Android application developers find it extremely important to ensure that only a thoroughly tested Android app gets released in the market. With so many different devices running a variety of potential version of Android OS, it may become particularly difficult to make sure that the app is running properly on every device. Nevertheless, it is important that the users find the app smooth and give lots of stars to generate downloads. Thorough unit testing is trusted by many software developers for that. There are many places that have an amount of unit testing but implementation is quite an important step as well, so that they can ensure that the app is functioning just the way they expect it to. The unit tests must be written early on so that you plan the objects while coding; it also forces the resolution of ambiguities.
Another Android automation tool often used is MonkeyRunner which uses a Python implementation in Java, known as Jython for walking through the applications. It is best used when you want to walk through multiple emulators or devices. Its approach is not based on pass or fail testing; rather it walks through the application and clicks on buttons to take screenshots throughout, at designated points. After the running of the script, the screenshots can be compared with the ones that you had expected to see to find out the problems. This is a very easy approach but its main problem is its lack of a tight UI integration.
There are several other evaluation tools but amongst the various Android Automation tools, the most loved as well as trusted is the Robotium. This test framework is meant for the creation of easily written, robust as well as powerful automatic test cases for applications. Robotium helps test case developers write functions, acceptance and system test scenarios that cover multiple Android activities. By virtue of this, further details related to the implemented classes or structure of Android apps are not needed by test developers. The main class name along with the path linking it, are all that is needed. Full support is provided by it for the testing of hybrid as well as native applications.
Installing as well as using Robotium is extremely easy. It can be downloaded as single JAR file and then placed in whichever folder you want. To use it, you only have to put the JAR in the test project's classpath. Several differently build automation tools can use it. In fact, it may be used for both application testing with the source code available as well as for applications where just apk is available. To use it, just create Android test project to add test class.
Robotium usage has the following benefits as well as features:
- Powerful tests cases can be quickly written even with very little information about the application that you will be testing.
- APIs are offered so that direct interaction can be done with UI controls in the application.
- Android 1.6 as well as above versions are officially supported by it.
- Robotium does not modify the Android platform.
- Command prompt may be used for the execution of the test.
- Smooth integration of the framework may be done with Ant or Maven, helping in the addition of the framework to build the automation process of the project.
- Screenshots may be captured as well.
- There is no need for source code.
- Other measurement tools for code coverage like Emma and Cobertura can work with this.
- Quick implementation can be done.
- The test case can be read prominently when compared to other tests.
Robotium testing may also have certain shortcomings but despite those, the list of benefits is quite lengthy, making it a much-loved automation testing tool. Currently, it can be said to be the best Automation Testing Framework with many open source developers contributing to the introduction of many newer as well as better features in it to enrich the user experience even further. Android testing with Robotium can be executed with a customizable framework based on clients’ needs.
We provide Android automation testing services. If you would like to get your application tested by our certified Robotium testers, please contact us at Mindfire Solutions.
The software industry's trends keep on changing on a daily basis and with that, trends related to testing change as well. There was a time when software testing did not have much prominence; some evaluation was manually carried out while the rest of the testing was outsourced. But gradually, people are waking up to the importance of software testing and as a result, this has become a professional career for many. New testing paths opened up with trends such as SOA or Service Oriented Architectures, Web-based applications, Wireless Technologies, SaaS or Software as a Service, Mobile Technologies along with an increased emphasis on robustness, re-use, reliability and repeatability. Everywhere, evaluation strategies are being changed so that the trends can be accommodated, making the sphere more and more professional.
The changes are being implemented for efficient as well as effective application development for quality systems. In fact, for that, huge amount of emphasis is being placed on improvement of Analysis as well as Design phases so that the early evaluation in the areas can be ensured. When capture tools of analysis as well as design requirements are built-in, Static Testing are robotized to lend clarity, better chances of completeness and facilitate eradication of ambiguity as well as assumptions. The product will surely become more robust, reliable as well as reusable.
Under the changing circumstances, professional testers would have to concentrate further so that value can be added both to software development lifecycle as well as to the business. They should operate in elevated positions by combining creativity, a process-driven structured approach, ability to define and articulate evaluation criteria and quality in the models as well as inquisitiveness. The tester's role is slowly becoming more essential as well as interesting. With that, software evaluation has become a great career option for many professionals. There is high a demand of skilled testers in the area so that they can analyze the test results, identify bottlenecks so that tuning techniques can be suggested.
To make professional evaluation a good career option, a tester should specialize in some main areas.
Knowledge of automation evaluation tools- Automation along with performance testers have a great demand in the market. As such, to succeed in test automation you need to have a good experience or knowledge of scripting languages that the tools come up with. A very basic requirement is the knowledge on enhancement, validation as well as creation of test automation framework.
Domain knowledge- This is one of the foremost requirements as good knowledge regarding the application's domain area leads to addition of value in the resume of any professional. Several popular domains are there like telecom, BFSI, manufacturing, healthcare, embedded, etc and every area has quite a number of certifications so that testers can be trained as well as certified.
Certifications- There are several institutes that offer certifications based on specific testings which help in the improvement of the client's confidence on the evaluation of the professionals. Managerial certifications will certainly help them to scale up the ladder to success by increasing their technical competency.
Niche testing areas- The evaluation of the niche areas such as Security testing, mobile testing along with SOA testing, is gaining a lot of momentum in recent times. These areas are seeing the emergence of a number of tools. Evaluation professionals must be aware of the direction that the industry is heading for and update their knowledge accordingly, so that they can be ahead of others.
Test automation tools have become entwined with software testing's evolution in such a manner that the the developers mustget familiar with the tools, so that evaluation knowledge can easily be dispersed. It must be remembered that the capabilities along with the reach of functional testing is advanced by the tool but the paradigms for driving the evaluation effort are not advanced. For that, tests must be created and test automation's success is affected by the intelligence that is needed for the creation. As such, professional software testing as well as professional testers are gaining much popularity which is here to stay. If you are planning to hire testing software companies, you must evaluate them to see if they are sufficiently agile or not!
We provide web application testing services. If you would like to hire software quality assurance tester for your projects, please contact us at Mindfire Solutions.
The software developers constantly explore ways to make the application popular by delivering richer user experience. Along with the application’s look and feel, they also concentrate on improving its overall performance. A constant increase is also noted in the number of organizations adopting test-based development approach to deliver flawless user experience. The overall performance of a software application is evaluated by conducting a variety of tests. Normally, the testers conduct performance testing, load testing and stress testing to evaluate different aspects of the software. However, these three types of testing differ from each other based on some common points.
Major Difference between Performance Testing, Load Testing and Stress Testing
Nature of Testing
Performance testing is conducted to evaluate the performance of the components of a system under specific situations. Normally, the testing aims to validate scalability and reliability of the application, along with resource usage under a particular situation. However, the testing is conducted as part of the overall performance engineering process that aims to find the performance issues in the software’s design and architecture.
Load testing is carried out the maximum load that a system can restrain. This form of testing is often referred as endurance testing or volume testing. Under this testing, a constantly and steadily increasing load is applied on the system till it reaches the threshold limit. Unlike other types of software testing, load testing can be conducted smoothly by using test automation tools like LoadRunner.
As the name indicates, stress testing is done to decide the level of stress required to break down a system. A number of activities are carried out to overload the system with excessive resources and functionality. Often negative testing is also conducted as part o stress testing to remove non-functioning components from the system. This form of testing is essential to evaluate the capacity of a web application when it is accessed at a time by a larger number of users.
Objectives of the Testing
Each software application also needs to meet a set of industry-defined benchmarks. The primary objective of performance testing is to check the system’s benchmark behavior. Instead of concentrating on finding errors, flaws and defects in an application, performance testing emphasizes on evaluating the software based on several benchmarks and standards. The performance testing results must be monitored closely and accurately to decide if the software meets industry-defined benchmarks.
The main objective of load testing is to identify the defects that affect the application’s performance negatively. The defects can be related to memory leak, memory mismanagement or buffer overflow. Also, the testing aims to decide the maximum limit of various components related to the application including hardware, database and network. Along with deciding the capacity of the existing system, load testing also identifies bandwidth problems and load balancing problems. Thus, the defects and components are managed effectively to make the app take more loads.
Stress testing is performed to check the behavior of an application after its failure. The post-crash reports are analyzed to decide what caused the failure. While determining the reason why the system failed, the testers need to ensure that the sensitive data remain completely secure despite the failure. An effective stress testing strategy will ensure that all components of the application become normal after the crash. The right stress testing plan can further make it easier to avoid the most terrible break downs in future.
An organization must keep in mind the key differences between performance testing, load testing and stress testing while choosing test automation tools. As the objective of each of these three types of testing differs, the testing automation needs to be done according to specific objectives. If you are planning to hire testing software companies, you must evaluate them to see if they are sufficiently agile or not!
We provide independent software testing services. If you would like to hire software test professionals for your projects, please contact us at Mindfire Solutions.
A consistent increase is noted in the number of organizations adopting test-based software development approach. But the complex and complicated nature of software applications have made software testing a challenging job. Also, each organization wants to hire an exceptional software testing professional who can carry out a variety of tests at a rapid pace. You can always consider software testing as a lucrative career prospect. However, it is also important to expand your knowledge and learn how to effectuate testing strategies to become a better tester.
Six Tips to Boost Your Software Testing Career
1) Identify All Flaws in an Application: Often testing professionals concentrate on quantity rather than quality. You can always impress others by identifying a higher number of bugs. But you must remember that the main aim of the software QA process is to make the application flawless. So you must evaluate the impact and significance of each bug, and share the information with developers to deliver rich user experience.
2) Prioritize the Testing: Each software application needs to be evaluated thoroughly to deliver flawless user experience. So a tester has to carry out several types of testing. As you have to perform several tests, it becomes essential to plan the tests according to their significance. You can easily identify the key bugs that affect the performance of the application by testing the mission critical features and functionality of the application first. The prioritization of tests will further help developers in fixing the critical bugs as early as possible.
3) Think like an End User: The main objective of software testing is to deliver flawless user experience. So you must evaluate the application as an end user. The approach, along with your testing skills, will help you in identifying all bugs and flaws before the application reaches the users. At the same time, you also need to question each aspect of the software application. Along with checking the features and functionality of the app, you also need to ask questions about its compatibility with different devices and operating systems. You can always identify the most critical bugs in an app by asking many questions.
4) Stay Tuned to the Latest Trends in Software Testing: Like software development, testing is also evolving at a rapid pace. So each tester must keep track of the latest developments in software testing. In addition to understanding the latest and updated test automation tools, you must read the articles and books written by software testing experts. Also, you can consider joining the large community of software testing professionals to communicate and exchange ideas with other professionals.
5) Adopt New Software Testing Techniques: The complex nature of software applications has made it essential for testers to adopt innovative and out of the box testing strategies. There are also many tools that allow you to check a strategy in different environments without putting any additional time and effort. Along with learning new concepts in software testing, you also need to implement in practically. While learning new concepts, you can even avail the assistance of community of testers to effectuate your strategies.
6) Effectuate Your Bug Reports: In addition to identifying the errors, bugs and flaws in an application, the software tester also needs to help developers in fixing these. It will be easier for the developers to understand and fix the bugs, I the bug report is clear and comprehensive. So each tester also needs to learn ways to optimize the bug report. It is a good idea to attach screenshots with the report, and mention the exact nature of the bug, along with mentioning detailed information about the devices, operating systems or circumstances affected by the bug.
Along with expanding your knowledge, you also need to improve your communication skills. As testers have to write bug reports and test cases, it is important for the professional communicate in a clear and detailed way. The communication skills will further help you in facilitating decision making by preparing quick and robust reports. If you are planning to hire software testing company, you must evaluate them to see if they are sufficiently agile or not!
We provide qa and testing services. If you would like to hire software testers for your projects, please contact us at Mindfire Solutions.
