that the app looks good and works well on different screen sizes and resolutions.
- Localization and Internationalization Testing: We adapt the app to support different languages, regions, and cultures. This helps us connect with a global audience.
Cross-Platform Compatibility Tests
Compatibility testing is important to make sure your mobile app works well on different devices and platforms. You need to test it on major platforms, like Android and iOS. It is a good idea to check both the newest versions and some older ones. This helps users who have not updated their devices yet.
Testing the app on various devices is very important. Different screen sizes and hardware can affect how the app works. It is best to use real devices for testing. This way, I can see how the app will function for users.
Careful compatibility testing can help your app attract more users. It ensures that people enjoy a steady and good user experience on different devices and platforms. This can stop poor reviews and uninstalls that happen due to compatibility problems. So, user satisfaction goes up, which helps build a better brand reputation.
Network and Connectivity Scenarios
Mobile apps can handle different network conditions. The network speed might change. Users may go from Wi-Fi to mobile data. It is key to test these situations. This will help make sure the app stays strong and fast.
You can pretend that you have different network conditions. This includes things like high latency, low bandwidth, and packet loss. Doing this helps you see and solve problems. You might need to improve data transfers, use caching, or give users clear feedback when there are network issues.
By checking different network and connection situations closely, you can create an app that works well, no matter how strong or weak the network is. This will improve user experience, even in places with bad connections. It will also help reduce user frustration and stop data loss.
Interface and Visual Design Evaluation
The user interface (UI) is what people see when they use your app. It is important for how users feel about the app. A good UI should look nice and be easy to use. It should also work well on different screen sizes. Checking the interface helps to make sure that everything is in the right spot and is the right size.
Testing the visual design is all about seeing if the colors, fonts, images, and animations look good. They should provide a good user experience. The layout of the app must work well on different screen sizes. This helps make it easy to read and use on various devices.
A clean and steady user interface is key for making a strong first impression. It also helps people recognize the brand. By paying attention to the interface and its design, you can create an app that looks good and works well for users.
Localization and Internationalization Testing
To reach people all over the world, we need to pay attention to localization and internationalization. Localization means adjusting the app to fit the language, culture, and preferences of the people in a certain market.
This means you need to change all the text and sections of the app. You have to adjust the dates, times, and money formats to be correct. It is important to make sure that the content works well in different cultures and is useful. Internationalization readies the app for localization. This means setting up the app so it can easily adapt to different languages and regions without needing to change the code.
Good testing for localization and internationalization is important. It makes sure users from around the world have a smooth experience. This is key to getting more people to use the app and to finding success in global markets.
Advanced Testing Strategies
As mobile technology changes, we need to use better ways to test. The new methods are different from the old ones. They use new tools. This makes testing faster and more effective.
Using automation and cloud technology helps developers improve their testing. This helps them release updates faster while maintaining good quality. In the fast-paced mobile world, everyone needs to adjust and use the latest testing techniques.
Automation in Mobile App Testing
Test automation is very important for mobile testing today. It helps make the testing process simpler and improves efficiency. When testers automate tasks that are repetitive and time-consuming, they can spend more time on complex cases. This lets them explore the features in a better way and improves the user experience.
There are several tools and frameworks for mobile testing. These help testers write scripts that imitate user actions. They check how an app functions and quickly find bugs. Automation has many advantages. Still, it is important to choose the right test cases for it.
You should focus on automating the tasks that you perform frequently. This includes regression testing, checking compatibility, and running performance tests. However, testing on real devices is very important. Emulators and simulators might not show all the differences and user behaviors that you can observe on actual devices.
Leveraging Cloud Technologies for Testing
Cloud technologies have changed the way we test mobile apps. They are very helpful because they can grow with our needs, are flexible, and save money. Cloud-based testing platforms let us use many real devices and various operating system versions. This means we do not need to have an expensive device lab in one spot that takes a lot of time to manage.
This access helps developers and QA teams test their apps on different devices and a variety of platforms. Cloud testing environments offer features like parallel testing. This means several tests can run at the same time on different devices. Because of this, testing time is greatly reduced.
| Feature | Benefits |
| Scalability | Easily scale testing infrastructure up or down based on project needs. |
| Device Diversity | Access a wide array of real devices and OS versions for comprehensive testing. |
| Flexibility | Test from anywhere with an internet connection, enhancing team collaboration. |
| Cost-Effectiveness | Reduce hardware costs, maintenance overhead, and overall testing expenses. |
Conclusion
Mobile app testing is crucial for improving your app. It enhances the user experience and ensures your app works reliably. By testing key areas like functionality, security, usability, and performance, you can boost the quality of your app across various devices and networks. Using smart testing methods, such as automation and cloud technology, can streamline the testing process. Following a comprehensive checklist that includes cross-platform compatibility and user interface testing will help you catch and fix issues early.
A strong focus on effective testing practices ensures a high-quality mobile app launch that impresses users. Codoid has rapidly established itself as one of the top QA companies globally, led by passionate QA experts dedicated to software testing and Quality Assurance. For more information on mobile app testing, including tools and best practices.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What Tools Are Recommended for Mobile App Testing?
The best way to test mobile applications is by using both manual and automated methods. App developers can pick from several good tools. Appium is often the best choice for automated testing. For manual testing, BrowserStack is an excellent option. It offers many real devices to help with test cases.
Mobile Application Testing Services
by Arthur Williams | Sep 15, 2023 | Mobile App Testing, Blog |
Appium is one of the most popular open-source testing tools used for mobile app automation testing. Though there have been updates in the past, Appium 2.0 is the biggest update from the community in many years. Being a leading mobile app automation testing company, we always use the latest technology in our projects after thoroughly exploring them. So in this blog, we will be exploring Appium 2.0’s features, how it is different from Appium 1, and how you can migrate to the newer version. Let’s get started.
Appium 2.0 Features: What’s New?
Being a major update, Appium 2.0 is packed with a lot of new features and capabilities that weren’t there before. So let’s start by exploring everything that’s new.
- Independent Drivers
- Appium 2.0 Plugins
Independent Drivers:
Drivers such as UiAutomator2, XCUItest, Gecko, and so on can now be updated separately as they are no longer coupled with the Appium Server. So you can perform driver updates in real time rather than relying on an upcoming Appium server update. You can also go to the latest version for one driver while sticking to a known stable version for the others
Appium 2.0 Plugins:
Appium extension authors can now develop their own server plugins, which can intercept and modify any Appium command. It can also adjust the way the underlying Appium HTTP server itself works. This will enable you to further customize how you want Appium to work in your project based on your requirements.
Here are a few Appium 2.0 plugins that are available at the time of writing this blog,
- Images – For image matching and comparison.
- Gestures – To perform basic gestures using W3C Actions.
- Wait – To wait for an element to become present.
- Reporter – For generating simple HTML reports with screenshots.
- Execute-driver- To run all the batches of commands with a single call to the Appium server.
We will be seeing how to install Appium 2.0 plugins later on in the blog so that you can easily get started with all the new features.
Appium 2.0 Features: What’s Gone or Different?
New features aren’t the only changes in Appium 2.0. A few features from Appium 1.0 have been either changed or deprecated in Appium 2.0. It is essential to know these changes in particular as they will play an important role in your Appium 2 migration.
- Protocol
- Desired Capabilities
- Server
- MobileBy Class
- Touch Actions
- Deprecated
Web Protocol:
The earlier versions of Appium have supported the W3C Webdriver protocol along with other protocols such as the JSON wire protocol. However, with the implementation of the W3C Webdriver protocol as the web standard, Appium 2.0 will no longer support other protocols. And because of this change, there is a change in how desired capabilities are specified.
Desired Capabilities:
It has become essential to include the ‘appium:’ prefix whenever you specify desired capabilities in Appium 2.0. Please note that there are no requirements to use the vendor prefix for standard capabilities like platformName and browserName.
To help you understand it clearly, we have added a code snippet.
"platformName": "Android",
"appium:platformVersion": "11.0",
"appium:automationName": "UiAutomator2",
"appium:appActivity": "com.android.calculator2.Calculator",
"appium:appPackage": "com.google.android.calculator",
"appium:noReset": true
Server:
There is a change in the base path for the Appium server in Appium 2.0. You no longer have to use http://localhost:4723/wd/hub in Appium 2.0 as http://localhost:4723/ alone is enough. If you do wish to use the old functionality, there is a provision that lets you specify the base path using the below command,
appium --base-path=/wd/hub
The desktop client server has become obsolete now and it is no longer compatible or needed with Appium 2.0.
MobileBy Class
The MobileBy Class has been removed and replaced by the AppiumBy Class in Appium 2.0. Since Appium supports both mobile and desktop app automation, it only makes sense that the MobileBy class gets deprecated.
Older Way:
driver.findElement(MobileBy.id("loginbutton")).click();
New Way:
driver.findElement(AppiumBy.id("loginbutton")).click();
Note: All locator names in AppiumBy have to follow the camelCase naming strategy as shown below.
e.g. MobileBy.AccessibilityId (Incorrect) AppiumBy.accessibilityId. (Correct)
Touch Actions
With the standardization of the W3C protocol, TouchAction and MultiTouchAction classes have been deprecated. So you’ll have to use sequence class instead to perform the actions that are done by the touch of our fingers. The support of these actions will be removed from future Appium versions.
We’ve shown you an example for your reference to perform the swipe-down action.
Dimension size = driver.manage().window().getSize();
int StartX = size.getWidth() / 2;
int StartY = size.getHeight() / 2;
int endX = StartX;
int endY = (int) (size.getHeight() * 0.25);
PointerInput finger1 = new PointerInput(PointerInput.Kind.TOUCH, "Fingername");
Sequence sequence = new Sequence(finger1, 1)
.addAction(finger1.createPointerMove(Duration.ZERO, PointerInput.Origin.viewport(), StartX, StartY))
.addAction(finger1.createPointerDown(PointerInput.MouseButton.LEFT.asArg()))
.addAction(new Pause(finger1, Duration.ofMillis(200)))
.addAction(finger1.createPointerMove(Duration.ofMillis(100), PointerInput.Origin.viewport(), endX, endY))
.addAction(finger1.createPointerUp(PointerInput.MouseButton.LEFT.asArg()));
driver.perform(Collections.singletonList(sequence));
Deprecated:
- SelendroidDriver class– Since this class is used when using the JSON Wire protocol that is no longer supported in Appium 2.0, it has been deprecated.
- LaunchApp method – Start activity method can be used instead.
- closeApp method– clearApp method can be used.
- resetApp method – Both the clearApp and StartActivity methods can be used.
- MobileElement classes (AndroidElement & iOSElement) – WebElement class can be used instead as shown below.
@AndroidFindBy(xpath ="//android.widget.TextView[@text='Continue']")
private WebElement Continue;
Appium 2 vs Appium 1:
| | Appium 1.0 | Appium 2.0 |
| Protocol | Supports both JSON Wire & W3C Webdriver protocols | Only supports the W3C Webdriver Protocol |
| Desired Capabilities | No need to add vendor prefixes in desired capabilities Ex. “deviceName”, “Samsung Galaxy A52” | Must add vendor prefix in desired capabilities Ex. “appium:deviceName”, “Samsung Galaxy A52” |
| Server Path | http://localhost:4723/wd/hub | http://localhost:4723/ |
| Drivers | Have to update the entire Appium Server with all drivers. | Can individually update, install, or delete drivers based on your needs. Ex. appium driver list –updates |
| Plugins | Unavailable | Available Ex. wait, gestures, etc. |
| Gesture | Touch action has been deprecated | Sequence class is introduced |
Appium Configuration:
Whatever we have seen thus far in the blog are the crucial aspects you should keep in mind during your Appium 2.0 migration as configuring Appium 2.0 is the same as the older version. So if you are installing Appium for the first time or upgrading to Appium 2.0 from an older version, the steps are going to be the same.
- Install Node js
- Install Appium Server
- Install Drivers
- Update Drivers
- Plugin Configuration
Install Node js
Download & Install Nodejs(above version12)
Note: If you’ve already installed Node js before, just make sure to check it is above
version 12.
Install the Appium server
Once you have downloaded the latest Appium server, use the below node package install command
npm install -g appium@next
Note:Make sure the right Appium version has been installed, and you can use the below command to check it.
Note: The current version as of writing this blog is 2.0.0-rc.5 [Beta version]
Install Drivers
In the previous version of Appium, you would install the driver as a whole. But now since we have the option to decouple the drivers, we can install the drivers that are required in your project. You can install a single driver or multiple drivers based on your requirements using the below command,
appium driver install DriverName
For example, let’s assume you want to install the Android uiautomator2 driver, you can run the below command
appium driver install uiautomator2
Similarly, you can use the same command to install the other drivers as well. If you want to identify the list of drivers available in Appium 2.0, you can use the below command.
Update Drivers
With time, you might have to update your drivers individually. So you can use the below command to monitor if there are any available driver updates.
appium driver list --updates
Once you identify the driver you wish to update, you can use the mentioned command to update it.
appium driver update DriverName
If we take uiautomator2 as the example here once again, then you can use the specified command.
appium driver update uiautomator2
Starting the Server
There are two commands for starting the Appium server and you can use them based on the scenario.
If you are going to start the Appium server for the very first time after your installation, you’ll have to use the below command.
So if you wish to start the server once again after the first initialization, you can use the shorter command instead
Plugin Configuration:
Step 1: Install the appium-installer globally using this command
npm install
appium- installer -g
Step 2: You can view Appium Install options using the below
Step 3: Select the ‘Install Appium plugin’ option and it will show the different available plugins
For our explanation purposes, let’s select the wait plugin or multiple plugin to install
Step 4: Using this command in cmd, activate the wait plugin and start the server
appium --use-plugins=element-wait
Conclusion
We hope you now have a clear understanding of the new, updated, and removed Appium 2.0 features. Being a top mobile app testing company, we had first-hand experience migrating from Appium 1 to Appium 2.0 in many of our projects. So we have simplified the content and felt that the above information would be helpful for most people. It is always recommended to go through the official documentation to ensure there will be no impact. Make sure to subscribe to our newsletter to not miss out on any of our upcoming blogs.
by Anika Chakraborty | Sep 15, 2022 | Mobile App Testing, Blog |
In this fast-paced world, Smartphones today are built to enable their users to multitask with ease. So a user will be using multiple apps at the same time by switching between them. But if your mobile app doesn’t handle interruptions that well, it’ll become very hard for the user to continue using your mobile app no matter how good it is. That is why it is important to perform interruption testing in mobile applications before they are released. In this blog, we will be seeing what is interruption testing, how to do it, and also provide you with a checklist that will help you get started with Interruption testing in mobile applications.
What is Interruption testing in Mobile applications?
Interruption Testing in mobile applications is a type of testing used to evaluate how a mobile application responds to interruptions and returns to its previous state. For instance, let’s say you are in the middle of an online transaction and you receive a phone call that causes the online transaction to fail. Likewise, there could even be an important email you have to respond to immediately. So you switch to your email app and return back to find out that the transaction has failed. In such scenarios, the mobile app isn’t able to handle the interruptions and return back to its previous state. So interruption testing will focus on identifying such interruption scenarios that a real-time user might face and test it with the mobile app under real-world conditions. That is why Interruption testing in mobile applications is crucial in being successful in this overcrowded mobile app market.
The 3 Categories of Interruption Testing in Mobile Applications
- Device Dependent
- Functionality Dependent
- Network Dependent
The 3 categories of Interruption testing in Mobile applications are based on the different types of interruptions a mobile app can receive. The interruptions can either be from the device’s native functionality or from a different application’s functionality or even a change in the network. Let’s take a deeper look at each of these categories now.
Device Dependent
This category covers all the interruptions which are related to the built-in feature of the device which is being tested. This does not involve other applications on the mobile phone. Some of the scenarios which are device dependent are the device getting locked, change in volume, device getting shutdown or restarted, and so on.
Functionality Dependent
It covers a combination of both other application and device functionalities that results in interrupting scenarios such as incoming calls, messages, and notifications from other mobile apps in the form of pop-up or push notifications.
Network Dependent
Includes Interruptions that arise when switching from one type of network to another. For example, switching to a mobile network connection from Wifi when out of range, or switching between 5G, 4G, or 3G based on the network availability in a particular location.
How to perform Interruption testing in Mobile Applications?
Being an experienced mobile app testing services provider, we proactively plan our mobile app testing in a way to prevent bad reviews and app uninstallations. We achieve this by analyzing the different possible scenarios that a real user might be in and the different interruptions that they might encounter. Based on the insights, we must develop a set of test cases covering all the concerns. In order to do that, we must know the acceptable outcomes when facing such interruptions. So let’s take a look at them one by one by taking the example of testing a multimedia player app.
Run in the Background
We have already discussed how users should be able to switch between different apps seamlessly. The solution for that is to ensure the app runs in the background without any issues. By doing so the mobile app will not crash or restart every time the user switches back to the application. They must be able to continue from where they left off with ease.
For example, if a user answers a phone call when watching a video, though the video must stop its playback that alone isn’t the expected outcome. Once the user ends the call, the video playback must start from where the user left off and not from the beginning.
Stay Unaffected
Numerous apps nowadays use pop-up alerts at the top of the screen to let the user know that there is a new notification. In such a scenario, the pop-up notification shouldn’t impact the regular playback of a video. The user must be able to dismiss it by just swiping it away or waiting for it to disappear on its own. This would further extend to handling calls to action when performing interruption testing in mobile applications as it is natural for a user to want to reply or perform similar actions.
Hande Call to Actions
Certain pop-up notifications might have the option to respond to the notification with the help of a call to action. Let’s assume you receive an SMS when watching a video using the media player app. There will be options in the pop-up that let the user mark the message as read or reply to the message. So if a user clicks on the ‘Mark as Read’ option, the playback shouldn’t be impacted. At the same time, if the user decides to reply by typing within the pop-up without switching over, the playback must stop as the user will be concentrating on replying.
Avoid Unnecessary Alerts
Just like making sure your mobile app handles interruptions, it is also important to make sure your mobile app does not deliver unnecessary alerts and cause interruptions to the user even though the user is not using your mobile app. For example, actions such as successful login will not require a separate notification alert as it will be evident to the user that they have signed in once they have started using the application.
Interruption Testing Checklist:
Now that we have seen the core concepts you will need to know to perform interruption testing in mobile applications, this checklist will help you get started with it. Our checklist will cover all the 3 categories of interruption testing in mobile applications we had seen earlier.
Device Dependent Checklist
- Lock the device when performing a task in the mobile app and unlock it to see if the app is still in its original state.
- Restart the device abruptly and see if the progress made on the mobile app is saved. For example, a mobile app shouldn’t log the user out of their account every time the device restarts.
- Use your mobile app in battery saver mode and ensure that it doesn’t lag or crash.
- Create an interruption by setting an alarm or running a timer to see how well your mobile app handles it.
- Use the mobile app when the device is charging to see if any overheating issues are present.
- Test if all functionalities are working when the device’s temperature is high as few features such as the flash will not work during such situations.
Functionality Dependent Checklist
- Answer/Reject an incoming call while using your mobile app and see if the user can resume from where they left off.
- Reply to a message using the pop-up or mark it as read to see if the appropriate response is performed by the mobile app.
- Click on a push-app notification and switch to a different app and switch back to see if the app restarts.
- Open YouTube or any media app that supports picture-in-picture mode over the app you are testing and see if there are any impacts.
- Update your mobile app to the latest version and see if all the saved data is retained safely.
- If your mobile app has a feature that requires it to work in the background such as downloading a file, tracking the score, and so on; make sure they work as expected.
- Use your mobile app with an active pop-up for any app like Facebook Messenger and see if it works as expected.
Network Dependent Checklist
- Switch from Wifi to a mobile network connection when you are using the mobile app to see the impact it has on performance.
- Use your mobile app with throttled network conditions to ensure there are no disruptions in the app’s functionality.
- Make sure the offline files are accessible even if there is a loss in internet connectivity or when the device is in airplane mode.
- If the device supports dual sim options, make sure to switch the data connection between the two while your app is being used.
- Turn on Airplane mode and try using your mobile app to see if the offline functionalities work as expected.
- If there is a file download/upload feature, make sure the downloading or uploading resumes its progress when getting connected back to the network after any disruption.
- Connect & Disconnect the mobile device to an external audio source like a speaker or earphones using Bluetooth or wire to see if the app’s audio is routed correctly.
Though we have created a comprehensive checklist to help you get started with interruption testing in mobile applications, make sure to create your own checklists based on the type of mobile app you are testing.
Conclusion
One of the most challenging aspects of interruption testing in mobile applications is keeping up with the evolution of Android & iOS as they are constantly adding ways for a user to multitask. The split screen functionality, gestures, and so on change from one device manufacturer to another. For example, iOS is different from iPadOS and so how users multitask on these devices also differs. Likewise, Android has also launched its ‘L’ versions for larger displays introducing features like a taskbar to switch between the apps.
So it is extremely important for the tester to be fluent with all these devices and how to interact with them to make sure all scenarios are covered. Our newsletter will be a great option for staying on top of all the latest trends in mobile app testing. So make sure to subscribe and never miss out on our informative content as interruption testing in mobile applications plays a pivotal role in helping your mobile app succeed in the real world.
by Charlotte Johnson | May 19, 2022 | Mobile App Testing |
In recent years, smartphone usage has grown exponentially because it’s on par with computers in terms of capabilities. Naturally, companies use this to their advantage by developing mobile apps for various reasons, with the end goal being to provide quality service. However, mobile app development isn’t easy, and many roadblocks also plague it.
Mobile app development is a process that requires knowledge, technical and business skills, research, and a high level of expertise. It’s also affected by various challenges that impact time, effort, and budget. Furthermore, the development process isn’t standard and varies from one app to another depending on its platform and functionality.
If you’re planning to develop a mobile app, you should be aware of these issues. These include:
#1 – Building User Experience
Mobile apps rely on user experience (UX) to achieve their goals and become successful. They have to be able to accomplish this because even though there are hundreds of thousands of apps on the market, more are being developed daily. To get the attention of potential users, your app has to:
- Look good
- Be easy to use
- Be intuitive
- Provide the right features
Your app’s design should be appealing and functional for users. The user experience must be easy, friendly, and functional to ensure that users stay engaged with the app.
#2 – Awareness of Testing Approaches
A testing approach oversees the quality of your app’s functionality and design. Depending on the nature of your app, you need to use a different approach. For example, if you’re developing a simple app with a limited number of features, you can use the agile approach. On the other hand, if you’re building a complex app that’s bound to have bugs and errors, you’ll need to use a more comprehensive and stringent approach that ensures quality is at its maximum level. Below are some popular approaches to choose from:
- Functional Testing – focuses on the app’s functionality.
- Smoke Testing – locates issues in an app to fix at that moment.
- Unit Testing – ensures that specific pieces of code are working as expected.
- Regression Testing – guarantees that an update to the app hasn’t broken the old parts.
#3 – Test Automation
Test automation requires you to design and implement a test automation strategy to help you manage the entire process. An automated system performs automated tests to ensure that the app functions as expected. This removes manual testing and increases efficiency and coverage.
Automation becomes an issue when deciding on how much to automate. The greater the automation, the greater the input required. Because of this, you’ll need to find the right balance to automate what’s essential and not waste too much time on manual testing.
#4 – Device-Based Testing
Device testing comes into play when developers test their apps on various devices to ensure that they work correctly. It also ensures that the app functions perfectly when used in real-life situations. One of the biggest problems with device testing is that it’s expensive. This is why developers usually focus on the most popular devices.
#5 – Lack of Access to Multiple Devices
When developing an app and using multiple devices, you must create a testing strategy to accomplish this task best. You should have a range of devices available to test your app on different platforms. However, if you don’t have access to every device out there, you’ll need to hire someone willing to test your app on their device.
#6 – Mobile UI Variations
Mobile apps have grown in popularity over the years, which has led to more choices for consumers. With these choices, you have to develop an app compatible with most mobile devices, which means you have to test your app against various mobile operating systems. A big challenge with that is the hundreds of smartphone phone brands out there, and they all have different operating systems that you need to adapt to.
Conclusion
Building a mobile app isn’t easy and can be a costly endeavor. However, it’s not impossible, and you’ll need to do a bit of research first to ensure that your budget is well-structured. This will help you avoid overspending on various aspects and ensure that the app is developed within the planned time frame.
Codoid provides top-quality mobile app testing services for various companies. We understand how important an app is to a business, so our QA professionals will ensure that everything is working correctly with insight on areas of improvement. Reach out today to learn more!
by Charlotte Johnson | Mar 3, 2022 | Mobile App Testing, Blog |
Testing is an essential element of creating a mobile app. However, because it requires a significant amount of time and work, it is frequently treated lightly or altogether ignored. But would your users enjoy it if they discovered a bug? That is extremely unlikely.
The importance of mobile user testing cannot be overstated. It assists consumers in determining how well the app operates and guarantees that users can navigate the app successfully and efficiently. Are you excited to put your app through its paces? We discussed many strategies, tools, and practices to help you get started in this post. Continue reading to learn more.
What is Mobile App Usability/User Testing?
Usability testing is having real people engage with your program to study their behavior, interactions, and reactions and make adjustments as needed.
It assists app developers in validating their decisions (such as interface design, functionality, and navigation) and informing future decisions (such as bug repairs or prioritizing new features).
Methods of Usability Testing
There are six ways of usability testing, each of which provides a thorough answer to various questions about your target audience.
The usability testing technique you select will be determined by your resources and objectives.
Guerrilla and lab testing
In-person usability testing in a lab is one of the most effective approaches for validating your design. It’s handy since you invite everyone to a single spot. And efficient — you have all the tools you need to get in-depth knowledge.
However, specific projects necessitate testing the design in the user’s location or environment (for example, because the user setting is so specialized that it cannot be recreated in a lab setting).
Keep in mind that usability testing in the user’s surroundings will most likely take longer than other forms of testing.
Moderated and unmoderated
A moderated test is when you sit with each participant and watch or listen to them interact with your product. Moderated tests are great for giving you real-time feedback on the user’s experience.
With unmoderated tests, you observe a participant using a product but do not interact with them. While they’re using the product, you watch them and take notes on their behavior.
Session Recording
Watching users interact with a product is a powerful way to get a sense of how they interact with your product and whether or not they do what you expect them to do.
You can record sessions to later re-watch and evaluate the recordings. Recording sessions will help you see patterns that you may otherwise miss.
Eye-tracking
One of the most important of all usability testing methods is eye tracking. It is the most precise tool available to understand how a user really navigates a product.
Eye-tracking is a research method that allows you to watch where a user looks in detail. In this method, you can see precisely what attracts a user’s attention and what they focus on.
Card Sorting
Card sorting tests are a lesser-known testing method but one of the most valuable. Card sorting is a method that allows you to see how users organize information and how they will categorize it.
The results of a card sort test can be used to organize information in a way that makes sense to your users.
In Person and Remote
In-person usability testing lets you be there to observe and interact with test participants. In-person testing is flexible and allows you to test many users relatively quickly.
Remote usability testing is accessed by users from their own homes or location. Remote testing lets you run tests at a much lower cost while still getting valuable user feedback.
Conclusion
The methods discussed above are some of the most widely used practices to get feedback from your users. However, the choice of method will vary from project to project, depending on the specific needs and resources.
Are you looking for the top software testing companies in the USA? Codoid offers world-class testing services to ensure that your application is ready. Get in touch with us to learn more!
