Step by Step Guide to Make Web Application Testing Easier.

By: Payal Gurav Category: Testing Technologies: Software Testing

Web Application Testing consists of multiple steps to ensure that the application is completely functional and runs smoothly with security. An essential part of web development, it ensures that the app functions properly before its launch. Mentioned below is a 6-step guide that will provide a complete overview of what type of tests are to be run to test your app.

Step 1: Functional Testing

The first step of web testing ensures that the functions of a system are being tested.

Wikipedia describes Functional Testing as:

A quality assurance (QA) process, functional testing bases its test cases on the specs of the software element under test. Functions are tested by feeding them data and examining the output, while the internal program structure is seldom considered (unlike white-box testing).

Functional testing takes place in the source code, where the system is tested against functional requirements & specifications.

Typically, Functional testing involves:

• the identification of functions the software is supposed to perform
• data input & entry
• execution of the test case
• analysis of the expected results

During functional testing, the actual usage of the system is simulated. The plan is to replicate the actual system usage and create test conditions that are similar to the user requirements.

Step 2: Usability Testing

When testing a website, the second step is usability testing. Usability testing links functionality testing with user experience.

It is not similar to User Acceptance testing as the focus is entirely different and so are the different stages of the app development during which these tests are undertaken.

Usability testing can be performed by arranging external testers to simulate the expected user base, or by the developers themselves. To perform external testing, several apps such as Apple’s TestFlight are available.

Usability testing can be divided into 4 stages:

• Developing a testing strategy so that the functions of the app, including the navigation & content can be reviewed
• Selecting the internal/external test participants
• Running tests with a team of experts
• Analyzing the outcomes and improving the app accordingly

Step 3: Interface Testing

Interface testing guarantees that the interactions between the web and application server interfaces run smoothly. This involves checking the communication processes and making sure that the error messages are displayed accurately. It further tests if the interruptions by the user and the server are handled properly.

Step 4: Compatibility Testing

With the rise of portable devices, compatibility testing is essential to ensure that the web app displays properly on all types of devices.

The developers are required to run browser compatibility tests to verify if the app is displayed correctly on different browsers. Another test to perform is the mobile browser compatibility which confirms whether the app displays correctly across different mobile browsers.

Different operating systems display certain elements of the app differently. This is the reason why it is important to run compatibility tests with as many operating systems as possible such as Mac, Windows, Linux, as well as different browsers such as Safari, Chrome, Firefox, etc.

Step 5: Performance Testing

After ensuring the proper functionality of your application on all browsers and devices, it is time to understand how it performs under heavy load. This involves testing the application under different internet speeds and identifying how it behaves under normal or peak loads (load testing). To discover the breaking point of the application, it is put under increasing amounts of stress until it ceases to operate (stress testing).

Testing for resiliency is a vital activity to find how the application performs under stress before the users do. It is important to test the functionality under different situations and hardware configurations, and how the application recovers from crashes.

Step 6: Security Testing

A type of Software Testing, Security Testing reveals vulnerabilities of the system and guards the system data & resources against possible intruders. It ensures that the software system and application are free from any risks that can lead to a loss. Security testing focuses on detecting the potential loopholes in the system which may lead to loss of information as well as the reputation of the organization.

The goal of Security Testing is to:

• identify the warnings in the system.
• measure the potential vulnerabilities.
• assist in detecting every possible security risk.
• help developers to fix the security issues through coding.

Originally published at https://www.cryptextechnologies.com.