Developed by ex-Googlers, Mabl allows developers to trigger web app testing functions using GitHub Actions and Bamboo automation Credit: Thinkstock Mabl, an automated front-end testing platform for web applications, is available in a new release with GitHub and Bitbucket integrations that give developers—not just QA engineers or product managers—more ways to ensure that their web apps work as intended. Mabl tests for web app front-ends ensure that a web app not only passes tests in the abstract but also behaves as the user expects. As Mabl co-creator Dan Belcher explained, “Frameworks like Selenium test front-end code, not user experience. So all your scripts may pass, but from the user’s perspective the thing may still be broken.” (For those already using Selenium, Mabl can import existing Selenium test suites.) The latest version of Mabl adds features intended to “shift left” the testing Mabl can provide—that is, make more testing available directly to the developer, earlier on in the app development cycle, and in ways that complement a dev’s workflow. The biggest changes involve integration with code-hosting platforms like GitHub and Bitbucket. With GitHub, end-to-end Mabl tests run as part of the checks run against pull requests and commits before they’re accepted. GitHub Actions and Atlassian Bamboo automation can trigger Mabl tests. Tests can also be snapshotted and version-pinned to specific points in the workflow or product lifecycle. Other new Mabl features complement a developer’s local workflow. The headless local test runner, for instance, runs front-end testing for an app on a developer’s local machine and reports issues, but does so without needing the director to babysit the test process. Another new developer-centric addition is a command-line interface, allowing developers to set up and run Mabl tests side-by-side with other development work. When regressions or issues do come up, Mabl optionally files Jira tickets for the problem, including full stack traces and other details as part of the ticket’s attachment. This way all the details needed to recreate the problem are included; the developer doesn’t need to try and recreate the issue manually. Mabl’s pricing is available only on request, but a 14-day trial provides full access to the platform’s features. Packages start at 1,000 test runs per month and scale up based on which auxiliary features you need (e.g., support for browsers other than Chrome/Firefox). App TestingWeb DevelopmentSoftware Development