Before we jump to how to do it we need to understand why to do it. Mobile applications can be classified into below types:
Native Apps - Applications downloaded from online market/store and installed on specific device are categorized as native mobile apps. These applications are developed by using specific programming language (like Java for Android and Objective-C for iOS) and device specific API. These applications are static applications and they do not communicate to sever. Games and applications downloaded from app store or market are examples of native apps.
Web Apps- Applications accessed through internet on mobile browsers are called mobile web apps. These applications are developed with web technologies like HTML, JQuery and JavaScript. Popular social media applications like Facebook (http://m.facebook.com) and Gmail (http://m.gmail.com) etc. have their separate mobile based web apps which are very famous among mobile users.
Hybrid Apps- Combination of web and native mobile apps is called Hybrid app. In such applications, web apps are embedded into native mobile apps. User interface is normally covered in native part of the application while content is loaded through web part of the application. Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter apps installed on a mobile are best examples where application interface is installed but contents is loaded from the web.
Jmeter can only be used for testing web and hybrid applications. And like any tyical web application jmeter can be used for recording the communication between client and server by using jmeter proxy. Basic process of testing remains the same
Record >> Enhance Script >> Replay
Process of recording
1. Connect mobile device to wifi network - This network should be same as the network on which JMETER is deployed
2. In the desktop computer initiate jmeter proxy
3. In mobile network settings point it to IP of computer hosting jmeter proxy
The communication between the device or emulator and the server is recorded through the proxy based recorder. Both Jmeter and the mobile device must be on the same network. The mobile device must be connected to the Jmeter network in Wi-Fi. On the mobile device, it is necessary to manually modify the proxy used by the application or by the browser. The hostname must be the name or the IP of the JMETER machine.
Replaying the virtual users
You can replay the users just as you do any of the normal web app testing .
Native Apps - Applications downloaded from online market/store and installed on specific device are categorized as native mobile apps. These applications are developed by using specific programming language (like Java for Android and Objective-C for iOS) and device specific API. These applications are static applications and they do not communicate to sever. Games and applications downloaded from app store or market are examples of native apps.
Web Apps- Applications accessed through internet on mobile browsers are called mobile web apps. These applications are developed with web technologies like HTML, JQuery and JavaScript. Popular social media applications like Facebook (http://m.facebook.com) and Gmail (http://m.gmail.com) etc. have their separate mobile based web apps which are very famous among mobile users.
Hybrid Apps- Combination of web and native mobile apps is called Hybrid app. In such applications, web apps are embedded into native mobile apps. User interface is normally covered in native part of the application while content is loaded through web part of the application. Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter apps installed on a mobile are best examples where application interface is installed but contents is loaded from the web.
Jmeter can only be used for testing web and hybrid applications. And like any tyical web application jmeter can be used for recording the communication between client and server by using jmeter proxy. Basic process of testing remains the same
Record >> Enhance Script >> Replay
Process of recording
1. Connect mobile device to wifi network - This network should be same as the network on which JMETER is deployed
2. In the desktop computer initiate jmeter proxy
3. In mobile network settings point it to IP of computer hosting jmeter proxy
The communication between the device or emulator and the server is recorded through the proxy based recorder. Both Jmeter and the mobile device must be on the same network. The mobile device must be connected to the Jmeter network in Wi-Fi. On the mobile device, it is necessary to manually modify the proxy used by the application or by the browser. The hostname must be the name or the IP of the JMETER machine.
Replaying the virtual users
You can replay the users just as you do any of the normal web app testing .