Test, Test, Test

Test, Test, Test

Test, Test. Test

Test, test, test. This is a phrase that has caught everyone’s attention this year as we grapple to mitigate COVID-19. The WHO states that testing is the only way out, as we cannot fight the pandemic blindfolded. The objective clarity in outcomes (whether positive or negative) that a testing process brings, when done correctly, is the key everyone chases. Isn’t this relevant in the software engineering space too?

Software testing has had a very interesting trajectory, especially over the last two decades. From developers handling basic software testing, to testers coming in for pure black box testing, to moving into white box testing and shifting left, to a stage of continuous testing as part of the CI/CD cycle, the testing discipline has seen it all. On one hand, software testing is fairly mature with a good blend of automation aiding core functional and non-functional test scenarios. There is a newfound appreciation for software quality with testers and test architects being enablers of quality and everyone in the engineering and business teams stepping in to partake in the journey. This is a welcoming trend. However, business demands around cost and time when engineering a product continue to add to the pressure of much needed components, such as quality, often compromising on its share. Products of all sizes and technologies are being churned out in a matter of a few weeks. In the process, there are still a sizable number of teams where quality is either not being attended to or it is being handled in inefficient ways that the value is not fully reaped.

COVID-19 has necessitated a huge surge in digital consumption across domains, and it has revealed apps that have compromised on quality. Apps unable to handle rising loads, falling prey to cyberattacks, losing out on precious users, and providing poor user experiences are all becoming common. Apps that focus purely on quality from a functional standpoint are realizing the impact of the gaps and catching up on non-functional test areas. Organizations that proactively invest in accessibility engineering and testing are reaping new possibilities, as they are able to accommodate the needs of a large user base, beyond just people with disabilities. Testers around the globe are proving that they can test smartly anytime, anywhere, thanks to the collaboration possibilities and infrastructure advancements with and without Cloud setups. Even apps that had a miserable start with poor quality, when global lockdowns were enforced, have been able to come back and accommodate for quality through adequate implementations and testing. They have shown that through effective testing, quality can be brought back, even if late in the game.

COVID-19 has showcased the importance of testing in everything we do—both literally and with how business landscapes are dynamic and may change overnight. In such situations, quality, supported by adequate testing, will be a saving grace that enables products and apps to be resilient and withstand testing times.

Reposted from the original article QA InfoTech wrote for TechWell.

E-Commerce Testing: Top 5 Checkpoints to Boost User Experience

E-Commerce Testing: Top 5 Checkpoints to Boost User Experience

How to Boost User Experience Through Ecommerce Testing

E-commerce is undoubtedly the most flourishing business domain that is growing exponentially across the globe. Nowadays, online shopping is not just a trend; rather it has become a necessity for customers. With exceptionally high competition in e-commerce sphere, it is imperative for vendors to think beyond their static websites and launch a mobile application that can ease online purchases for customers.

According to the e-commerce statistics revealed by various marketing reports, mobile e-commerce sales accounts for 70.4% of the total e-commerce sales.

5 Major Checkpoints of E-commerce Testing

E-commerce application testing is quite challenging because there are a lot of new builds on daily basis and vast functionalities which includes payment gateways integration and other crucial features.

Hence, usage of a comprehensive testing framework is much needed. Pricing, discounts, product description, transactions and a lot of things are there that need to be tested by independent testing partners. Compromising even a bit in quality can result into losing your potential customers. On top of this, one small bug can cost hundreds of dollars and vanish the brand reputation in a jiffy.

So, let’s look at some of the checkpoints that can make an application better from user perspective. These checkpoints by e-Commerce App testing services are not intended towards the traditional end to end testing but enhance user experience so that customers can keep coming back to your mobile application whenever they shop online.

Below are some of the very important but not so common checkpoints while testing e-commerce applications.

1. Lower the Bounce Rate

It is rightly said that “First Impression is the last impression”. So, page load time is always a top priority when it comes to e-commerce applications.

Most of you might already be aware with the common checklist of e-commerce testing. But do you know whenever we use any e-commerce application what is the first thing which decides that user will stay on the application or not? Well, it’s the ‘application page load time’ – a USP that most businesses tend to forget while outsourcing their e-commerce testing to any QA testing vendor.

According to a recent study published by Google, 53% of clicks never resulted in a page view when the page took more than 3 seconds to load. So the simple fact for retaining your customers is – you have to be very fast.

2. KISS – Keep it Short and Simple

Once the application loads flawlessly, most of the users perform the following three actions:

  • User navigates to registration page
  • User searches a product
  • User clicks on any product link

So, how can you verify the registration fields? Well, we all know about the most common things like validating the name, email address, or password. But, the most important thing from a user perspective is: your registration form should be as simple and as short as possible.

Most of the businesses still go forward with a very lengthy registration form which includes fields like – Company name, Job title, DOB, secondary email address and several other non-essential details which sometimes annoy users. But now, in most of the successful mobile apps, you will see only 4 fields in registration form: Name, Email, Mobile number & password.

Being a tester doesn’t mean that you just need to test applications, you can always act as a Business Analyst and put yourself in the shoes of a customer.

3. Come up with the right result

If we talk about ‘Search’ functionality, this is one of the most highly used feature in any e-commerce application. For instance – when you perform a Google search, even if you are not aware with the exact spelling of the product, you know that Google will always come up with the right result. Isn’t it?

So that should be the case when we test search feature in an e-commerce application. There should be proper tagging and metadata which can make search engine smart enough to identify the product the user is trying to search for even if it is spelt incorrectly.

Another thing that needs to be thoroughly tested here is the “Auto Suggestion” feature that automatically provides suggestions to users as they begin typing their search query.

4. Keep Engaging Customers

Once a customer has landed on the search result page, another set of highly critical features to test includes sorting, filtering and pagination. And, if we go in-depth, some of the websites are shifting their focus from pagination to infinity scroll. Infinity scroll not only makes the user experience easy but also keeps a user engaged for a long time by showing more results as user scrolls down the screen.

5. Use Cookies Effectively

Another scenario that should be considered while performing e-commerce testing is the use of cookies. Many of us already know how cookies are stored locally when we visit a webpage.

But, when we talk about an e-commerce website, cookies are stored on the cloud as well. So, at a future date or even from another device:

  • Your home page knows which products you have visited previously
  • Your shopping cart can remember what items you stored in the past

And, with the help of cookies, you can test the functionality of ‘recommended products’.

In addition to all the above points, there are several more functionalities that need to be tested as part of testing e-commerce websites. It is important to remember that crux of e-commerce testing is not just to find a cluster of bugs and throw it to the developer waiting for them to be fixed. Rather, the actual focus lies in making the e-commerce application better from user perspective. To accomplish this, you need assistance of an E-commerce testing services provider that can help you ensure the functionalities of your application truly enhance the user experience of your customers.

Need Of Efficient E-Commerce App Testing In Corona Times

Need Of Efficient E-Commerce App Testing In Corona Times

Benefits of e-commerce app testing

The coronavirus imposed lockdown and the unstable global economical and commercial situation has seen a change in the mindset of consumers. No longer are they opting to visit malls and stores for their everyday purchases. Instead business is booming online. E-commerce or online sales are scrambling to brace the impact of this global pandemic by taking the help of e-commerce app testing services.

Statistically, global online sales or e-commerce has seen a sudden spike. In the US alone, June online sales grew by around 76%. Notably, the sales of specific products like toilet paper, sanitizers, antiseptic liquids, surface cleaners, medicines, groceries etc., saw some of the highest increase in sales during the COVID-19 pandemic. Across the world, e-commerce companies are playing a key role in ensuring people stay safe within their homes yet their daily needs get catered to.

Another positive side of this e-commerce boom is the preservation of jobs during the ongoing period of health and economic crisis. They are even creating new job opportunities in these trying times. The increase in popularity of e-commerce or online shopping is evident from the current online search patterns. With almost all countries worldwide keen on preventing the spread of the infection by encouraging social distancing and limiting physical contact between individuals, the digital economy is fast becoming the mainstay of many businesses and households alike.

Drawbacks to COVID-19 impact on e-commerce

But with this sudden spike, two conditions have also developed. They are:

  • Online businesses were not prepared to take on this sudden spike in popularity and usage and
  • Hackers are having a field day with all the confidential data currently available online.

In the first instance, the internet or World Wide Web played spoilsport as it did not have the required bandwidth to handle such a huge influx of consumers. The need for the internet heightened considerably with people being forced to stay back at home and work from home. Additionally, with people going online to cater to their daily needs, the internet was ill-prepared for such a huge onslaught of usage.

For the hackers, the sudden spike in e-commerce sales proved to be a goldmine that demanded to be explored. The e-commerce websites were ill-equipped to prevent a breach of data in some instances. Very recently an e-learning app was forced to take extreme measures as their database got hacked and valuable customer data stolen.

Thus to prevent such a security threat from materializing, e-commerce apps have been resorting to e-commerce app testing services. Thus these services too witnessed a spike. But to understand the COVID-19 implications of an e-commerce app, it is important to understand the different e-commerce apps present.

Types of e-commerce apps

Most e-commerce apps can be divided into 5 different categories. They include:

1. B2C or business 2 customer e-commerce: The main focus of these apps is directly on the end customers. They cater to these consumers by maintaining a virtual store and delivering the ordered products directly to the customer after selection and payment. Some common B2C apps are Amazon, Uber, and LinkedIn etc.

2. B2B or business 2 business e-commerce: Herein goods are provided to another business using the online platform. This category is not as popular as the B2C customer e-commerce category.

3. C2C or customer to customer e-commerce: While this is a relatively old concept, it is only now that it is fast catching up. Herein, individuals sell their products directly to customers using the online platform.

4. C2B or customer to business e-commerce: This type of business is common among freelancers, web designers, artists etc. These people sell products and services directly to big companies.

5. C2A or customer to administration e-commerce: The sales herein happen from consumer to any public administration.

6. C2C or customer to customer e-commerce: Herein trading happens between consumers using a money exchange medium like PayPal, Gpay etc.

All e-commerce apps fall under one of the above categories. The selection of the e-commerce app thus depends on the type of e-commerce business the owner wants to cater to.

Criticality of testing e-commerce apps

E-commerce today deals with a lot of different segments like finance, auction, marketing, manufacturing, wholesale and retail etc. The past few months have seen a huge spike in its popularity but e-commerce was set to show a predicted growth even before that. Thus to absorb this spike, websites and mobile apps need to be tested to reduce chances of failures. Some important reasons for testing e-commerce apps include:

  • App usability,
  • Interface user-friendliness,
  • Errors and mistakes etc.

There is also a mandatory need to comply with QA standards set by statutory bodies. These compliances enable an e-commerce app to show commitment, maintain product quality and ensure a superlative experience. Some of the important things that e-commerce app testing services offer to ensure security and quality of e-commerce apps and services are:

  • Functionality of the app: There are 4 important elements associated with an e-commerce app. They are:
  1. Main pages that include the Home Page, the Product Page, the Add to Cart and Checkout pages, the Special Offers Page etc.,
  2. Category or product type pages,
  3. Product descriptions and
  4. The shopping cart.

Initiating functional testing on the app or the e-commerce website enables developers to understand if the app is functioning properly and in an error-free manner.

  • Application workflow testing: To understand if the complete workflow of the e-commerce app is working properly, the following features also need to be tested. They include:
  1. Signup and login options,
  2. Search,
  3. Product review feature,
  4. Application of filters for choosing specific products,
  5. Sorting feature,
  6. The add or remove functionality of the shopping cart,
  7. Checking out process,
  8. Payment options,
  9. Generation of order no and invoice etc.
  • Payment gateway functionality testing: This is another important aspect of the e-commerce app that needs testing. This functionality testing should be carried out several times to ensure that:
  1. The product details including its price, tax, shipping charges, discounts are properly added so that the customer can pay the correct price,
  2. Payment processing can be done smoothly and in a hassle-free manner,
  3. Invoice generation is properly done and the same is sent via emails,
  4. Refund processes including refund receipts and emails for the same are working properly.
  • Security and cyber vulnerability testing: E-commerce apps are vulnerable to cyber attacks as they hold valuable customer banking and payment data. Thus security testing of the app forms a criticality that no one can afford to ignore. Testing methods generally used include ethical hacks, SQL injections etc. The pages that need to be tested for security and cyber threat vulnerability are registration and login, payment options and gateways etc.
  • Web browser compatibility: Many different users make use of search engines that are different from Google. They include Firefox, Opera, Safari, Internet Explorer etc. Thus e-commerce app testing services need to account for testing the functionality of the e-commerce apps so that all users enjoy a good experience irrespective of the browser used.
  • Mobile responsiveness testing: Today smartphones are fast overtaking desktops and laptops in popularity. Thus all apps need to be tested for mobile optimization. Most companies take a mobile-first approach to ensure e-commerce app success. Thus the app responsiveness vis-à-vis the different screen sizes needs to be tested for a good mobile experience.
  • Performance testing: This needs to be done to check if important parameters related to the website and its pages are working properly. These parameters include:
  1. Speed of webpage loading,
  2. Data transfer rate,
  3. Efficiency and uptime,
  4. Traffic load tolerance,
  5. Database performance,
  6. Throughput and
  7. Error or failure messages etc.

Also Read: Top 6 Trends in Mobile App Testing Services

Implementing SEO techniques imparts higher visibility to the e-commerce app and subsequently, this leads to better conversions and leads. Thus such SEO strategies like Meta tags, Meta descriptions, title tags, image alt tags, URL structure etc. also need to be tested for their proper implementation.

  • Social media integration: Social media has contributed hugely to the success of e-commerce apps. Thus the developer needs to ensure that the website architecture, workflow etc., is aligned with social media integration. Thus integration testing enables e-commerce app testing services providers to understand if APIs related to the same are working properly.

Thus the testing types that need to be applied to an e-commerce app to check and ensure its functionality and utility are:

  1. Functional testing,
  2. Performance testing,
  3. Usability testing,
  4. App testing,
  5. Database testing,
  6. A/B testing
  7. Security testing

There is no doubt that e-commerce app testing contributes hugely to its success. It ensures the reduction of such errors and failures that have the potency to crop up when it is being used by consumers.

Benefits of e-commerce app testing

There are several key advantages to enabling the testing of the e-commerce app like:

  • Improvement in the conversion rates leading to the strengthening of  business,
  • Increase in the release of updated versions so that the app can be kept upgraded to reflect the current user buying habits,
  • Facilitation of cost-cutting by:
  1. Improving the quality of the e-commerce app,
  2. Testing before launch so that errors and failures, if any, can be detected and
  3. Huge reduction in unsatisfied customers etc.

Retail is a highly evolving, volatile and dynamic industry. Thus it is recommended that e-commerce apps be tested before their launch. This ensures app success and enables the website owner to capitalize on the growing need for online retail. 

 

How To Select The Best Tools For Cross-platform Mobile App Development

How To Select The Best Tools For Cross-platform Mobile App Development

Best Tools For Cross-Platform Mobile App Development

Earlier, organizations used to rely on a single device to run business. However, things have now changed significantly. Now enterprises need to cater to multiple devices at the same time. From tablets and smartphones to wearables, businesses are leveraging multiple devices and platforms to keep the operations efficient and smooth.

Amid increasing multi-device requirements, IT teams are now under constant pressure to come up with cross-platform applications that can render support to both iOS and Android devices simultaneously. This is also one of the reasons that engineers are now leveraging cross-platform mobile app development tools that can increase the efficiency of app development in the long run.

Java was launched way back in the 90s to ease out the workflow of developers as it could work anywhere. Modern IT teams are also looking for a solution that is capable of working in multi-environments including iOS, Android, Web, and other platforms seamlessly. An efficient cross-platform app development tool can help in expediting speed-to-market by simplifying development.

Cross-platform mobile app development can be segregated majorly into two categories:

Cross-Platform Hybrid Tools

These hybrid tools rely on popular technologies including JavaScript, CSS, and HTML5. They assist in developing apps that run within a native container of required devices. These codes help in speeding up the development process by splitting between different platforms. Most importantly, unlike native approaches, cross-platform hybrid tools are also cheaper.

Popular Tools

Some of the most popular hybrid tools include Apache Cordova, Framework7, Search Ext Js, Adobe PhoneGap, and Ionic among others. 

Cordova is one of the most common tools that is used to develop peer cross-platform hybrid tools including Framework7, Ext JS, and Ionic. Both Cordova and PhoneGap emerged from a 2008 project led by engineers of a web development company called Nitobi. However, after Adobe took over Nitobi, PhoneGap became an Adobe product and Cordova transformed into an open source Apache tool. Despite the split, both platforms have too many similarities.

Some tools use languages like HTML and JavaScript to mobile app development for a smoother process. It also helps businesses with a web infrastructure to easily transition to mobile apps with minimal efforts. Developers can also use these tools in an integrated app development framework including Xcode, Visual Studio, and Eclipse.

These cross-platform hybrid tools also bring other crucial attributes. For instance, Ext Js enables end-to-end app building with Sencha Architect that supports the drag-and-drop feature. Developers can generate an app by using ExtGen. It is Ext JS’s command-line tool. On the other hand, Sencha Cmdon assists with lifecycle management and ExtBuildis helps in transpiring and building apps.

Also Read: Why React Native Is An Efficient Solution For Hybrid App Development

Cross-Platform Native Tools 

Cross-platform native tools act as a perfect blend of native and hybrid approaches of the app development. They leverage intermediate languages including JavaScript and C# to develop multi-platform apps. These apps leverage the native UI controller. It is opposite to the hybrid approach but helps in using the full potential of device features to deliver top-notch performance.

But the catch here is that the development with cross-platform native tools is more difficult and can increase your time-to-market deadline. Its performance is also inferior to true native apps.

Popular Tools

Some of the popular cross-platform native tools include Xamarin, Appcelerator, React Native, NativeScript, and Flutter among others. However, these tools vary from each other in several ways. The majority of the tools enable app development by leveraging JavaScript. However, some tools including Flutter use Dart and C# is used by Xamarin. 

All these tools also have different custom coding requirements, availability of libraries, maturity, app performance, and development effort. 

Advantages

Here are other advantages of using cross-platform mobile app development tools.

  • Single development tool reduces the overall cost and learning curve for developers
  • A single development team can easily handle the development of platform irrespective of the type of mobile devices
  • Cross-platform tools are designed to assist development teams in creating state-of-art features including bar code scanning, image recognition, data connection, and text voice. These features are required by all modern mobile applications

Small businesses and startups often work on a shoestring budget that in most cases can’t enable separate iOS and Android app development. Cross-platform applications are the only option if you are on a tight budget. Now, even large organizations are leveraging cross-platform apps for smaller projects to enhance operational efficiency.

In Summary

Different organizations have different mobile app requirements. Businesses should pick a cross-platform mobile development tool that meets specific business goals. For instance, startups and small companies should focus on launching an app at the earliest without having to pay for an expensive development team.

Also Read: iOS vs React Native App Development: Which is Better? 

Midsize businesses with a few hundreds of employees might need to deal with complicated costumes needs. For that, they need a cross-platform app developed with technologies including Xamarin and Titanium where everything is easily migrated to the mobile platform.

DevLabs is a leading cross-platform mobile app development service provider. Talk to our experts to know how we can help you.

Improving DevTools accessibility in Microsoft Edge

Improving DevTools accessibility in Microsoft Edge

Improving web development accessibility in MS Edge

Microsoft Edge has evolved as a browser over the years, eventually replacing Internet Explorer. The latter had debuted more than two decades ago, along with Windows 95. Microsoft Edge is faster, robust and secure and its latest edition is developed on the Chromium platform which benefits the users to obtain similar features that are offered by its competitor Chrome browser. 

The users can experience features designed as per the standards for web services. However, Microsoft will not be incorporating Edge to the previous versions of Windows. It is presently available in Windows 10. Besides, the users will not be able to use Edge in any other operating system apart from Windows. Presently, web development accessibility in MS Edge constitutes a significant aspect of priority for developers.

It is quite evident that web developers have acknowledged the importance of making the web accessible to its users. In the digitized age, people spend more time in cyberspace, as compared to what they used to do a decade ago. Eventually, the Dev Tools accessibility has improved manifold in recent years.

Why is web development accessibility necessary in browsers?

A study reveals that approximately 50% of computer users in the US use AT (assistive technology) for some time. The AT users may be having some kind of cognitive or physical disabilities. Some of them may have a vision or hearing loss, or temporary injuries. Besides, some of the users may have other impairments, which prevent them from taking advantage of all the features. Through web development accessibility enhancement, Microsoft can offer its products to a wider range of users.

Microsoft, along with its dedicated team of designers and developers, has upheld its commitment to its users. You would come across some of the brand-new web development accessibility features, that has enhanced the usability and experience significantly.

Microsoft Edge’s new web development accessibility enhancements

Microsoft Edge’s DevTools team has made around 170 changes to deal with aspects like keyboard, high-impact colour contrast and screen reader problems. With these, developers will find it easy to use DevTools. Have a look into the new web development accessibility features in MS Edge.

  • Developers using DevTools through screen readers like Narrator or NVDA, or screen readers would find it easy to navigate between the tabs. They would also be able to get detailed information within the respective panes.
  • Besides, it offers features through which one can access performance details and breakpoints.
  • In certain cases, Edge has reimagined the tools, developing the same from the scratch. You might have noticed the Initiator tab, through which stack traces can be made accessible. The user simply needs to move them into their own tab, out of the hover elements. Presently, you will find the stack traces in a more compatible format with AT.
  • You might have also noted that Microsoft Edge has enhanced the ratio of colour contrasts in the user interface of DevTools. As a result, you can visualize different information and data charts in various ways, apart from simply the colour.

The features mentioned above are available in MS Edge browser for Windows 10. These web development accessibility features are also available for legacy Windows like 7, 8 and 8.1, apart from Mac OS X and Chrome.

Additional web development accessibility features in MS Edge

In addition to the attributes mentioned above, developers of MS Edge have also incorporated certain changes in its UX and features. These include:

  • Supporting high-contrast mode for MS Edge’s DevTools.
  • Incorporating necessary tools to support websites with high contrast, which are debugged. In this process, developers on Mac and Windows platforms are able to examine high-contrast layouts.
  • Ensuring that their DevTools adhere to the accessibility recommendations, that have been mentioned as per WCAG 2.1 standards.

The users can now download MS Edge’s stable version. This version comes with all these web development accessibility features.

Assistive technology in MS Edge to enhance compatibility

Microsoft has prioritized inclusivity in developing software in recent years. With fresh features incorporating more sophistication in Edge, web development accessibility is here to increase. In 2020, Microsoft has announced a wide array of features that would strengthen DevTools accessibility in its browser.

In February 2020, MS Edge incorporated as many as ten localized languages to its developer tools. This, along with other features, is likely to help developers relying on AT (assistive technology) to carry out their work.

Compatibility with keyboard and screen readers

Regardless of whether you are accessing Edge through a screen reader or a keyboard, moving between panes or tabs (within the coding environment of the browser) has become easier. Particularly, developers would find this feature effective during debugging. In case you are in this industry, you should know how painstaking the debugging process is to developers with or without any impairment. Particularly, enhancing features like breakpoints enable the developers to probe the code conveniently after pausing.

Microsoft has also announced that it will come up with new tools to streamline the process of developing web pages and tools.

With more enhancements to be made, Microsoft has acknowledged that a lot more needs to be done, so that they can enhance web development accessibility. Presently, the experts are carrying out research to add support for high-contrast modes. This would be beneficial for developers who have a weak eyesight. In the process, they would find it easier to differentiate between elements in the coding environment of the browser. Therefore, they would not have to use assistive technology. The developers will also be able to decipher the text easily in this process.

In a nutshell, Microsoft is working to enhance web development accessibility in Edge DevTools to fulfil the WCAG 2.1 specifications.

To overcome the shortcomings, the company is deliberately making an effort to include in-built accessibility features in its software products. You might consider Steam in this instance, the tool for video sharing, that enables the users to annotate live footage. In the process, the users can auto-generate transcripts or captions to help individuals with difficulty in hearing to follow the Steam videos in the training facility or workplace. In the Stable channel, you will find the Microsoft Edge version with the latest web development accessibility features.

How to use DevTools in other languages?

As a developer, you might be using certain other tools, such as VS Code or StackOverflow in your respective native language. This might be different from English. With the localization of DevTools for MS Edge, one can now carry out the proceedings in languages other than English. These include:

  • French
  • Italian
  • Chinese
  • Russian
  • Korean
  • German
  • Japanese
  • Spanish
  • Portuguese

In order to change the preferred language, you need to go to ‘Settings’ and then to ‘Languages’.

How to find web development accessibility features in MS Edge?

Here are some of the new web development accessibility features in MS Edge. You will also find a detailed guideline on how you can find these options when you use it.

1. Webhint Microsoft Edge Extension

Now, with new web development accessibility features available, the users will be able to scan their web pages to get feedback on different aspects. These include:

  • Performance
  • Security
  • Browser compatibility
  • Accessibility

Many developers are now installing the Web Hint browser extension in the browser. You will find this option under the Hints tab in DevTools. In MS Edge, you may try out this browser extension. When you install it, simply select the Hints tab after opening DevTools. After this, a customizable site scan has to be run to get the necessary options.

2. 3D View

The developers can use the 3D view option to debug the application. In order to do this, you need to navigate through the DOM (Document Object Model). Alternatively, you can navigate through the z-index stacking context. In order to find this option, go to edge://flags. Then, set the flag as ‘Enabled’. Now you simply need to restart Microsoft Edge. Open the DevTools and click on F1, or you can go to the Experiments section from the ‘Settings’ option. Check the 3D View checkbox and enable the same. Now, you need to enter the combination ‘press Ctrl + Shift + P’ and select Show 3D View from 3D view.

3. Visual Studio Code extensions

The DevTools team has come up with some extensions for VS Code (Visual Studio Code). This will enable the developers to use the features of DevTools from the text editor directly. The users have to use the Elements tool, available in VS Code. However, it is necessary to add Elements for Microsoft Edge at the outset.

4. Visual Studio integration

In order to debug Edge’s JavaScript in versions 16.2 or later of Visual Studio 2019, Visual Studio debugger will prove handy. In order to do this, you have to download Visual Studio 2019. Developers should be knowing that Visual Studio comes with the option to launch the web app in Microsoft Edge Beta, Dev or Canary.

5. Tracking prevention Console messages

In Microsoft Edge, you will come across a unique feature called tracking prevention. This protects the developers from getting tracked by websites that they have never visited in the past. This is a default prevention for tracking, set in the Balanced mode. In the process, developers can block third-party trackers, as well as malicious trackers. This is one of the recent web development accessibility enhancements in MS Edge. In the process, you can enjoy a balanced experience between web compatibility and privacy. When Edge blocks a tracker, the user gets a warning message.

No wonder, the new web development accessibility features in Microsoft Edge have enhanced the user experience significantly. Knowing that developers count on fresh technologies to ease up their work, Microsoft has incorporated these sophistications. New features are on the way, and developers acknowledge that they find it easier to use the browser presently, as compared to the past. 

Use of Predictive Analytics in Integrated Software Testing

Use of Predictive Analytics in Integrated Software Testing

Predictive Analytics Solutions

There has been a gradual shift in focus with regards to software development. While it still is requirement based, more weightage is now being put on making it customer-centric. This change in approach has given rise to the need for predictive analytics solutions. Predictive analytics educates developers about customer opinions thereby making digital transformation an easier and easily achievable process, provided the other parameters are correct.

Today predictive analytics is a widely applied concept. Almost all industries and businesses derive the references required to make informed and effective business decisions from it. With traditional QA taking on more responsibilities, and quality and speed becoming imperative deliverables, taking an analytics-based approach:

  • Enables developers to predict future failure possibilities,
  • Helps extract critical project or business based information,
  • Helps to generate patterns to make an estimation of future trends easy and
  • Enables QA to take proactive decisions.

Thus implementation of predictive analytics solutions helps developers to analyze historical data and predict resource usage and user behaviour, moderate testing behaviour etc.

The need for quality within a short span of time tends to put greater pressure on software developers. They are tasked with improving software accuracy and quality within a short time. Thus they have to foresee and correct beforehand the challenges and failures that are likely to crop up when using the software. The biggest advantage of using predictive analytics is that it can predict future failures based on the analysis of historical data sources. This benefits software developers and testers who can create test scenarios based on the predictions made by the application of predictive analytics solutions.

What is predictive analytics?

Simply speaking it refers to making predictions of unknown future events based on data analytics. This is achieved by making use of 6 important techniques which are:

  • Data mining,
  • Modelling,
  • Artificial intelligence,
  • Statistical algorithms,
  • Machine learning and
  • Statistics.

The implementation of predictive analytics solutions is considered to be quite a reliable method of:

  • Forecasting future developments, trends, faults and failures,
  • Responding to upcoming challenges proactively and
  • Capitalizing on future trends.

Key benefits of implementing predictive analytics to integrated software testing

Integrated software testing involves combining individual software testing units so that they can be tested as one single group. This helps expose faults or errors that can potentially occur when these individual units interact with each other. Thus integrated software testing helps determine the accuracy of the interacting interface between individual testing units and is hence done only after these units have been tested individually.

In integrated software testing multiple testing activities are performed using multiple tools. Each testing tool works and stores testing logs and data in silos. Implementing predictive analytics within this integration framework helps optimize cost, effort and money.

This approach can be deployed for both in-line and off-line production test optimization. The practice of extracting information available in data sets enables predictive analytics to forecast the likelihood of failures and errors in software used by customers. Combining historical data analytics with customer feedback gives its predictions the desired reliability. It also helps software development teams to perform better risk assessment thereby eradicating situations which can give rise to errors or failures. Thus by exploiting large datasets of relevant test data and logs more smartly, predictive analytics can easily transform current testing procedures making software applications customer-centric and qualitatively superlative.

Traditional testing techniques, in vogue so far, put up several challenges for developers which hampered the quality of the software developed by:

  • Creating gaps between the final product and client expectations as usage patterns were ignored and more focus was placed on the technicalities involved, the commercial aspect etc.,
  • Failing to adapt to real-time learnings due to absence of feedback loop.
  • Being inward-focused and thus lacking in major details and
  • Focusing more on functional testing and disregarding customer satisfaction.

Predictive analytics, on the other hand, helped solve almost all of these challenges by:

Understanding user behavior patterns: To ensure superlative customer experience, their behavioural patterns need to be understood and analyzed. This encompasses several factors like user reaction to a previously followed specific pattern, their response to a particular event or a series of events etc. This information is further evaluated to understand:

  • Potential areas vulnerable to bugs,
  • Events that can lead up to the formation of this bug and
  • Reasons which can give rise to the same.

Thus an understanding of the user’s behavioural pattern enables the testers to modify their testing methodologies so that the possibility of the occurrence of the bug can be reduced. Furthermore, when testers have to perform cross-browser website testing, predictive analytics can help them choose the most appropriate browsers to ensure there is no lacuna in testing the website in commonly used browsers.

Making QA more customer-centric: For the applications to be customer-centric, consumer sentiment and the current overall market scenario needs to be understood. The application of predictive analytics helps traditional QA become customer-centric by focusing on certain key areas like compatibility issues, functional issues, security issues, performance issues etc. Thus it becomes easy to deliver contemporary solutions thereby enabling a superlative user experience.

Enabling prioritized testing activities: When software is developed and subsequently processed, massive amounts of information are generated. These comprise mostly defect logs, production incidents, test cases and results, project documentation, application log files and other such things concerning QA. Storage of this information is required so that it can be properly analysed for further improvisations. Predictive analytics solutions, when applied to this data enables software testing to become optimized and achieve better test coverage by:

  • Evaluating its impact on user experience,
  • Aligning test scenarios and
  • Identifying issue patterns etc.

Defect data root cause analysis can also be enabled to predict application break down points with the identification of hotspots or weak spots within the application. Further optimization of the application development workflow process can speed up the development process.

Boosting of testing efficiency: Generally, QA teams use relevant tools, constantly keep monitoring the application log files and keep generating test scripts to ensure early detection of potential application defects and failures. This is called the shift-left approach in software testing and it ensures early error detection thereby reducing the occurrence of potential defects in the future. This approach gets a massive boost with the use of predictive analytics. For robust application delivery, this boost in testing techniques ensures the delivery of a compatible and secure application to the customer or client. Thus both the objectives of digital transformation and better customer experience are satisfied.

Resource management: Developing software applications requires a team effort for its successful planning, resource gathering, developing, testing and deployment. Each of these stages takes a certain amount of time which can be predicted by implementing predictive analytics solutions on historical data. The resource can accordingly be assigned and the software can be developed with greater efficiency.

Reduces time to market: Data processing in predictive analytics requires multiple algorithms like machine learning, regression algorithms and time series analysis. The complexities of QA and software testing emerge from the involvement of several dependent variables; all of which need to be efficiently managed to ensure compliance with the result expectations. The use of predictive analytics makes this rather easy by streamlining software testing activities and improving their performance.

Thus predictive analytics is that catalyst which when applied enables better QA and business decision making based on proven data points. Predictive analytics is a repetitive process as data generation occurs constantly during software development and thus needs to be continuously analyzed. This analysis adds value to the final output.

Today digital transformation is causing business dynamics to change. QA is playing a central role in this. There is no scope for error and every effort is being made to bring down the costs and efforts involved in software testing. Predictive analytics is the key which will ultimately make businesses deliver quality products faster.

How does predictive analytics help software testing?

The demand for reliability and speed in software testing has increased manifold. The bar has been set very high and today consumers demand only the best. Thus even minor details cannot be left out of testing. This is where the implementation of predictive analytics solutions can help developers and testers and ultimately the software development itself. There are a lot of advantages and benefits involved in using predictive analytics. They are:

  • Software testing becomes more customer-centric,
  • Better analysis of data results in the accumulation of relevant data and information is wealth,
  • Enables sentimental analysis wherein customer sentiments collected by way of customer feedback is analyzed and the software developed accordingly,
  • Better detection of defects,
  • Test efficiency increases,
  • Helps analyze what is working and what is not to ensure better application efficiency,
  • Testing activity intuitions get simplified,
  • Time and money efficiency etc.

Predictive analytics use three major techniques or models to achieve the above. They are:

  • The predictive model,
  • The descriptive model and
  • The decision model.

The model to be applied or the predictive analytics approach to be taken depends on the expectations of the clients or his KPI requirements.

Predictive analytics is the future of integrated software testing. It overcomes challenges known till date and also has the potential to achieve better results in the future. What is known today is just the tip of the iceberg. There are many more potential uses and benefits yet to be discovered.

Importance of IoT Testing in a Hyperconnected World

Importance of IoT Testing in a Hyperconnected World

Why IoT Testing is Important

Times have changed. Both our professional and personal lives have upturned in the COVID-19 era. Technology has become the biggest facilitator in our lives now. The pandemic has broken several norms and people have now become more receptive to technology in their daily routine.

In the trying time of social distancing, people are trusting technology more than coming in close proximity to real people. Driverless cars, drone deliveries of online orders, and remote monitoring tools have become some of the major wishes of the global population. Schools and colleges have adopted the eLearning model full-time to enable learning continuity for students. OTT is also picking momentum. Micro retailers are now on eCommerce platforms and robots are executing last-mile deliveries.

From manufacturing to healthcare services, organizations are trying to leverage technology to innovate solutions to operate efficiently in the pandemic. COVID-19 has made the world more connected than ever with the highly intertwined and always connected networks.

Internet of Things (IoT) has connected users, processes, and data to deliver a seamless experience. As per Statista, the number of installed IoT devices at present is pegged at over 20 billion. The figures are expected to increase exponentially to 43 billion by 2023, as stated in a McKinsey report.

Hence, it has become crucial for businesses to address the gaps in IoT devices. However, traditional QA methods are not sufficient anymore to address the challenges of modern IoT devices. It has become imperative to embed testing in the primary stages of development; especially for devices undergoing continuous integration.

Also Read: Top Software Testing Trends in 2020

Why do you need IoT testing? 

IoT is all about real-time sharing of data and collaboration. Performance issues in any part can adversely affect the performance of the rest of the network. One node compromised from a cyberattack can cripple others too.

Robust IoT testing brings predictability to the system and prevents unexpected glitches. You can easily identify weak nodes of the network in advance and take appropriate measures to make the system reliable. It will enable in delivering a flawless customer experience to the end-user.

The vulnerability of IoT devices will help you in identifying the robustness of data privacy and digital security. In the absence of bullet-proof cybersecurity, hackers can alter the process or fudge the data by gaining control of the IoT network. Therefore, it is imperative to thoroughly test the IoT device before every update.

Aside, the fragmented character of the IoT ecosystem makes the testing even more complicated. For this, you need to have large and reliable testing groups equipped with multiple platforms and devices to enable greater compatibility among different channels.

Apart from that, to ensure that the IoT applications work as per expectations, here are a few other factors that need to be considered:

  • Ensure a reliable connection of IoT devices with sensors, cloud, other IoT devices, and other elements required to facilitate a unified experience
  • Make sure that the IoT is capable of delivering continuity
  • Should be compliant with global regulations
  • Work harmoniously and seamlessly with other interconnected IoT devices
  • Data generated from the IoT should be safe from malware and other security vulnerabilities

Robust testing of IoT devices is the only efficient way to address the above-mentioned factors efficiently. The general QA approach in testing IoT devices is to have shorter testing periods to launch a reliable product with a faster time-to-market. Hence, it is essential to implement testing from the starting of the development phase to identify and rectify flaws at an early stage.

What makes Salesforce Development a Safe Bet for businesses?

What makes Salesforce Development a Safe Bet for businesses?

Why Salesforce Development is a Safe Bet for your businesses

For a business to be successful, its processes need to be streamlined. Thus CRM solutions, today, form an integral part of almost all business organizations. The utility of this smart cloud-computing technologically advanced business solution is such that organizational employees get smart access to business processes irrespective of their location. Thus the implementation of CRM solutions is practically and economically an extremely viable proposition.

Of all the CRM solutions available, Salesforce CRM has proven to yield the best results for business organizations. Salesforce development services are thus in great demand despite Salesforce CRM being  an expensive solution.

This demand arises because the benefits and advantages of the Salesforce CRM make its development a safe bet. Some of the important benefits that make Salesforce Development such a buzzing trend today are:

User-friendly Interface

While this app development includes technicalities like Visualforce, Apex etc., it can be easily used by both technical and non-technical people. Its user-friendly interface enables users to navigate easily throughout the app using its drag and drop and point-clicking facilities. Thus logging in, exploring and using the customized services that it offers is quite an easy exercise. With businesses consisting of people with varied professional qualifications, Salesforce CRM is popularly preferred.

Customer Performance Tracking

To stay on the top, businesses need to know what their competitors are doing. Features included in the Salesforce CRM enable effective tracking of competitor offerings by way of discounts and services etc., and also keep a tab on their performance. Thus Salesforce development services enable businesses to be better prepared to answer customer questions and come up with an effective plan to ensure their retention.

Business Forecast Performance Tracking

With Salesforce CRM, past performance tracking becomes quite easy. This helps businesses understand:

  • The market response to the current scenario and
  • Where and how they are currently positioned.

This understanding is crucial for planning future strategies and ensuring sustainable growth of the company profits.

Also Read: Why Salesforce Marketing Cloud in a gist?

Salesforce also has a feature appropriately known as the “Salesforce Einstein”, developed after its integration with AI. This efficiently enables businesses to

  • Predict and forecast performance,
  • Analyze and estimate important derivatives like marketing statistics etc. and
  • Formulate predictive reports on company positioning in the market, its development track etc.   

Facilitates Strategic Development of Sales and Marketing

Salesforce development services promise spectacular features for each of the different business verticals. Features like the Marketing Cloud and the Sales Cloud are of immense use to the sales and marketing people. Using them they can easily develop:

  • Calendars,
  • Customized reports,
  • Dashboards,
  • Email features etc.

This helps them improvise their sales and marketing strategies thereby improving their performance and enabling them to:

  • Capitalize on available opportunities,
  • Enable lead conversions,
  • Crack deals,
  • Facilitate customer growth,
  • Outperform sales targets easily and
  • Enhance revenue generation.

Enhanced Communication and Collaboration

The Salesforce CRM comes equipped with an exhaustive cloud service. Coupled with this other features like the ‘Chatter’ feature facilitate better collaboration within the organization and even outside it. Thus organizations using Salesforce development services have employees who are better updated about the workings of their organization and are also able to ensure superlative customer relations by dealing effectively and efficiently with their requests, queries, demands, transaction status, deliveries, feedback etc.

Enables App Development

This app can design business-specific mobile and web apps. It plays a major role in its designing and development so that a variety of business activities can be easily carried out using them. These creative Salesforce development services help the business improve on its parameters, standards and values thereby boosting its reputation in the market.

Another feature known as the “AppExchange” present within the Salesforce CRM enables businesses to sell and purchase applications. Thus Salesforce is a force to reckon with where CRM solutions are concerned since it has now become the one-stop-shop for all business needs.

Mobile Business Development

Smartphones play a significant role in the success of a business. The Salesforce app is also mobile optimized. Thus employees can process their activities even through their mobiles. They can also stay updated on sales and leads that are currently trending, real-time business news, views, strategies and decisions etc. This mobile optimization, thus, enables employees of an organization to stay updated irrespective of their location and enables them to capitalize on available sales opportunities better.

Also Read: Salesforce App Development – Balance Performance With end to end Functionality Testing

Facilitates Better Integrations

Different businesses use different platforms, services etc. Salesforce CRM APIs along with their development services can integrate these different platforms and services better. This increases their utility making them almost indispensable for businesses that want to grow and stay profitable.

Other features like easy accessibility, scalability, enhanced security, lesser implementation period etc., ensure better management of daily business operations. By streamlining business operations using Salesforce development services all businesses can expand their reach thereby ensuring better ROI in the process. Thus Salesforce Development is certainly a safe bet for businesses.

 

Functional Testing Relevant Even in the Times of Automation Testing

Functional Testing Relevant Even in the Times of Automation Testing

Functional testing services can help create the perfect testing environments

There is always the discussion that automated testing will replace functional testing (or manual testing). Automation is considered to be more efficient and allows testing at a scale and level manual testing may not be able to replicate. 

One of the most followed arguments is that functional testing is too expensive. Automated testing is cheaper, faster, and is capable of delivering the same results. Despite these assumed advantages, everyone has realized that automated testing still cannot replace functional testing. Functional testing services are as relevant and important as ever and they are here to stay.

The Need for Automated Testing

There are many areas where the need for automated testing cannot be challenged. This includes:

Handling Time-Consuming Tasks

Every time a change is made to an app, it needs to be checked for proper functioning. This means re-checking all the functionalities of the app repetitively. Automated regression testing helps detect new bugs with much lesser efforts, thus saving time.

Handling Repetitive Tasks

Automated tests are flexible in nature. They help save valuable time by handling repetitive tasks. Automation is a great alternative in scenarios where the same operations keep getting executed repetitively.

Testing Load & Performance

Functional testing doesn’t provide an alternative for testing load and performance. On the other hand, automation can simulate thousands of users at the same time. Automation is an overarching umbrella that can extend to all testing attributes, including some of the heavily human centric areas such as accessibility, thanks to advancements in technology, including AI and ML

Testing Advanced GUI Systems

Automated GUI tests can help identify and record behavioral differences between platforms. Automation can also detect regression errors more effectively.

Automation also helps eliminate human errors. But there are many areas where functional testing is considered the best option. This includes areas of user interfaces, especially the visual aspects, early development stage, short-term projects, and scenarios that are non-automatable.

Why Can Automated Testing Not Replace Functional Testing?

Functional testing is here to stay and there are many reasons why automated testing cannot replace it. The most important reasons functional testing services will continue to be essential are as follows:

i. You Cannot Automate Usability Testing

A human element is a necessity in usability testing. A computer cannot be programmed to identify good usability from bad usability. It is also not possible to skip usability testing.

Usability testing brings confidence in the QA process for the release of the product. There is literally no way that you can replace a human being from this part of the process.

ii. Automated Tests Can be Bug-Prone

Application code can have bugs. So can an automated test program. All types of automated tests can be written with bugs and errors. This means there is always the risk of false positives and negatives with automated testing.

This can significantly increase the risk of major issues for both your team and your clients. This is where the human element of functional testing services comes into the picture. Humans can identify such errors and ensure proper testing.

iii. Always Testing What is Predictable

Functional testing has the element of spontaneity. The same cannot be said for automated testing, because it can test only what is predictable and more importantly it is yet another piece of software – it is only as smart as we design it to be. This modern form of testing allows us to test only what we expect to happen. On the other hand, functional testing services can also test scenarios that are unpredictable.

In other words, automation is focused on functionalities that already exist. It is perfect for regression testing in environments where there are limited resources. However, resorting only to automated testing means that there will be loopholes and failures in the testing process.

iv. Technical Limitations Exist

Not all test scenarios can be automated. There are scenarios that are impossible to automate and require functional testing.

No matter how cost-effective and vast the scope of automated testing is, it cannot allow elaborate automation. Consider the scenario of testing different types of touch screen devices. The task of automating the experience of ‘tap’ and ‘swipe’ cannot be replicated in a way similar to human interaction; with advancements in technology this is slowly becoming possible, but still not very cost effective compared to functional testing. Functional testing will be required in such scenarios.

The human exploratory testing methodology cannot be replicated in the world of automated testing.

Why Is Functional Testing Still So Important?

The growth in the adoption of test automation has created an impression of functional testing being an outdated and pointless process. Automation tools can run an entire library of test cases in an instant. This makes it easy to come to the above-mentioned conclusion.

Despite these points, functional testing services are still as important and relevant as ever. And there are many reasons why?

The Need for Advanced Skills

Setting up the framework and developing the scripts requires advanced skills. You must have programming skills and an in-depth understanding of test design. Such skills take years to develop through experience in development and QA. Else, you will have to acquire an expert with such skills.

Most functional test cases are simple to run and can be readily learned. All you have to do is to follow the steps within the test case and check for consistency in the actual and expected results at a very basic level. It then gives you an opportunity to delve deeper into understanding the application flow and design creative test scenarios in line with user requirements, bringing in the critical and analytical mindset of a tester.

Regular Changes to Testing Scripts in Agile Environment

An agile environment entails regular feedback, requiring constant updates to the:

  • User Interface
  • Product Flow
  • Features

Any change means the automated scripts have to be rewritten before the next sprint.

These updates also have an impact on the scripts for regression testing. This can be concerning for the development team when evaluating where to invest its resources.

Easier Reproduction of Customer-Reported Issues

It is easy and quick for functional testing services to reproduce customer-reported issues. There is always space for customers to report issues and errors. Manual testers can readily use customer-based information to generate bug reports that can be submitted to the developer. The delay between a customer error reporting and a fix is much shorter in functional testing.

Better Understanding of the Whole Scenario

Another reason manual testing is still so relevant is that it helps you understand the whole scenario around the issue. Automated testing can certainly help you time in the long-term. It can also deliver quick results on a much broader level. However, functional testing services help you get deeper insights at different levels including emotional and conceptual levels. This can help you connect with the end-user in ways that automated testing cannot do. Emotional intelligence based testing is becoming very important as user centricity is becoming key in apps that are developed. These are best simulated and tested by functional testers, rather than sticking to just objective assertions.

User Interface Validations

Automated testing tools provide unmatched convenience in the areas of UI and Responsive testing. The tools validate test cases by checking the following:

  • Image placement
  • Element distance
  • Relative alignment between elements

This means there are many ways in which things like alignment between the menu and logo can get misinterpreted. When it comes to functional testing, such situations can be instantly detected.

Automation to Assist Functional Testing

Given all the above-mentioned reasons, it will be erroneous to claim that automated testing is set to replace functional testing at any point in time. Treating automation as the exact replication of functional testing is the most common mistake in a transition from functional testing services to automated testing.

There is also a widespread conception that functional testing requires constant effort and automation helps in reducing that effort. Automation requires a major but brief initial effort for learning the tool. This is followed by a long-term phase in developing tests and then the effort is focused only on maintaining the automated tests. The perception is that this effort is much less compared to managing functional testing.

However, this is what actually happens:

  • Functional effort is typically not constant over time
  • Automated testing may involve unexpected and significant refactoring, depending on the changes in the application under test and the quality of the automated code
  • Automation still requires lots of effort to automate the tasks

Most of the result is in the difference between the expected results and the actual results of automated testing.

Automated testing is expected to be much more cost-effective than functional testing. And it is so in the overall scenario. The fact is that automation doesn’t offer the same level of ROI for each and every step as offered by functional testing services. Some steps in a test are more complex and difficult to automate. Then there are other steps that have a higher degree of reusability.

So it is recommended to use functional testing in conjunction with automation to achieve optimal results. This can be achieved using the following strategy:

  • Break a test into tasks
  • Change the strategy from test automation to task automation
  • Automate a set of tasks, not the entire test
  • The list of tasks can be rated based on the effort required for manual execution and for automation

This helps you identify the set of tasks that provide higher ROI when automated.

So it is recommended to leverage the benefits of both functional testing and automation. Fucntional testing is here to stay and will continue to play an important role in the development lifecycle.

The best way to embrace automated testing is to make it an integral part of the planning process from the very beginning. It is important to keep the following two points in mind when doing so:

  • Automated testing cannot completely replace functional testing
  • Automated testing is not just regression support

You should be careful in the selection of testing tools, especially in the mobile app development environment. When automation is used properly, it can help free up resources, improve efficiency, and allow greater focus on product enhancement. And you can expect a greater ROI.

What is the Future?

Functional testing is not going anywhere, but it is always evolving. There will be an increased shift toward exploratory testing by functional testing services. This will be in conjunction with automation. There will be greater emphasis on exploratory testing in groups, involving fewer repetitive test cases. Functional testing is expected to step into an increasingly uncharted territory, where automated testing will take a lot of time to reach.

The result will be a significant increase in product quality. Most functional testing services are also expected to evolve to keep up with the growing demands. Smart testers will learn which tests are ideally suited for automation. Teams can certainly automate all permutations of data; the right testers will know the ones that provide the best value. This will help in reducing automation maintenance and run time and boost the ROI.

In Summary:

When it comes to the end-users, a product is only as good as the performance it delivers. Quality Assurance is the key to the success of a product. Even when thorough application testing is repeatable, it is important to include a certain degree of variation in the tests. Automation is perfect for running multiple, time-consuming tests. However, it is functional testing that helps explore use-cases that may not be immediately apparent. 

Whatever application tests you may decide to run, you need to strategize about the areas that need to be tested and how, even before the development process begins. And this is where great functional testing services can help create the perfect testing environments using the right combination of tools. It is also important to inculcate this as a mindset amongst engineers such that in the ideal space, automation testers are solid functional testers too and vice versa. Even if that is not the case with all engineers, a tight handshake between the two functions is important as one cannot exist without the other. 

Lessons the Software Community Must Take from the Pandemic

Lessons the Software Community Must Take from the Pandemic

Lessons the Software Industry Must Learn from Pandemic

Due to COVID-19, governments, companies of all sizes, educational institutions, health care providers, and more all had to implement continuity plans within an unreasonably short amount of time. While we are all still reeling from this pandemic, the software industry has learned several invaluable lessons along the way.

We have witnessed live agility experiments while rolling out new business plans. Remote collaboration among teams has been proven possible without significantly impacting productivity—in fact, for many teams productivity has been on the rise. Team bonding also has become tighter as coworkers demonstrate more empathy in striving to understand each other’s challenges and create a work-life balance. Organizations across the world are appreciating the human element in a digital transformation effort.

On the engineering front, a lot of facets that were on the back burner have taken center stage for stakeholder approval and implementation. Organizations have taken up rigorous performance engineering efforts to ensure their products are scalable and robust enough to handle significant loads for extended periods of time. This is especially true for educational platforms, video conferencing solutions, content sharing platforms, and customer-facing applications such as commerce and telemedicine apps.

Cybersecurity also has reached an all-time high in awareness and acceptance, given the scope for vulnerabilities to be exploited and some critical mishaps that we saw within the first few days of lockdowns across countries. Even young children are being taught how to be safe online, given that remote schooling has become the new norm, necessitating mitigations for product vulnerabilities that can attract hackers.

Another important element is digital inclusion. Designers are paying additional heed to end-user experiences now that online interaction with their products is so extensive. Organizations that have already embraced accessibility in their environments and products have been able to handle the digital surge better in terms of experience for both their employees and users. And if accessibility was not engineered for in the past, now is the right time to take it up for ongoing future benefits.

A lot of emphasis is also being given to exploratory testing in addition to core functional test efforts. Localized products are made available in record time, taking into account the linguistic pieces of the puzzle too, in order to enable global users to address their needs on digital platforms.

While the backdrop of COVID-19 is certainly not a pleasant one and has created significant adverse impacts globally, it also has encouraged software companies to learn these engineering and team lessons. Even after the pandemic, these changes are ones that we need to adopt for life so we can continue to enhance user experiences and development efficiencies in the products we create. Every cloud has a silver lining, and the software world has experienced these valuable lessons for the future.

Reposted from the original article QA InfoTech wrote for TechWell.