It was a pretty common practice to log by having the code email to the developer or tester. Unfortunately, many developers use the same technique for logging however this is not efficient neither effective in today’s world. The app market is saturated right now and users have zero tolerance when it comes to app quality and performance. If your app does not work properly, a user has no obligation to report that to the developer as he can simply uninstall the app, download an alternative and he may even leave a negative feedback.
Developers used SMTP to send emails to their own email address with the intended logs and code. It means there wasn’t any way to describe the severity of an error. Also, developers had to hard code their credentials into the code for the authentication purposes. Not to mention this technique only works with a single app and developers or testers need to distinguish logs coming from different apps as well as different devices. Obviously this does not work if you have more than 10 users. Centralized logging with remote logging tools has revolutionized the app development industry.
Even in the case of remote logging tools, developers still have to embed the code in their app code but this method is significantly efficient, effective, reliable and secure than using SMTP. Bugfender is our popular remote logging tool that is specifically designed to help developers get their hands on the human readable code in a centralized dashboard from where they can review it later.
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The platform generates tickets based on either users’ request or automated code embedded in the app. By default, the platform is configured to send emails to all developers and testers who have access to the app. Yet these settings could be changed by integrating Bugfender with other tools like Slack, Trello, Redbooth, HipChat and others. Let’s take a look as these tools.
Slack
Slack is a team collaboration tool that was developed back in 2013 and its desktop and mobile applications are available for Android, iOS, Windows, Chrome OS and Mac OS. It allows users to form teams and chat with each other on different projects. Users can also share files for better collaboration.
HipChat [now purchased by Slack]
HipChat, as the name suggests, is an online chat/IM tool developed for teams and individuals. The features that make HipChat popular among millions of global users are video calling, cloud storage feature, instant messaging and amazing search feature. Their mobile apps are available for Android and iOS phones and tablets.
Campfire
Campfire is a corporate grade chat and instant messaging service that started few months ago. It is developed under Basecamp umbrella and known for its efficient interface and Ajax technologies that deliver faster communication. This tool also provides optional encryption.
Basecamp
Basecamp is almost 12 years old online tool that is specifically designed for project management and team collaboration. Obviously, it has been evolved since its initial launch. Users can download and use Basecamp for free for up to 2 months as trial period.
Trello
Trello is one of the most popular online project management platforms that became a company back in 2014. Earlier it was working under another company. The mobile app for Trello is available for iOS and Android devices. You can use this tool for free and get advanced features via subscription.
Redbooth
Redbooth was earlier known as Teambox. It is an online communication and collaboration platform that was developed 8 years ago. The service got millions of global users in a short time and it is known for powerful integration with other services like Dropbox and Trello.
GitHub
GitHub does not need an introduction; it is the most popular Git repository that developers use for version control and source code management. GitHub is almost 8 years old and currently it has more than 14 million global users.
Bitbucket
Bitbucket is an online hosting service that is compatible with Git and Mercurial revision control platforms. This platform is owned by Atlassian which is a well known name in the app development industry. Bitbucket offers free and paid subscription plans and supports many languages.
JIRA
JIRA is also developed by Atlassian; it is a multi functional platform that comes with issue tracking, bug tracking, team collaboration and project management features. JIRA offers both, free and paid subscriptions for different entities like non-profit organization and corporate users.
Zendesk
Zendesk is a well known cloud based customer service provider that has clients all over the globe. Last year, the company generated more than $127 million revenue from more than 75,000 paid clients.
Bugfender allows developers and testers to log on specific devices and by collecting logs from real devices they can accurately pinpoint the exact root cause of a bug. As reproducing a bug in lab is not possible, the only way to analyze an issue is by looking at the device where it occurs. That seems easy enough but what about a device located thousands of miles away? Not having physical access to the device complicates things and that’s where Bugfender excels.
Developers can test their apps on real devices and get instant feedback using the remote logging tool. Also, unlike the email method described above, they can turn logging feature on/off on specific devices to reduce the amount of logs they need to analyze. For example, if a particular issue is only occurring on specific devices like Samsung Galaxy Note 4 then developers can turn on logging on those devices.
Contrary to popular belief, “bug-free” app is a myth. In real life, developers make a working model with reasonable performance and efficiency and then they move toward excellence. With Bugfender developers can discover bugs before their users do.
