Come across this impressive article on Testing Flash Applications as part of Test & QA Report series from BZ Media.
Testing Flash Apps: What Do You Want to Know?
By Edward J. Correia
Last fall, I received a number of requests at Software Test & Performance for articles about testing applications built using Adobe's Flash authoring and runtime environment.
Flash is a compelling environment for building rich-client applications; it supports raster and vector graphics, has a powerful scripting language, can perform video and audio streaming, and uses a widely deployed runtime that works on desktop, laptops and handhelds.
But while Flash apps can be made to look just like the native platform on which they run, testing them poses a completely different set of challenges than, say, Windows apps.
For instance, if you're looking to perform automated UI testing on a Flash application, the tools you own for testing Windows apps obviously won't work. Automated Windows UI tools simulate mouse and keyboard actions by sending messages directly to the controls for those input devices. Flash apps have no corresponding controls, and therefore have to be stimulated directly, with real mouse clicks and keystrokes. This makes automated testing much more complicated.
While researching this topic, I came across a nifty I tester for Flash applications that records and plays back user interactions. It's called AutoTestFlash, it's open source, and is a free download. You can also find a link there that can show you the tool in action.
So what's the best way to test Flash apps? I took that question to Bill Perry, Adobe's manager of global developer programs, who came back with several questions of his own.
"What are their existing pain points?" asked Perry of Flash application testers. Perry works in Adobe's developer relations, mobile and devices division, and wanted to know whether testers are working on applications and content created in-house or by others; if they're considering creating mobile applications or mobilizing existing enterprise apps to Flash-based devices.
"If you're not currently a mobile developer, have you considered it and why, or why not?" asked Perry, whose responsibilities include supporting the needs of testers and developers, content providers, mobile operators and device manufacturers. "If you're choosing a technology, be it Flash, BREW or J2ME, you're looking at the [total market] for a region. How many handsets offer that technology?"
If you've ever developed content for mobile devices, constrained resources, deployment snafus and maintenance are just the beginning challenges. "The main challenge for content publishers is fragmentation," Perry said. Nokia, for example, offers 28 different models with the Flash player installed, each potentially requiring its own port, he said. "Unlike a desktop or Web page, the mobile space has different runtime engines for Java, Symbian, et cetera. Some devices have eight APIs; others have seven. Developers spend about 60 percent of their time testing and porting."
Beginning today. Adobe helps address this problem with the release of Device Central, a new component of Creative Suite 3, available now. Device Central allows content creators and designers to build application mockups that adhere to device specs stored within the tool. "Flash content providers said it has helped," said Perry of the tool, which was released in beta late last year. " are able to create apps in about a third the time. The only modification is for screen size," Perry said. The tool also will be included with new versions of Flash, Photoshop and Premiere stand-alone products.
"There are thousands of devices out there; one carrier might have 40 to 50 devices," said Perry. "So if you're creating mobile content, being able to physically acquire those devices for testing and tweaking takes time." Device Central will solve that chaos through device profiles. "As a user, I can look up a profile and see video codecs, graphics supported, screen resolution, languages, APIs, HTML support, browser," and countless other device-specific specifications, skins and emulators. About 200 are included initially; free regular updates are promised.
Perry said the tool will permit devices to be grouped by screen size, orientation or other physical characteristics, and will help facilitate reuse of elements such as bitmaps, and to optimize them to reduce file size. "Larger file size means more waiting for downloads and higher transfer costs of applications sent over the air," he said.
Your Assignment (should you choose to accept it)
Use the link below to send feedback. Include a list of Flash testing topics that you'd like see covered in an ST&P feature article, an anecdote describing one or more of your worst testing pains, or a rant about how useless Flash is to your organization. Or maybe you'll send all three.
