Analytic SDK for Mobile App Bug Detection and Crash Reporting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Developers face challenges in identifying and addressing bugs in mobile applications executed on end-user devices, as existing methods require proactive user involvement and lack timely, comprehensive feedback mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for data collection and analysis using an analytic software development kit (SDK) integrated into the developer's environment, which automatically detects and sends debugging information to a web server for processing, enabling the identification of bug-related information such as source code locations and error details.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If developers use traditional beta testing or user feedback methods to identify bugs, then they can obtain some bug information, but the process requires proactive user involvement and lacks timely, comprehensive feedback
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables automatic bug detection and reporting without requiring user action. The analytic SDK automatically monitors the application, detects crashes, collects debugging information, and sends reports to the developer, making the bug reporting process self-service rather than user-initiated
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous automatic feedback by monitoring application execution in real-time, detecting bugs as they occur, and immediately transmitting crash data and debugging information to the developer, creating a closed-loop feedback mechanism that eliminates information gaps
2Loss of information
If developers manually collect bug information from users, then they can get some feedback, but they do not receive all pertinent information about the bug, device type, and execution context
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-configuring the analytic SDK within the application to automatically collect and prepare all necessary debugging information (crash data, device type, execution context, source code locations) before the developer needs it, so that when a bug occurs, the information is already gathered and ready for transmission
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous automatic feedback by monitoring application execution in real-time, detecting bugs as they occur, and immediately transmitting crash data and debugging information to the developer, creating a closed-loop feedback mechanism that eliminates information gaps
3Reliability
If developers distribute the application to end users for testing, then they can identify bugs in real-world usage, but they have limited ways of receiving information about bug causes
Solution Approach 1:
The analytic SDK acts as an intermediary between the application and the developer, automatically capturing detailed debugging information (including source code file names, method names, line numbers, and stack traces) at the point of crash, and transmitting this information through a web server to the developer, thereby bridging the information gap without requiring direct user-developer communication
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method are provided for data collection and analysis of information related to applications. Specifically, the developer of the application may install analytic software, which may be embodied as a software development kit (SDK), on an integrated development environment (“IDE”) associated with the developer, wherein the analytic software may be installed with a wizard-like interface having a series of easy to follow instructions. Once installed, the application, with the analytic software incorporated therein, may be provided and installed on a plurality of end user devices. Thereafter, the analytic software may work in conjunction with analytic processing logic to assist the developer in obtaining pertinent information related to bugs associated with the application that is being executed on an end user device.