May 2020 Summaries

This article discusses how to speed up Android builds using Bitrise, a build automation tool. It introduces the concept of "fan out" builds, which allow tests to run in parallel, reducing overall build time. The article covers various techniques to achieve faster builds, including caching Gradle dependencies, using static dependency versions, organizing test cases, and disabling APK splitting. It also provides an example workflow that demonstrates how to trigger fan-out builds for UI testing, runs tests in parallel, and generates a single test report. By applying these techniques, developers can significantly reduce build times and improve overall development efficiency.

UI testing is a useful tool to verify an app's key features and user interactions. However, Apple's built-in XCTest framework has some limitations, such as being slow and unstable. To make UI tests more stable and easier to work with, developers can use techniques like waiting for elements to appear, writing robust element queries, setting up predictable app states, and visualizing test results using Bitrise's Test Reporting add-on. By employing these strategies, developers can improve the quality and reliability of their UI tests, making them a valuable investment in ensuring their apps function as expected.