Tool Review: Charles

Tool Review:CharlesTaffie Coler

HistoryCharles 2.0 was released in 2005November 2006 added JSON and SOAP supportFebruary 2007 large responses allowed; recording limits strippedMarch 2007 public beta releasedMarch 2009 TLS overhaul; experimental 64 bit Windows supportJune 2012 SSL signing works with Apples Dev ID1[1] http://www.charlesproxy.com/

Comparison of similar toolsCharles Simpler structureNo outside knowledge needed; verySamples only packets from your app; ignores broadcast and ARP packetsWireshark More ControlSteeper learning curve; requires networking knowledgeHave to specifically designate a port or filter specific protocols

Sustainability, performance, pricingSustainability Charles has existed for 9 years with several updates per yearPerformance Charles is simplified in a nice way, I only see HTTP data going through the appNegative: If feedback is encoded with specific data types, Charles has trouble decoding packetsPricing Charles is relatively expensive at $50 per three licenses, but could pay off in the long run

Benefit/cost analysisA full-licensed version of Charles is $50 for a lifetime of HTTP monitoring $26/hour was the lowest iOS developer wage, $40 is the average1 One Charles license allows access to 3 computers.Pays for itself[1] http://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/ios-developer-salary-SRCH_KO0,13.htm

CompatibilityCharles can run on several operating systems:Windows 32 bitWindows 64 bitMac OSXDebian-based Linux distributionsCharles is widely used for:iOS applicationsAndroid applicationsWeb-based applications/pages

Hello World

Tutorial/training

Maintenance