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In 2 weeks we have a field test for our developed web application (company internal) and about 15 end users are invited to test our web application. For this field test we want to track their mouse clicks (location what was clicked).

Some requirements we have on the tracking software:

  • runs client side (after a day of research I know ~20 web based tracking tools but only 1 client side one, we don't have time or budget to embed such tools)
  • start from command line (or even remotely)
  • remote control would be nice
  • data export (like a heat map!)
  • tracks specified application only (browser)

So far I only found WhatPulse (https://whatpulse.org/) which is not detailed enough (not much command line support, can't export data as heat map even thou it previews is as heat map LOL?)

Does anybody know other tools which are more powerful than WhatPulse? Or any alternatives?

EDIT: Screen Recording: this would produce video material of several hundreds of hours (the test is 5 days long), the test's scope is not to find bugs but to find out if the end users will accept the way they have to work in the future and if we can improve it or make it easier for them.

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If you invited them to your company, then just run a screen recorder, like camtasia on the machines.

If its remote, ask them to record their screen, ie, using camtasia. Since they are testing you should be able to have this a pre-requirement for testing.

Don't complicate things by trying to hide trackers etc for testers, they may be using blockers, doing some weird things etc.. just tell them.

Please record everything while trying to break our app.

That way you will receive 100% tracked material for your review, Instead of worrying about bugs in your tracker app.

If you just using normal end users to test your app... you may as well ask your mom to try it out and watch her do it. Proper testing is a different ball park.

If it were me, I would disable JavaScript - boom, your tracker is down instantly. Disable flash, boom flash tracker down. Try various browsers, mess with dodgy caches, download throttling, behind the scenes POST via Fiddler, any of that can break your tracker, and only then fill in the form like a good boy. Plus you wont be able to see WTF they actually did to break your app! This is the purpose of testing.

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    No worries. I have been looking for a mouse tracker for a website I am working on now to see how end users complete forms.. because it seems like some people do some really weird things and break validation somehow.(and I forced to use old ASP...) There are some solutions, mostly jQuery but not complete. In the end, we still don't have a mouse tracker on those forms either.
    – Piotr Kula
    Aug 26, 2015 at 8:21
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    Haha you're cool B)
    – Pali
    Aug 26, 2015 at 8:35
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    Yup... and that requires somebody to analyse what people are doing. There is no magic way that will tell what you need to fix. You actually need to research and develop. :) If you can... - The problem is that a web script may not record everything you need to see- loosing valuable data. Its painful process, look at Windows. It took them 20 years and they still don't know what they doing :) heheh
    – Piotr Kula
    Aug 26, 2015 at 8:35
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    Sorry, but I don't know what else to say. It seems like you need more help than just a screen tracker. You actually need to analyse each person... and that will take time, to extract valuable data, condense it and produce something useful. I get it, your boss allocated you a budget of $0 and T-1Days to complete it... and expects the perfect outcome..which will make everybody happy. Happens allot. End of the day, this type of testing takes time, allot of time, and you need to know what to analyse and how to draw conclusions. ie, even body positions and gestures are very important.
    – Piotr Kula
    Aug 26, 2015 at 8:44
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    Another cool thing to record in tests like this is eye movement / tracking - where the person mouse is is about 50% of the time where they are NOT looking! :) I have seen some thing like that set up with xbox camera and some Windows app, I think it was free from Windows. But cant remember now.
    – Piotr Kula
    Aug 26, 2015 at 8:46

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