"Hands-on Mobile App Testing" by Daniel Knott

Daniel Knott has produced a great book, full of practical information.

Next time I have to undertake a mobile testing project this will be my starting point for gathering ideas.

Knott doesn't skimp - giving us everything from an overview of the history and growth of mobile technology to the factors you should consider to ensure a successful app launch.

Indeed, my overriding impression of this book is how practical and useful it is if, like me, you're not as familiar with mobile testing as you'd like to be. It made me realise how shallow some of the app testing I've done in the past has been.

As context to inform your test approach, the book describes the special challenges of mobile testing, eg. device fragmentation and unique hardware factors like the use of sensors.

There are also comprehensive chapters on "How to Test Mobile Apps" and on mobile test automation. These chapters work, often literally, as ready-made checklists which you can put straight into action.

Having read through Hands-on Mobile App Testing once, I'll be going through it again to try out some of the practical test ideas and exercises Knott outlines.  For example his suggestion (which I won't detail here - buy the book!) on how to use the information app providers publish about their updates to improve your own testing and test design.

It feels like nothing is left out here, with discussion of topics like: understanding and profiling your user; usability; security - even how you might source and manage those ever-changing devices.  And if you need to go deeper on a subject Knott points you towards sources for that too.

You'll find information and advice relevant to whatever testing you do. Knott's section on planning a mobile testing strategy is helpful when compiling any test strategy; his chapter on skills mobile testers need is applicable to testers in any area.

If I have one tiny nitpick it's that there are some "literals" in the book which might have been picked up with another proof-read. (They're not spelling errors that a spellcheck would see.)

But this is understandable given the self-published approach through Leanpub, and as Knott has announced on his blog that a deal has been done to publish the book through a major publishing house then I'm sure those will be polished out.
In any case, it's a minor concern which didn't impact the quality of this book for me. I strongly recommend it.

Please note:

Since I wrote this review of the Leanpub version of "Hands-On Mobile App Testing" a revised and expanded edition has been published.

Using Udemy for Online Courses

Udemy.com is a website offering online, video-based courses.  A large number of which relate to technology, programming - and even specifically to testing.

I have bought a lot of online courses from Udemy. So many, in fact, that I always have a backlog of ones in progress or waiting to be started.  I expect many of the posts on this blog as it develops will relate to Udemy courses.

Courses can be taken on the website, of course, and there's also a mobile app which allows video lessons to be downloaded and watched offline. (I use the Android app - I assume the same is possible on iOS.)

The latter is very handy for learning during a commute, although some courses will work better than others if - like me - you don't have a tablet.  Even a large phone screen doesn't always give a clear view of what's going on in an IDE or command line.

Udemy don't produce learning content themselves but rather act as a kind of clearing-house for courses produced by "trainers" ranging from individuals to organisations; and from the highly professional to the decidedly amateur.

Sadly there is no guarantee that a course sold on Udemy will be of good quality - and you might not find that out until after you've bought it.  Udemy do offer a 30-day money back guarantee although personally I have no experience of trying to claim on it.

Here are a few points I follow when deciding whether or not to buy Udemy courses.

1. Never pay full price for a course

With a small number of exceptions that course you're interested in on Udemy will soon be available at much less than the full price if you just wait a little while.

As I mentioned, I always seem to have a backlog of Udemy courses and that's mainly because I'm easily tempted to buy them in the regular sales and offers.  To give you an idea of what's possible here's an excerpt - just an excerpt, mind you! - of my Udemy purchase history.

Many instructors offer multiple courses on Udemy and these giveaways are "loss-leaders" so that they can market other courses to you.  But that doesn't mean you have to buy the other courses - and many of those will also be offered at a cut price if you wait a while.  

In fact, you can learn without paying a penny. There are a large number of free courses available on Udemy.

2. Sign up before you buy 

By signing up, and maybe wishlisting a few courses, you'll soon start to receive emails with the offers that feed my first point.  Registering will also allow you to .....

3. Preview the course before you buy

Once you're signed up to the site you can generally select a free preview of the course you're interested in.  This amounts to a small number of sample "lessons" from the course which you view.  Of course, these sample lessons don't tend to give away any valuable content - they might just be an introduction, or cover how to install the software tools the course uses - but it gives you the chance to gauge the quality of the production and the presenting style of the trainer. Do they speak clearly and engagingly, or do they have a monotonous delivery that you'll struggle to pay attention to?

4. Look at the course's "Discussions" thread

The main page for any course, which lists out the individual lessons, will also have a discussions panel available on the right.

Look here to see whether the instructor is engaging with their students and providing helpful feedback.  It's not uncommon to see discussion threads where seemingly straightforward questions placed by students weeks or months ago sit unanswered.  

On the other hand, the best instructors can be seen clearly taking the time and effort to provide extra value - and these are the kind of instructors who are most likely to add new material to the course over time or refresh parts that go out of date.  Remember, one of the benefits Udemy push is that you'll have lifetime access to the courses once purchased.

One more thing...

At the time of writing it looks like Udemy have now introduced pricing in sterling for UK customers - and it doesn't work in our favour.  A quick check suggests that courses priced at $99 have a sterling cost of £79 - when the current exchange rate would work out to around £65. 

So a disincentive for UK users, perhaps. Certainly another reason to always hold out for those cut-price offers.