June 2020 Summaries

**Appium, XCUITest, Espresso, and more are some of the top mobile testing tools available. Appium is an open source tool that supports cross-platform testing for native, hybrid, and web apps. It follows a philosophy of four principles: test the same app you submit to the marketplace, write tests in any framework using any language, use a standard automation specification and API, and build a large and thriving open-source community effort. Appium provides benefits such as cross-platform reuse, flexibility, stability, and synchronization features. Other mobile testing tools like XCUITest (for iOS), Espresso (for Android), Earl Grey (for iOS), and Detox (for React Native) also have their own strengths and weaknesses. When choosing a mobile testing tool, it's essential to consider factors such as team function, test writing language, and the type of app being tested. Sauce Labs supports Appium, Espresso, and XCUITest, offering a scalable cloud-based testing platform that helps developers test native, hybrid, and mobile web applications across various platforms.

The Sauce Labs Sample Test Frameworks GitHub organization has been retired and replaced with the new `Sauce Labs Training Repo`. The old frameworks were difficult to maintain as the underlying tools or languages evolved, and there was a lack of consistency in their quality. The new repo is designed to provide thoughtfully created code examples that set up users for success and give confidence in getting started with Sauce Labs, regardless of their test automation experience or goals. It contains language-specific repos with complete examples of using Selenium or Appium with Sauce Labs, as well as virtual and real device examples. The example code has been designed by Sauce's Solutions Architects to reflect commonly used test tools and frameworks in each language, following idiomatic language practices.

The Continuous Testing Benchmark (CTB) report, released by Sauce Labs, provides insights into the quality and performance of testing practices among its customers. The benchmark measures three key components: platform coverage, efficiency, test run time, and test quality. Platform coverage refers to how well a team covers different combinations of browsers, operating systems, and devices. Efficiency is about speed, as teams need to run hundreds or thousands of tests per day to keep up with release velocity. Test run time measures the effectiveness of quality in accelerating release velocity, while test quality is crucial for building trust in automation. The report shows that many customers are improving their platform coverage and efficiency but still struggle with test run time and quality. To build digital confidence, teams need to focus on these metrics and implement best practices such as short, atomic, and autonomous tests.

Mobile applications often require users to upload images, which can be challenging to test due to the need for processing and storage. To ensure a delightful user experience, development teams must have the ability to use the device camera for taking pictures. This is where Camera Image Injection comes in, allowing developers to inject images into their automation testing on cloud-based services like Sauce Labs Real Device Cloud. By adding specific capabilities to test script, such as sauceLabsImageInjectionEnabled, and incorporating image injection methods, developers can mimic camera behavior when testing applications, making it possible to test image upload functionality effectively.

While Sauce Labs has now surpassed four billion tests run on its cloud-based continuous testing platform, the company reflects on lessons learned from working with customers globally to help them develop with confidence and ensure their web and mobile apps meet quality standards. Environmental instability is a significant source of uncertainty in testing, as inconsistent test environments can lead to false positives. Smaller browser tests are recommended to alleviate false positives, while innovation in quality can have a profound impact on people's lives by providing remarkable digital experiences. However, teams should not get comfortable with failure and instead focus on getting better coverage through various types of testing. As the browser ecosystem continues to evolve, Sauce Labs will be here to support its customers with what's next.

To build digital confidence in applications, teams must consider cultural buy-in from the top and tooling that supports continuous testing at scale. Data analytics tools are critical to scaling testing efforts across pipelines, providing insights into quality risks and roadmaps for improving testing practice and processes. Teams can gain organizational visibility by using data to understand trends, identify gaps, and optimize resource usage. Additionally, data analytics can help teams understand testing efficiency by analyzing individual test performance over time, identifying areas for improvement, and uncovering actionable insights through machine learning techniques such as failure analysis. By leveraging these tools, organizations can tame the "data beast" and achieve digital confidence, realizing significant gains in productivity, release acceleration, and trust in automation.

This is a deeply troubling time marked by the murder of George Floyd and other instances of systemic racism in society. The company Sauce Labs stands firmly against injustice and racism, acknowledging that diversity lives but not being present in all areas of the company. To address this, Sauce Labs aims to create an environment for safe discussions, increase collective education, and foster diverse leadership. The company will make a donation and match employee contributions to causes addressing racial justice, while also offering its free testing plan to organizations supporting these causes. In the longer term, Sauce Labs plans to evaluate its recruiting practices and approach to diversity and inclusion at all levels. The company condemns actions and policies that deny anyone the right to live without fear of oppression. With a commitment to progress and hard work, Sauce Labs is committed to building a better future where Black Lives Matter.

Titus Fortner is a senior solutions architect at Sauce Labs who has been working in test automation for over a decade. He began his career as a submarine officer in the Navy before transitioning to test automation, where he became a core contributor to the Selenium project and later led the development of Watir, an open source testing library built on top of Selenium. Fortner believes that many companies mistakenly try to reinvent the wheel by developing their own test automation solutions from scratch, instead of collaborating with others to solve common problems in the field. He has implemented automated testing solutions at five different companies and now works closely with customers to improve their testing practices. In his free time, Fortner enjoys knitting and creating beer koozies for his colleagues.