What Is Appium: Automating Native, Web, and Hybrid Applications

Download this comprehensive Mobile Testing Reference Guide to help prioritize which mobile devices and OSs to test against, brought to you in partnership with Sauce Labs.

More organizations are realizing the benefits of automating with Appium, but what is Appium?

Appium is an open source test automation framework that drives iOS and Android native, mobile, and hybrid apps using the WebDriver protocol a.k.a. the Selenium API. That's to say, Appium is like Selenium 's cousin, and used for testing mobile apps instead of web applications in desktop browsers.

As users increasingly move to mobile devices, it's no surprise that developers and testers are taking advantage of the functionalities of Appium.

Like Selenium, the philosophies of Appium include that you shouldn't have to learn one specific programming language or framework in order to write and run tests, and automation tools should be free.

Appium is important because just like different browsers respond differently to web design, mobile operating systems render applications differently. Additionally, native, mobile, and hybrid apps function separately and serve different purposes, and so they require different processes for design, development, and testing.

Native Apps

Native apps are written using the operating system's software development kit (SDK) and are what we most commonly think of when we think of an app. Native apps like Snapchat and Facebook are available for free or with an associated cost in mobile app stores where users can download them to appear on the main screen then touch them to open.

Native apps are designed for a specific operating system. This means iPhone and Android apps must be created separately from each other - an app made for iOS can not work on an Android phone and vice versa.

However, they often offer the best user experience as they are intuitive to the platform. If coded correctly for the respective OS, they will function the same across different devices without encountering varying responsive design flaws. For example, once a native app is optimized for Android devices, it will work across every unique device including different Samsung, Google, and LG phones.

Web Apps

A web app, on the other hand, is basically a website optimized for functional use as an application. These web applications are a version of the same website accessed by a browser on a desktop but made responsive so users can access them on their mobile browsers such as Safari on an iOS or Google Chrome on an Android.

For example, some apps like Facebook are made as native apps as well as mobile apps. While you have to download native apps, web apps do not require you to install anything and can be accessed just by opening an internet browser and searching for or entering the website. Since they're designed for multiple platforms (desktop and mobile) they usually aren't as specialized to the mobile user experience and often lack certain features compared to native apps.

Web apps primarily are made using HTML, CSS, and Javascript, unlike native apps. This means mobile apps require developers to optimize for responsive design across different devices, not only the separate operating systems. With the numerous versions of iPhones and Androids, this can be more of a challenge when you need to design and test web applications across many device configurations.

Hybrid Apps

Hybrid applications are mostly built using HTML, CSS, and Javascript, which are the same languages used to build web applications, though some native code is used as well - thus why these apps are termed "hybrid." To think of it more simply, they can be described as web apps "packaged into a native wrapper."

This also means that while some code has to be written to be responsive across browsers and devices, it does not require as extensive optimization as mobile web apps do.

Hybrid apps can be installed and run on a browser, which is another indicator of how they act as a hybrid. They have more of the features that are attributed to native apps but won't perform as fast or as well, echoing the functionality of web applications. Though hybrids are harder to spot, a few examples are Twitter, Gmail, and Instagram.

Why Use Appium

Your preference for Appium v.s. Selenium, as well as native, mobile, and hybrid, will depend entirely what kind of apps you will be developing and testing. In fact, you may even come to find a need for both.

While Selenium is mainly used for desktop applications, it can also be used for mobile apps because they live in the browser. Meanwhile, Appium is best suited for developers who are primarily creating for the mobile user experience.

Both Selenium and Appium are considered essentials for automating tests across operating systems, browsers, and devices amidst the growing disparity among user configurations. By optimizing native apps, mobile apps, and desktop apps cross-platform, organizations will be better prepared to meet consumer demands and benefit from a high-quality user experience.

Analysts agree that a mix of emulators/simulators and real devices are necessary to optimize your mobile app testing - learn more in this white paper, brought to you in partnership with Sauce Labs.

Topics:

mobile ,automation ,native ,hybrid ,mobile app development

Source: What Is Appium: Automating Native, Web, and Hybrid Applications

USGS Awards Dev Technology a Contract for Agile Software Development

RESTON, Va. - Nov. 8, 2017 - PRLog -- Dev Technology Group, Inc., a provider of IT services to mission critical clients, announced today that the United States Geological Survey (USGS) awarded Dev Technology a contract for agile software development for multiple web services for programmatic access to seismic design data.

As part of its mission to reduce loss due to natural hazards, the USGS provides services and tools that allow for repeatable and accurate access to seismic design values. Dev Technology will deliver a software design, a complete test harness, a continuous delivery pipeline, and the web services to support the USGS next generation of tools for access to this seismic design data.

"Dev Technology is excited to support United States Geological Survey in this effort to provide improved access to seismic data," stated Susie Sylvester, Dev Technology Co-Founder and CEO. "The USGS is forward thinking in their agile development practices, and we are excited for this opportunity to work onsite with them in Golden, Colorado."

About Dev Technology Group: Founded in 1998, Dev Technology Group is a woman-owned, small disadvantaged business (WOSB, SDB) delivering information technology services and solutions that protect and serve American citizens. Over half of Dev Technology's work supports multiple components within the Department of Homeland Security. Other Departments supported include Justice, Defense, Agriculture, and Smithsonian. Dev Technology specializes in agile software development, database consulting services, biometric capture and integration solutions, and infrastructure management solutions. Dev Technology has been assessed at CMMI-DEV Level 2, is an ISO 9001:2015 certified organization, and is a recipient of multiple industry awards for innovation and growth. Learn more: http://www.devtechnology.com

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Source: USGS Awards Dev Technology a Contract for Agile Software Development

5 Free Tools That Make Graphic Design Easy for Small Business Owners

By Evan Ferguson

Graphic design is one of the most important elements to a small business owner's branding strategy, yet it's often taken for granted. Everything from marketing emails to web design to social media posts need to incorporate elements of design and help to mold the image of your business.

Statistically speaking – bad graphic design can seriously harm a business's earning potential. Studies have consistently found that users rank well-designed websites as more trustworthy than poorly-designed sites. On top of this – good graphic design has been shown to be directly correlated with brand recognition.

With good design meaning more trust and more brand awareness – it pays to invest in graphic design if you're a small business owner. But herein lies a dilemma. Smaller companies tend to have less disposable funds, which means they're more likely to have less resources allocated to graphic design. While large businesses can hire experienced, professional designers – an up-and-coming brand doesn't have this luxury. That's where free online tools come in handy.

With so much riding on the design of your brand, knowing how to create cost-effective, yet professional-looking graphics is critical to success for a small business. Check out the list below for some amazing tools that will make graphic design a breeze for small business owners.

Burst

Burst is an image-hosting database that offers hundreds of professionally-taken public domain photographs. Images on Burst come with a creative commons zero license for free commercial use. This means the you can download professionally taken photographs for use in everything from marketing to web-graphics to print advertisements.

Finding quality photographs is no easy task. Shooting professional photographs on your own can be costly and time-consuming. If you're a small business owner, you know that money and time are two things you can't afford to waste.

You could pay for stock-photos, but with expensive licensing fees and complex legal requirements – purchasing stock photos can end up being more hassle than it's worth. With Burst – you can browse stock photos, download them and upload them into your marketing materials – all in a couple of clicks.

Canva

Canva is a free graphic design tool that can be used to make everything from Facebook posts to album covers to advertorial posters. Offering a number of ready-made templates for things like marketing emails and social media posts – Canva has become an increasingly popular tool for non-experienced graphic designers looking to give their designs a more professional polish.

Canva's strength is in its easy-to-use drag-and-drop design interface that allows users to select from millions of fonts, graphics, icons and photographs. With Canva, you can easily arrange elements onto a template to create professional-looking designs.

It's wildly fun and incredibly easy to play around with text, images, icons, borders and shapes to create your own designs. Even if you're not the creative type – Canva offers a number of ready-made, preloaded professional templates with fully-customizable text and formatting options.

PicMonkey

PicMonkey is a free online photo editing tool that can be used on any desktop computer or through a mobile app. While there are paid versions of the app with more features – the free version still offers a ton of basic photo-editing and touch-up tools.

From PicMonkey's use interface, you can upload your own photos, crop them to your liking, adjust their brightness and contrast, add filters and a whole lot more. My personal favorite feature to PicMonkey is the portrait editing capabilities. PicMonkey has special portrait touch-up tools to fix blemishes, remove wrinkles, reduce shine, boost blush and more. Professional photo-editing can be costly and time-consuming – but with PicMonkey you can give your photographs a professional edge in a matter of minutes.

Piktochart

Infographics have become one of the most widely used tools for businesses and organizations in both digital and print media. You can attribute this popularity to the convenience of using infographics. They're a clear, effective and artistic way to present data without losing the attention of your reader. With internet-users being bombarded by information and attention spans steadily decreasing – infographics are quickly becoming the modern tool for presenting information in a fun and interesting way.

Professional-looking infographics can be tricky to create with expensive graphic design software – and that's where Piktochart comes in. With Piktochart – you can create beautifully-designed infographics using a ready-made templates and your own data sets that you can input manually or import it from a spreadsheet program. Piktochart makes it easy for any business owner to present their info in fun and interesting way without having any prior knowledge of graphic design.

Coolors

Any graphic designer will be able to tell you about the importance of color when it comes to branding. It's nearly impossible to think about an iconic brand like McDonalds and not think of the bright, golden-yellow arches accented by a vibrant red background.

The truth is that graphic designers make very calculated decisions about which colors to use. Professionals have spent years studying – not just color harmony in design – but the psychological triggers associated with certain colors and ways to make an audience experience a certain mood based on the colour palette being used.

Without being a professional – simple design decisions like which colors to use together can seem daunting. That's where Coolors comes in handy. Coolors is a free tool that allows you to upload any image and automatically generate a harmonized color scheme by sampling colors in the image. From there – you have the option to save your color palette or make adjustments to one or more of the colors in your pallette and auto-generate complementary colors. This means you can create complex, harmonious color-schemes without having any sort of graphic design experience.

Evan Ferguson – aka @HarveyStewartTO is a writer and digital artist based in Toronto, Canada. He's written about content marketing, futurism, and technology. He graduated from York University in 2012 with a degree in Journalism.

Source: 5 Free Tools That Make Graphic Design Easy for Small Business Owners

UX Designer vs Web Designer

There is one key difference between a UX designer vs a web designer.

The UX designer is concerned with the user experience that is available on a website. They specifically focus on the elements that users engage with while navigating a site. Their goal is to create an effective design that leads each person through the available sales funnel on a site to create a conversion.

A web designer takes the user experience into account, but they are more responsible for the actual items that are incorporated into the website. A web designer would create content to post, design the navigational tree, and incorporate graphics into the site.

Think of it like this: the web designer creates the content, whereas the UX designer figures out the best way to present that content.

Here Are Some Additional UX Designer vs Web Designer Key Differences

Creating a Better WebsiteA UX designer helps to create a better website experience by talking with the targeted demographics who will be using the site. They test the site with those people to determine if it can meet their needs. Much of their time is spent on designing surveys, conducting interviews, and then refining the ideas that come from that process.

A web designer helps to create a better website experience by using their technical knowledge. Although they might not write the actual content, they do need to be well-versed in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript at the very least. Knowing Flash, WordPress, and similar options is usually required as well. Web designers may also test their site, but to ensure it is working properly.

Platform OptionsUX designers work on all platforms, software, and applications. Their skill set translates into anything product or service that a customer would use, even if the conventions or constraints of the platform is different than that of a web page. Web designers, on the other hand, are constrained to what they can upload to the internet, focusing on what a web page can produce only.

Multiple SpecialtiesA UX designer is already a specialist when compared to a web designer, who would be described as a "generalist." UX designers can further specialize in their services as well. They could focus solely on landing page design. They can be called in to improve the look of a footer. Some UX designers can even looking at the structure of an advertising and marketing effort to extend the reach of a brand to improve it.

It's in the PerspectiveA UX designer is going to be concerned with the conceptual components of a website or other production. They look at the philosophical reasons why a user would want to engage with their product. In some ways, they even need to take physiological reactions into account when improving design elements.

A web designer is going to be more concerned with the "inspirational" aspects of the process. Instead of creatively thinking, a web designer must be creatively productive. That allows them to create a web page that interfaces with the rest of the brand's alignment so a consistent message can be produced.

ResponsibilitiesA UX designer works on the wireframes, prototypes, and user scenarios that can bring success. A web designer looks at the color scheme, the graphic design, and the file preparation that is necessary to bring success.

The UX designer would work on creating a site map that meets the expectations they predict through their research. The web designer then creates a page architecture which fits into the site map.

A UX Designer and a Web Designer Are Clearly Different

Many web designers may refer to themselves as a web designer. Some UX designers may refer to themselves as a web designer. The UX designer is responsible for the interaction design of the website, while the web designer is responsible for the visual design of the website.

When both roles are working together harmoniously, they come together to create the right user interface that a brand may need. That allows the visitors to the website to find what they need, progress through the sales funnel, and become a conversion.

Some people may fulfill both roles for their company. Independent and freelance designers may take on both roles as they work to build their own brand. It is important to recognize that each is a unique skill set, but both are required to create a unique website that makes an emotional connection to the visitor.

Source: UX Designer vs Web Designer

Eastman Launches the Performance Films Pattern and Software Design Center at SEMA 2017

Continued Industry Growth Leadership through Pattern Fitment, Quality, and Consistency.

Eastman Chemical Company today announced the launch of its Performance Films Pattern and Software Design Center to support its LLumar®, SunTek® and V-Kool® brands.

Recognizing that high-quality paint protection patterns and cutting software are a critical component of installers' success, Eastman has made significant investments to improve its capabilities in these areas and develop a world-class offering for its customers.

This effort brings together more than 30 years of experience in pattern making, broad access to a full range of vehicle makes and models, state of the art design assets and a globally resourced team as well as significant investments in improved software functionality.

While the full realization of this effort will be felt over time, Eastman is committed to establishing the industry standard in pattern fitment quality and software functionality to drive additional growth for its paint protection and window film customers.

This news is the latest in a series of investment announcements - including a recent $12 million manufacturing facility expansion, consumer marketing campaign development and the launch of the company's latest generation of paint protection film (PPF) products earlier this year.

"We're experiencing phenomenal growth with PPF globally, driven by the unique combination of performance, clarity, and installation advantages of Eastman's PPF technology and manufacturing," says Darrell Reed, commercial director, Eastman Performance Films. "These incremental investments toward supplying top quality software and patterns, combined with superior PPF products and service, supports our vision of being the global supplier of choice for PPF.

"Over the next 18 months, a series of cutting software releases will deliver upgraded features and capabilities designed to provide users with more flexibility and greater ease-of-use, leading to less waste and increased productivity.

"The best test of this initiative is receiving positive feedback from our customers," Reed added. "We were pleased to hear from one of our customers, AJ Costea of Auto Shield Calgary (Alberta, Canada) who remarked 'the 2017 Honda Civic Type R 24 inch wrapped hood and mirrors fit perfect, it is one of the best fitting kits I have used.' This is exactly what we want to hear from our customers and it's why we're committed to this initiative."

Source: Eastman Launches the Performance Films Pattern and Software Design Center at SEMA 2017