Dynamics Mobile Studio allows the mobile developer to debug the mobile app, using the full debuging stack of the web browser.
Important part of the development process is the running and the debugging of the mobile applications.
Dynamics Mobile Studio development is in-the-browser, so the debugging experience is based on the debugging techniques found in the web browsers
The typical development process looks like this:
- the developer starts developing of an app by using Dynamics Mobile Studio.
- the developer makes some changes over the code and clicks the RUN button to test it in the web browser.
- the develoepr can make more changes over the code and the he needs just to refresh the web browser in order to test the latest changes.
- the developer can use the built-in debugging tools in the web browser to debug the mobile app – breakpoints, step throughm step over, wathers and others.
- after the development is done and it is confirmed that the application is working as expected in thr web browser , the developer must confirm that the code runs on a real device ( android, iOS, windows. )
- the real device must be deployed with the Dynamics Mobile Core mobile application from the devleopment application area and synchronized to get the latest changes for the module in development
- the module must be tested on the device
Running the mobile app
The developer may need to run the mobile app in order to test it.
First, the developer has to select mobile user from the dropdown menu, next to the [Run] button.
Next, the developer has to click the RUN button on top of Dynamics Mobile Studio.
The button will open new web-browser window. It will expect the credentials ( username, password ) of a mobile user.
Enter the credentials of your test mobile user and then activate your mobile module and launch the tasks , which you want test.
If you already have run the application once, you just must switch manually to the new web-browser window and refresh it.
The RUN mode is always executed as on-line web ( hosted-in the-web-browser) mode.
NOTES:
Make sure you have checked the following :
- You have a mobile data sent to your test mobule user. Otherwise you will not be able to test the data access related features.
Have in mind that Dynamics Mobile will do the following, before running the app:
- it will add the mobile app to the allowed modules for the device’s group
- it will allow all tasks from the module for the device’s group
Debbuging
The app running option is not sufficient most of the time for the developers.
They will need to debug the application.
Dynamics Mobile Studio and the run-time are based on web tehcnologies,
so the developers can use “standard” debbuing tools and teqniques to debug the mobile applications developed with Dynamics Mobile.
In-the-browser debugging
We recommend using Chrome web browser.
The developers can use the debugging tools, which comes with their web-browser of choice.
If you are using Chrome , you can use the built-in Chrome’s Developers Tools by pressing Ctrl-Shift-I keys.
If you are using Firefox, you can install the Firebug plugin
If you are using Safari, you can use the built-in Safari’s Developer Tools
Setting up a break point
In order to setup a break point, the developer will need to open the specific view or code block
from Dynamics Mobile Studio and to place the debugger word in the code.
Then the developer will RUN the application or refresh the browser.
The developer has to open the Developers Tools/Javascript console from the web browser. When the execution of the application comes
the code line where the debugger word is placed, the code execution will be automatically interrupted and the developer will be
able to step through the code execution.
The debugging tools from the major web browsers allow placing of break points inside the code, stepping through the code and use watches and others.
Running the app on a mobile device
Sometimes you will need to run the latest code on a real mobile device.
In order to run the application (module) on a device , you should:
- Click the [PUBLISH TO DEVICE] button from Dynamics Mobile Studio
- Deploy the Dynamics Mobile CORE application and configure the connectivity parameters
- Synchronize the device to get the app.
- Test your functionality.