All posts by : admin

Unit testing is one of the software testing types which includes the initial testing phase where the smallest components or the modules of a software are tested individually. With this method of testing, both testers and developers can isolate each module, identify and fix the system defects at a very early stage of the software development lifecycle (SDLC). Primarily, a unit test verifies different behavioral aspects of the system under test and can be broadly classified into state-based and interaction-based unit testing.

A typical unit test consists of three phases which include the first initialization phase where it initializes a small piece of an application it wants to test. The second phase is the addition phase where it adds a stimulus to the system under test and finally, the third phase is the result phase where it observes the resulting application behavior. Evidently, if the observed behavior is consistent with expectations, then the unit test passes else it fails. This indicates there is a problem somewhere in the system under test. These three test phases are named Arrange, Act, and Assert or commonly known as AAA.

What are the benefits of Unit Testing?

– Isolates a section of code and validates its correctness

– Helps in identifying and fixing the bugs at the early stage of the SDLC process

– Assures to reduce the cost as bugs are resolved at the earliest

– Helps the developers to improve the design by allowing refactoring of the code

– Assures in simplifying the debugging process

– With the proper unit testing practice, components that are integrated after the build can assure in achieving a quality product

Why Unit Testing is important to perform?

unit-testing helps the development teams to understand the code base, validate the correctness of the developed code, reuse the code, and make the changes faster in the code.

With a proper unit testing practice in place, the developers and testers can help to save time as bugs can be identified early in the process as it is the initial phase of testing. And, skipping or limiting the practice of unit testing can adversely increase the defects and it becomes complex to fix them at a later stage. Hence, it is essential to practice unit testing at the initial stage of the software testing process before planning for the integration testing.

What is the process of Unit Testing?

– The developers write the code in the application for testing the function and would wait for the application to get deployed for removing the test code
– The code is then isolated by the developers to validate the dependencies between the code and other units. This way of isolating the code helps in identifying and eliminating the dependencies.

– Developers significantly make use of Unit test frameworks or unit testing tools for developing automated test cases.

– While executing the test cases, the unit test frameworks help to flag and report the failed test cases. Also, based on the failures in the test cases, the unit test frameworks help to stop the related testing.

This is mainly a written material, video, image instruction that comes with computer software. The software documentation helps in explaining how to use a service or a program. There is a mainly different type of software documentation such as:

• Requirements documentation
• Architecture documentation
• Technical documentation
• End-user documentation

In software development, documentation is a key activity that must not be ignored. The more detailed and defined documentation of your project, the better your team will understand what do they need exactly to achieve to make your product thrive.

The codes are needed to be reviewed, unit tests, and automation tests apart from writing, and designing. Documentation is given the least attention which is not right. Documentation is one of the best solutions that can help you in feature if you want to make any changes. It’s very important to take out the extra time to write a proper description that will help in saving a huge amount in the future.

Documentation Will Make Coding Easy:

If anyone wants to understand what exactly happens inside your coding then all you have to do is point them to the documentation. This will help in saving a lot of time as they don’t have to depend on you. If being a developer if you want to understand anything then this even helps you a lot.

• The codes that are used in creating features are very complicated. When looking at one section of code may not make it clear several other sections are deeply linked to it.
• All the service comes with a unique API with it. Documentation is needed when writing how to use those API that can be read outside the code.
• The co-workers in another department can even read the documentation and can know how it works properly.
• The code you wrote will help in act differently when you look at it. You can even change things if they don’t meet your expectations.

Importance of Software Documentation:

1. Clarify your business goals, requirements and activities: With a proper documentation, you can share the business goals and requirement with your managers and team mates so that they have a clear vision and goals and the activity they perform will be more towards the success.
2. Design and Specify your product: This comes in Architectural/Design documents and it gives you complete overview of how your products look like.
3. Everything is clearly explained: When you makes End User documentation of the product of software, you have to explain each and everything about its working. It describes each feature of the program, and assists the user in realizing these features.
4. Any body can work on other’s code: If you are a developer, it is not sufficient to write good codes only but you also need to take cares about the documentation part, which can be helpful to other developers while working in a team.
5. Helpful in proper communication: A good software documentation is helpful in proper communication. The written procedure helps you to make interaction within several departments.

Documentation may be in the form of time records, daily reports by a project manager, schedules, photographs, videos, correspondence either by a letter or an email or fax, filing, or by information logs. The importance of documentation is so tremendous, many project managers are now terming it their top priority while managing any kind of work.

• Documentation is the best, and sometimes the only way you can keep a record of the work done, the strategies used, the changes that occurred and all the little specifics an average human mind is capable of forgetting. Knowing the history of the project is essential for the current plan of action as well as how you proceed in the future.
• Your clients want answers all the time. So does your team and your own boss! Last but not the least and very importantly so, you yourself need answers too. Documentation helps you deal with all these queries.
• While carrying out a project, you may need to document every other thing to protect your own self from being accused falsely. People tend to blame project managers for whatever goes wrong. Documentation in the form of letters, emails, photographs or schedules is proof that protects you from lawsuits or other complications later on.
• Documentation is evidence of a good project management. It helps you track activities related to the project, find out if time constraints are being met, monitor productivity and plan for the future. A good project manager will never leave any loose ends to his project.
• By carrying out this important task, the project manager and the stakeholders are all expecting the same outcomes. There are no unpleasant surprises and no unknown risks.
• Conflicts, disagreements and problems amongst all parties seldom arise. When all aspects of the project are right in front of everyone, it leaves little room for argument.
• Documentation also helps every individual member involved to have complete knowledge of their responsibilities, have a clear idea of what is expected from them and how they need to manage their work.
• If the correct record keeping protocol is followed, it gives the project manager complete control over the project by being the best source of knowledge for the entire team.

The term “cross-platform mobile app development” or “hybrid mobile app development” is an approach that allows developers to build a mobile solution that is simultaneously compatible with several operating systems and platforms (Android, iOS, Windows).

Hybrid applications have a native look and feel due to the combination of native code with independent code that’s suitable for multiple platforms. Developers write the code once and then reuse it, thus making it possible to release a product quickly.

Business Benefits of Cross-Platform Development

Launching the software simultaneously on various platforms

When you work on cross-platform app development, you can launch your software quickly on various platforms. The source code is written once for all platforms. This means you don’t need to hire a separate software development team for each platform, as it’s possible to launch and update the software by using a variety of cross-platform development tools.

Faster development time

It requires the deployment of a single script instead of writing separate scripts for each platform. This significantly speeds up development time and cuts time to market, which benefits everyone, from the dev team all the way to marketing.

Reaching a wider audience

Cross-platform application development offers you an opportunity to reach a larger audience. How so? Think about it – if your app is compatible with multiple platforms and operating systems like the web, iOS, and Android, it can be used by a larger number of users. It’s a great way to maximize your exposure – with less effort and time.

Faster and easier updates

Since cross-platform applications are Internet-based, updates are nice and easy. Users don’t have to download separate updates, which would require the maintenance and support of multiple app versions. The app is updated automatically for all customers to ensure they always have the most current version of the app, which positively impacts its performance.

Cost savings & shorter time to profitability

All of the above-mentioned advantages entail significant cost savings. With the development speed, cross-platform development brings, your time-to-market for each platform is shorter than if you had to create each app from scratch. This means you can get your software to generate revenue much sooner. You don’t need to maintain a software development team for each platform you launch your app to, which will bring significant savings over time.

Choose a Cross-Platform Development Tool

Let introduce 3 famous cross-platform mobile development tools:

React Native

This cross-platform framework was introduced by Facebook in 2015. React Native caused an enormous wave in the trend for hybrid frameworks. Since its debut, it has become one of the most popular mobile application development frameworks. Well, it is due to its code reusability feature and ready-to-apply elements that considerably shortens development time. Also, this framework can render a native-like interface that users love.

Xamarin

Xamarin launched in 2011. The framework was once independent but later acquired by Microsoft. Xamarin is an open-source framework that uses C# coding, which means it can work on any platform, including Android and iOS.

Flutter

Flutter is the latest framework among the three on the list. This is another open-source, cross-platform framework that seamlessly creates native interfaces for Android and iOS. This framework is perfect for startups building a minimum viable product (MVP). Instead of creating two separate apps for Android and iOS, you can build Flutter cross-platform apps that look native on both platforms.

Wireframes are blueprints that illustrate the elements of a website. Creating a wireframe gives the client, the developer, and the designer an opportunity to take a critical look at the structure of the website, web application, or mobile application and allows them to make revisions easily. Most teams discuss the requirements with their clients, and maybe sketch a few quick ideas on paper, and then jump right into Photoshop to design the layout or into Dreamweaver to do the coding. This is not always the best approach as this can result in hours of productive time being wasted on revisions. It’s always best to design wireframes as an initial step in the designing process to save loads of time in the long run. By doing this, you can address problems early and not wait to resolve the issues during the full-color phase.

Just simple and clear

Having an unpolished framework minus the aesthetic details eliminates the distraction of an element’s visual treatment. A simple wireframe without any color distraction will let you get important feedback on sizing, layout, and placement without your client making life harder for you.

Get a close-up view of the web site design

Project requirements might seem like excellent viable ideas during project initiation, but unfortunately, projects are rarely simple. Anyone with experience will know the number of unforeseen problems that you’re likely to face when you start drawing the design ideas on paper. Wireframes take considerably less time to design than Photoshop layouts, so you can spend time early on using wireframes to map out the functionality of the pages. This will help you get a thorough understanding of the user experience at the early stage and therefore identify potential usability problems with the design. It’s better to make adjustments early rather than spending time on full revisions.

Know your client better

Working on wireframes will let you understand your client’s ideas better. The feedback you get from your client and your interaction with them will give you a better understanding of what to expect during future stages of the project. For example – when you initially layout quick line drawings of the page, the client might comment on a particular element on the layout. As you’re working through the process of wireframing you may notice that the client is consistently commenting on certain elements. This will help you track the feedback patterns and learn about what your client wants to see and what they don’t like. Having this knowledge and applying it to the future phases of your project will save considerable amounts of time.

Save time and effort

It takes a lot more time, effort, and expertise to create a full-color layout on Photoshop than a wireframe. The first time your client will see the finished design is after you have spent all the effort creating it. But design changes are inevitable and more time and effort will be spent making the revisions. However, when we review wireframes, both internally and with clients, design changes can be reworked in a matter of minutes. If you don’t like the size of the button, make it smaller. If it is too small, then tweak it a bit to the perfect size. Wireframing makes it quick and inexpensive to make revisions on any day.