How to Test Your Windows Phone Apps Before Submitting to Marketplace

You can now test your Windows Phone apps before submitting them to the Marketplace. One of the new features in Windows Phone SDK is a tool that lets you test your app for certification requirements on your machine.

The SDK lets you run the same technical cert tests that the Marketplace team runs.

The Kit is well integrated with Visual Studio. When you are in Solution Explorer, simply pick the app you want to test, then choose Open Marketplace Test Kit from the Project menu. There are manual and automated tests, depending on the functionality you want to test.

You will learn things like whether your graphics pass, whether the Back button functions properly, if your memory management is correct. It will also test so you’ll know how fast the app starts and whether it shuts down correctly. When the tests are finished, you'll know if your app will pass.

The test tools are part of the Windows Phone Software Development Kit (SDK) 7.1, which provides you with all of the tools that you need to develop applications and games for both Windows Phone 7.0 and Windows Phone 7.5 devices. You can download the SDK from Windows Phone SDK 7.1 Release Candidate.

Bruce D. KyleISV Architect Evangelist | Microsoft Corporation

See Keith Ward’s post Microsoft One-Ups Apple in Mobile Development in Visual Studio Magazine.