Testing

What is Testing?

Testing in simple terms is checking your web application for potential bugs before it is made live or before code is moved into the production environment.

During this stage issues such as that of web application security, the functioning of the site, its access to handicapped as well as regular users and its ability to handle traffic is checked.

How We Test Web Applications

At Apache Web Development, the following testing types/technique may be performed depending on your web testing requirements.

Apache Web Development Web Testing includes: Unit testing, System testing, Static testing, Dynamic testing, Software testing, User Acceptance testing, Integration testing and Functional testing.

1. Functionality Testing

This is used to check if your product is as per the specifications you intended for it as well as the functional requirements you charted out for it in your developmental documentation. Web-based testing activities include:

Testing all links in your webpages are working correctly and make sure there are no broken links. Links to be checked will include:

  • Outgoing links
  • Internal links
  • Anchor Links
  • MailTo Links

Testing Forms are working as expected. This will include:

  • Scripting checks on the form are working as expected. (For example: if a user does not fill a mandatory field in a form an error message is shown.)
  • Checking default values are being populated
  • Once submitted, the data in the forms is transferred to a live database or is linked to a working email address
  • Forms are optimally formatted for better readability

Testing cookies are working as expected. Cookies are small files used by websites to primarily remember active user sessions so you do not need to log in every time you visit a website. Cookie Testing will include:

  • Testing cookies (sessions) are deleted either when cache is cleared or when they reach their expiry.
  • Deleting cookies (sessions) and test that login credentials are asked for when you next visit the site.

Testing HTML and CSS to ensure that search engines can crawl your site easily. This will include:

  • Checking for Syntax Errors
  • Readable Color Schemas
  • Standard Compliance. Ensuring standards such W3C, OASIS, IETF, ISO, ECMA, or WS-I are followed.

Testing business workflow. This will include:

  • Testing your end-to-end workflow / business scenarios which takes the user through a series of webpages to complete.
  • Testing negative scenarios as well, such that when a user executes an unexpected step, appropriate error message or help is shown in your web application.

2. Usability Testing

Usability Testing has now become a vital part of any web based project. It can be carried out by testers or a small focus group similar to the target audience of the web application.

Testing the site navigation:

  • Menus, buttons or Links to different pages on your site should be easily visible and consistent on all webpages

Testing the content:

  • Content should be legible with no spelling or grammatical errors.
  • Images if present should contain additional information in compliance with web handicap laws

3. Interface Testing

Three areas Apache tests are here are: Application, Web and Database Server

  • Application: Testing requests are sent correctly to the Database and output at the client side is displayed correctly. Errors if any must be caught by the application and must be only shown to the administrator and not the end user.
  • Web Server: Testing Web server is handling all application requests without any service denial.
  • Database Server: We make sure queries sent to the database give expected results.

Testing system response when connection between the three layers (Application, Web and Database) cannot be established and appropriate message is shown to the end user.

4. Database Testing

Database is a critical component of your web application and stress must be made to test it thoroughly. Testing activities will include:

  • Testing if any errors are shown while executing queries
  • Data Integrity is maintained while creating, updating or deleting data in database.
  • Checking response time of queries and fine tune them if necessary.
  • Testing data retrieved from your database is shown accurately in your web application

5. Compatibility Testing

Compatibility tests ensures that your web application displays correctly across different devices.

Browser Compatibility Test: Same website in different browsers will display differently. You need to test if your web application is being displayed correctly across browsers, JavaScript, AJAX and authentication is working fine. We also check for Mobile Browser Compatibility.

The rendering of web elements like buttons, text fields etc. changes with change in Operating System. We make sure your website works fine for various combination of Operating systems such as Windows, Linux, Mac and Browsers such as Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari etc.

6. Performance Testing

This will ensure your site works under all loads. Performance testing activities will include but not limited to:

  • Website application response times at different connection speeds
  • Load testing your web application to determine its behavior under normal and peak loads
  • Stress testing your web site to determine its break point when pushed to beyond normal loads at peak time.
  • Testing if a crash occurs due to peak load, how does the site recover from such an event
  • Make sure optimization techniques like gzip compression, browser and server side cache enabled to reduce load times

7. Security Testing

Security testing is vital for websites that store sensitive information like home addresses, phone numbers, email addresses and credit cards. Security testing activities will include:

  • Testing unauthorized access to secure pages should not be permitted
  • Restricted files should not be downloadable without appropriate access
  • Checking sessions are automatically killed after prolonged user inactivity
  • On use of SSL certificates, website should re-direct to encrypted SSL pages.

8. Crowd Testing

This is typically guided by Apache Web Development in a focus group style of meeting with your company. You will select a group of people in the company to execute tests on the web application which will dictate use-case scenarios to assist in creating an intuitive platform. Crowdsourced testing is an interesting and upcoming concept and helps unravel many a unnoticed defects.