angle-graphic

Category: iOS

Posted on

Functional Tests and Future iOS App Updates

Our mobile apps continue to be a point of focus for us, and in that vein I’d like to share with you some recent and upcoming updates.

In late September, we released version 1.5 of the iOS app, which added functional tests. Functional tests on iOS feature the same extensive functionality of our checklists. In addition to filling out a test, the app allows you to make in-the-field modifications, including creating new test attempts and editing, deleting, creating, and reordering test lines. Of course, just as with checklists, you can create issues from test lines and attach photos.

All of this functionality is available offline, and the changes you make will sync up to the server the next time you connect to the internet with the app.

Going forward, we have several updates on our roadmap. Our next feature release will feature some great improvements to new issue creation. First, you’ll be able to attach photos to an issue while creating the issue. Second, we are bringing the convenience of our “field locking” feature to mobile to make creating multiple issues quick and painless.

image

After that release we are going to take some time to work on some low-level improvements to our sync engine to make sure your time with the app is always solid and worry free.

Finally, our first feature release in 2015 will be a big one: we will be adding a dedicated section to view and update equipment data. We think there are some awesome things we can do on a mobile device with equipment and we look forward to telling you more about it in the coming months.

Posted on

Meet Our New iOS App

image

We’re excited to announce the CxAlloy TQ iOS app, available on the Apple App Store!

CxAlloy TQ for iPhone and iPad focuses on delivering great offline functionality. Create field observations and issues, respond to existing issues, complete checklists, add photos, and view related photos and files. All without an internet connection!

For the first time we now support the iPhone in addition to the iPad. Using the power of these devices the app enables you to work quickly and efficiently.

In addition to these fundamental features, which are also available in our previous offline version, the iOS version features many improvements. These include:

  • Multiple project download
  • Automatic sync with configurable sync interval
  • “Sync Now” button
  • Multitasking support – leave the app and come back without losing your place
  • Project dashboard
  • Download and view related photos and files for issues and checklists
  • Improved performance

We think you’ll like it.

Get it on the App Store

Android and Windows Support

The mobile offline app that you have been using for the past year will continue to be vital to us, as it works across Windows and Android devices, and many of our customers use Windows and Android devices in the field. With the release of the iOS app, we are rebranding the previous app as “CxAlloy TQ for Chrome”. Going forward CxAlloy TQ for Chrome will focus exclusively on working via the Chrome browser across Windows and Android.

Functional Tests and Upcoming Updates

The iOS app does not currently support functional tests. Our next big update, coming before the fall, will add functional tests.

We will be updating the app regularly – we’ve already released several minor updates since our soft launch two months ago.

Mobile is Key

In the long term we believe that our mobile products will become only more important. They will be where our customers spend much of their time and where some of the most critical work is done. This app is another stone in the foundation we are building to support that future.

Posted on

Making Lemonade out of Lemons – A Great New Update to CxAlloy TQ Mobile

The newest version of Apple’s mobile operating system, iOS 7, is a great update in a lot of ways. In at least one area, however, it’s not so great. In fact you might even call it a lemon. I’m talking about the built-in browser, Safari. Although some nice user-facing changes were made, from the developer perspective the new Safari came with significant bugs and was far more crash-prone. As one noted web expert put it, “I can say without fear of mistake that this is the buggiest Safari version since 1.0”. (http://www.mobilexweb.com/blog/safari-ios7-html5-problems-apis-review)

Some of you may have experienced that the stability and functionality of the mobile version of CxAlloy TQ was degraded under iOS 7. We worked quickly to address the major functionality issues and put out an update shortly after the release of iOS 7. However, as we researched the stability issues we discovered they were more deeply rooted. So we rolled up our sleeves and undertook some more significant changes to the mobile app. Luckily, we think the end result is something that’s better than what we had before under iOS 6.

First, we have added paging when viewing checklist and test lines. We’ll now show you 50 lines at a time. Page navigation can be found both above and below the lines so you don’t need to scroll back to the top to go to the next page. And don’t forget that you can tap the “Page X of Y” button to quickly jump to any page! This change alone has eliminated nearly all the crashes we were seeing under iOS 7 and even some crashes we would see under iOS 6.

image

Next, we have standardized on an approach to loading the lines of both checklists and tests. Now both areas will refrain from loading any lines until you explicitly request it. This makes the software much faster than before when jumping from checklist to checklist.

These changes required us to rethink how we do line reordering inside a checklist or test. We have come up with a new approach that we think will work well for quick in-the-field modifications. To move a line, tap the line, then tap “Move”. A simple form will appear for moving the line anywhere above or below any other line in the checklist or test.

image

Finally, we have implemented a great improvement suggested by one of our users – when filling out the note for a checklist or test line, the form will now include the text of the line so you know what you are answering! As someone that can forget what I’m doing even while I’m doing it I can appreciate this addition.

We think we’ve made some sweet lemonade out of some iOS 7 lemons. We hope you benefit from these features. As always, drop us a line at support@cxalloy.com with any problems or suggestions you might have. We are always listening.