Every mobile app development company tests its product (mobile application) before it is delivered. Bugs (defects or flaws) are common components of apps that are yet to be delivered. This emphasizes the need for proper app testing before the final release. No doubt, testing is simply the best way to enhance the technical coverage, efficiency, and effectiveness of a mobile app.
When it comes to mobile application development, the importance of app testing cannot be overemphasized. After an app has been built, effective testing is required to enable app developers or testers to identify those buggy (defective) areas that could pose a challenge to the app’s usage. Without proper testing of a mobile app, any
app development company can end up building a defective application.
There are two types of app testing methods, including:
- Manual app testing
- Automated app testing
Difference between Manual Testing and Automated Testing
Manual testing will often require the services of a human to carefully execute the test steps right in front of a computer. While recording observations and comparing the results to the expected behavior, the tester is obliged to try various usage and input combinations. Usually, manual tests are performed periodically throughout the development stage so as to identify changes in source code, hardware configurations, and other operating environments. However, manual tests are not always reliable and can be limited in various ways hence the need for an automated testing tool.
Automation testing involves the use of an automation tool to perform a test case suite. With automated testing, app developers can effectively record and playback actions, relate the expected behavior of the app to the already obtained results and report observations to the project manager in real-time. Automated tests can handle most tasks that are relatively impossible to perform with manual testing such as repeating tests over and over again and extending them to meet basic requirements. This is why every mobile app development company is adopting automated app testing today.
Importance of automated testing
For the sake of efficiency, it is essential for every mobile app development company (both small and large) to consider automated testing. To remain competitive in the industry, app development agencies need to be able to deliver outstanding applications which can be effectively achieved by adopting automated testing. Here is what developers stand to gain when this process is duly implemented.
More time to focus on the needful
While it is actually not easy to effectively measure how this can help to improve the morale of a development agency, it is, actually good to know that a mobile app development company can have ample time to spend on more challenging and rewarding projects by simply employing automated testing to perform repetitive tasks. Just so you know, this can go a long way in helping to improve an organization’s technical skill as it provides adequate opportunities for its members to work on and improve their skill sets.
Automated testing helps to drastically cut the time a manual tester would require to perform a repeat test action. Rather than doing so, an automated tester can use the available spare time to code tests and make adjustments where necessary. Basically, an automated tester doesn’t have to go through the whole adjustment process once the test is complete as it (automation) allows for the recycled use of tests.
Improved efficiency and accuracy
With automated testing, flaws and defects can be easily identified before an app is even deployed to the end user. Through this means, developers can spot out problems that could affect an app’s efficiency and resolve them before it gets too late. A mobile app development company can use automated testing to perform a controlled app test with a large number of users on it.
Even when changes are made on the source code, this type of app testing can be automatically performed to measure their quality and notify the tester if they fail. No doubt, mistakes are bound to occur particularly during a monotonous manual testing phase regardless of how conscientious the tester may be. However, there tends to be a higher level of accuracy when automated testing is involved. This does not only help to save quality time but also improve confidence.
Improved test coverage
In a bid to improve the mobile application’s quality, mobile app developers are highly advised to consider automated app testing. Ultimately, this is one viable verification process that can greatly help to improve the depth and scope of tests performed on an app. Unlike manual testing, it is easy to run lengthy tests unsupervised via automated testing.
In order to effectively analyze the quality and determine the efficiency levels of the app,
developers can use automated app testing to not only examine the mobile application but all check its internal configuration, file contents, data tables, and memory contents. Automated testing can provide coverage that may seem technically impossible with manual tests. Just so you know, thousands of different complex test cases can be effectively handled through this means with just a single test.
Cost-effective
In a bid to ensure high quality, there is the need for app developers to repeat application tests during every development phase. It is recommended for mobile app development companies to repeat the test process whenever the source code is modified. As a matter of fact, it can be both time-consuming and expensive to perform such tests manually.
While automated tests are generally known to be much faster to run than manual tests, it is, however, good to know that such tests can be performed over and over again and without an extra cost once they’ve been set up. Even the amount of time spent on running repetitive tests can be greatly reduced through this means. With automation, agencies can perform tests of mobile apps on all supported versions of operating systems and hardware configurations. What a great way of managing costs and also saving time.