Gentleman's tester kit according to ZeptoLab

Introduction

Once we went to the SQA days conference, where I happened to get to the report “ Gentleman's set of testers ”. I would like to continue this topic and talk about my tools that make life easier for the tester.

In fairness, it is worth noting that we, in Zeptolab, have only a few QA Leads, and outsourcers do all the main work. Nevertheless, we have an extensive list of responsibilities, requiring in-depth knowledge about the product, the work of various sdk and methods for diagnosing applications.

In order not to greatly inflate the article, I will limit myself to just a small description of the operation of the tools. If you have any questions, we can discuss them in the comments.

Android Debug Bridge (Mac and Windows)

developer.android.com/tools/help/adb.html
Distribution method: for free,

ADB comes bundled with Android SKD and is capable of performing many tasks, including:

• application installation (adb install)
• uninstall applications (adb shell pm uninstall)
• log removal (adb logcat)
• record video from device screens (adb shell screenrecord)
• memory consumption metering (adb shell dumpsys meminfo)

It is very convenient to use it, since the entire history of commands is stored in the terminal, and they are executed on the computer side. This greatly simplifies the task, if you got the dead HTC Desire, on which to get to the settings menu, is already a big deal.

Xcode (for Mac) / iPhone Configuration Utility (for Windows)

itunes.apple.com/en/app/xcode/id497799835
support.apple.com/kb/dl1466
Distribution method: free

Has the same wide functionality:

• Application Installation
• Uninstall apps
• Crash Log Removal
• Measurement of memory consumption
• Download screenshots / photos
• View logs in real-time from the device

Unlike the much-loved iTunes, these programs do not fully synchronize to install the build on the device and save a lot of time.

iExplorer (for Mac), iTools (for Windows)

www.macroplant.com/iexplorer
www.itools.ru Distribution
method iExplorer: demo / license
Distribution method iTools: free

Both programs allow:

• access device file system
• install applications
• replace save files
• upload photos / screenshots

We use them to check ways to save saves, the relevance of graphics, the absence of excess junk in user directories.

Device Anywhere (Mac & Windows)

www.keynote.com/solutions/testing/mobile-testing Distribution
method: 65 hours trial / further hourly payment

• The service allows you to remotely conduct manual / automated testing of applications.
  About 400+ devices are available .

The service is quite expensive, but helps out when you have to look for bugs on rare devices that are inappropriate to buy in the office.

Reflector (Mac and Windows)

www.airsquirrels.com/reflector Distribution
mode: trial / license

• The program allows you to shoot video from the screen of iOS devices via AirPlay

This thing can be very useful when a bug appears on just a few frames or when a single WTR description is not enough to understand how to reproduce a bug.

We also use a reflector when we are asked to shoot a video of the gameplay (for journalists or presentations).

Android FileTransfer (Mac only)

www.android.com/filetransfer
Distribution mode: free

• Allows access to the internal memory of android devices

Automatically starts when you connect an android device to a computer. When disconnected, it also closes independently.

Charles (Mac and Windows)

www.charlesproxy.com
Distribution mode: 30 days trial / license

• Allows you to analyze the traffic that your device generates

An indispensable program if your application should work through a server or has built-in advertising sdk. Thus, you can track all outgoing requests and what comes in response.

HideMyAss (iOS, Android, Mac, Windows)

hidemyass.com Distribution
mode: subscription

• The service provides access to VPN servers in various countries.

We use this service to check the quality of advertising in different countries, as well as some Geo-based application components.

One of its main advantages is the application for Android and iOS, which allows you to switch between countries without manually entering the IP address of the servers.

Adnroid users can also be pleased that, using the application, you can bypass the forced password setting to unlock the device.

What else could be useful?

TeamCity, Jira, Confluence

www.atlassian.com
www.jetbrains.com Distribution
mode: trial / license

If Jira and Confluence do not require a special presentation in the IT field, then TeamCity faced far fewer people. In soldering with Atlassian products, it significantly expands the tester’s capabilities:

Firstly, it is possible to track from the interface which bugs were fixed in a particular assembly.
Secondly, there is no need to run after programmers with a request to collect builds.
Thirdly, the problem of distributing builds is being solved. Instead of uploading everything to FTP, fumbling within the network or sending builds by mail, we simply exchange the revision number of the desired build.

Testlight

www.testflightapp.com
Distribution method: free

This is a very simple and convenient solution for conducting closed play-tests at an early stage of application development.

The service allows you to:

• send builds "over the air"
• collect reviews
• view application crash reports

As many have heard, Apple bought a service development company and announced the integration of TestFlight into the AppStore. I think that soon the service service will become indispensable for experiments in order to improve products.

AppStore and Google.Play

itunes.apple.com/en/genre/ios-igry/id6014?mt=8
play.google.com/store/apps/category/GAME?hl=en

We made it a rule to re-test applications for successful applications after the updates transferring progress, billing and other things.

Also, for several days, our community managers monitor user reviews and, if any critical problems are found, we examine them and issue hot fixes.

QIWI wallet

visa.qiwi.ru Distribution
mode: free.

On this service we have a VISA Virtual card through which we conduct all production purchases (for example, in updates released in live). It will also be convenient if you keep a separate account for purchases of popular games to keep abreast of the trend of the gaming market.

The big plus is that the terminals are always within walking distance, and there is no commission for replenishing funds on qiwi wallet.

About tools in general, everything, I hope, was useful.

By the way - we now have a free role on QA Lead, so if you want to plunge into the world of ZeptoLab testing a little deeper - there is a chance (description here )

In the next article we will tell how we put in order in our zoo 200+ mobile devices.
Do not switch!