Understanding Web App Testing: A Detailed Guide for Developers and QA Teams

We live in a world of the Internet and Web applications are a part of it. Hundreds of websites are being developed daily. And no matter how well-coded the site is, it will have some bugs. The possibility of potential bugs arises with each line of code that is being written. That is why it’s important to get those web applications tested.

The earlier you find the bug, the better because the cost of fixing bugs increases with time.

This blog is a detailed guide to web application testing. Here you’ll be learning what exactly “web app testing” is and its importance. We’ll also discuss different types of web app testing, challenges, future trends, popular web app testing tools, and more.

What is Web App Testing?

Web app testing evaluates a web application (step by step) to ensure it functions correctly and is secure against potential threats. HTML, CSS, and JavaScript are the core technologies on which a website is built. These 3 core technologies are further integrated with other technologies like Angular, React, Vue, Sass, Less, and more.

The domain of building and testing websites is vast. If you want to attract new customers, it’s important to provide bug-free software that will eventually increase your overall revenue generation.

Benefits of Web App Testing

1. Ensures the web app meets quality standards and provides a bug-free experience
2. A well-tested web app offers a smooth, intuitive user experience, leading to higher user satisfaction
3. Identifies vulnerabilities and protects against security breaches
4. Ensures the web app performs well under different conditions and loads
5. Verifies the app works across various browsers, devices, and operating systems
6. Early detection of issues reduces the cost and effort needed to fix them later in the development cycle

Types of Web App Structures

Depending on the type of web application, developers might choose different structural approaches to best suit their needs. Here are three common types:

1. Single Page Applications: Single-page applications are web apps that operate within a single web page. All the necessary code — HTML, JavaScript, and CSS is loaded once. The rest of the content updates dynamically as we keep interacting with the app. This means the app doesn’t need to reload the entire page, but fetches necessary data and updates the view.
2. Multiple Page Applications: Multiple-page applications are traditional types of web applications where the app consists of multiple pages. MPAs offer better security compared to SPAs because much of the logic and data processing occurs on the server rather than the client. Examples of MPAs include e-commerce sites, news websites, and corporate websites.
3. Progressive Web Apps: Progressive Web Apps combines the best features of web and mobile apps. They can work offline, send push notifications, and be easily installed on your home screen. If you’re testing a PWA, make sure these features work seamlessly across different devices and scenarios.

Types of Web App Testing

When you’re making sure a web app works perfectly, there are several types of testing you need to do. Here’s a rundown in simple terms:

1. Functional Testing: Web app testing checks all the features, from basic user interactions like form submissions and navigation to complex backend processes. A single malfunctioning feature can lead to frustration and loss of credibility. That’s where functional testing comes into use. It ensures that each application part works as expected, keeping the site user-friendly.
2. Usability testing: A subset of web app testing that focuses on the application’s user interface and overall user experience. It identifies any issues that may not allow us to effectively interact with the app. Developers address these issues to ensure that the application is easy to use and navigate.
3. Performance testing: Web app testing also involves evaluating the application’s performance under various conditions. It checks whether the application can handle expected user loads without compromising on speed or responsiveness. Load testing (a part of web testing) checks the app’s behavior under normal conditions, and stress testing determines how the app performs under extreme conditions. This prevents slow load times, crashes, and other issues that can drive users away.
4. Security testing: This is about finding and fixing vulnerabilities that hackers could exploit. You check if the app protects user data and prevents unauthorized access. Security testing checks for common security issues such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and insecure authentication methods.
5. Compatibility testing: This is done to test if your app works well on different browsers, devices, and operating systems. You want to make sure that whether someone uses Chrome on a laptop or Safari on an iPhone, it looks and works the same.

Difference Between Automated and Manual Web Testing

Automated Testing: Automated testing uses tools and scripts to perform tests automatically. With the help of automated web app testing, you can execute repetitive and time-consuming tests quickly. It provides consistent results, reduces human error, and handles large-scale tests that are impractical to deal with manually. It also reduces long-term costs by automating regression tests.

Apart from several advantages of automated web app testing, it has some limitations you should be aware of. It requires initial investment in tools and script development. It also needs regular maintenance to stay effective.

Manual Testing: Manual testing requires human testers to execute test cases without automation tools. Manual testing is crucial for exploratory testing. It’s where testers explore the application to find defects not covered by automated tests. Usability Testing checks the user experience and interface, whereas Ad-hoc Testing conducts informal tests based on the tester’s intuition and experience.

Manual testing is flexible and adaptable but can be time-consuming and prone to human error.

Web App Testing Process and Lifecycle

1. Understand what you need: First, you need to understand what the web application is supposed to do. This involves gathering all the requirements and identifying the key features that need testing. Think of it as listing everything the app should offer and how it should behave.
2. Test planning: Next, you create a detailed test plan. Test planning involves deciding what tests to run, who will conduct the tests, what tools and resources will be needed, and setting a timeline for the testing process. This plan acts as a roadmap, guiding the entire testing process.
3. Test case development: After planning, you develop test cases. These are detailed instructions that describe how to test each feature and functionality of the application. Test cases ensure that every aspect of the app is thoroughly checked. It’s like creating a checklist to ensure nothing is missed.
4. Test environment setup: Before running the tests, you need to set up the test environment. This means preparing the hardware and software needed for testing, and ensuring everything mimics the production environment as closely as possible. This setup is crucial for getting accurate and reliable test results.
5. Test execution: With everything set up, you start executing the test cases. This step involves running the tests and recording the results. You compare the actual outcomes with the expected outcomes to identify issues or bugs of any kind. This is where you find out if the app functions as intended.
6. Defect reporting and tracking: The bugs or issues found during testing need to be reported and tracked. This involves logging the defects, describing the problems, and prioritizing them for resolution. The development team then works on fixing these defects, and testers retest the fixes to ensure everything is resolved.
7. Test Closure: Once all tests have been executed and all defects resolved, the final step is test closure. Here, you review the entire testing process, document what was tested, the issues found and fixed, and any lessons learned. A test summary report is created and shared with stakeholders, confirming that the web app is ready for release.

Popular Web Application Testing Tools

When it comes to web app testing, having the right tools can make a big difference. Here are some of the most popular web application testing tools used by developers and QA teams:

1. Selenium: Selenium is one of the most widely used web app testing frameworks. It supports multiple programming languages like Java, Python, and C#. It can run tests across different browsers and platforms. Selenium is great for regression testing and a staple in many toolkits.
2. Cypress: Cypress is a JavaScript-based end-to-end testing framework. It is known for its fast setup and easy-to-use capability. Cypress provides real-time feedback and can be used to test the user interface and interactions.
3. JMeter: Apache JMeter is a tool used for performance testing. It helps simulate heavy loads on web applications to analyze performance and measure response times. JMeter is beneficial for load and stress testing to ensure your app can handle high traffic.
4. Postman: Postman is used for API testing. It allows you to create and execute API requests and validate responses easily. Postman is essential for testing the backend services of a web app and ensuring they work correctly and efficiently.
5. TestRail: TestRail is a test case management tool that helps organize and track test cases, plan testing activities, and generate detailed reports. TestRail integrates with different testing tools and is valuable for managing manual and automated testing efforts.
6. TestGrid: TestGrid is a cloud-based platform that helps you test your software on different browsers and devices. It integrates with your development tools, offers real-time reports, and supports various testing frameworks. This is done to ensure that your software works well everywhere.

Challenges in Web App Testing

Testing web apps determines whether they work well and provide a good user experience. However, there are several challenges testers often face:

1. Browser Compatibility: Web apps must work on different browsers like Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. Each browser may display things differently, which can lead to inconsistencies. The challenge arises when ensuring that the app looks and works the same across all browsers is difficult.
2. Device Diversity: People use web apps on various devices — desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones. Each device has different screen sizes and hardware. Testing the app to ensure it works well on all devices and is responsive to various screen sizes is complex.
3. Dynamic Content: Modern web apps often have content that changes based on user interactions and server data. Testing this dynamic content involves ensuring the data is displayed correctly and updated in real time.
4. Frequent Updates: Web apps often get frequent updates and new features. Each update generates new bugs or affects existing functionality. Continuous testing is needed to make sure updates don’t break the app.
5. User Experience: Testing for UX means making sure the app is easy to use and accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities. This involves not just functional testing, but also getting feedback from real users.

Future Trends In Web App Testing

As technology advances, so does the field of web app testing. Given below are some future trends that are shaping the way we test web applications:

1. AI and Machine Learning: Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning are starting to play a big role in testing. These technologies can help predict potential issues, optimize test cases, and even create tests automatically based on user behavior. This means faster, smarter testing with fewer resources.
2. Test Environment as a Service: Setting up test environments can be time-consuming and expensive. TEaaS offers cloud-based environments that can be set up quickly and cost-effectively. This means testers can focus more on testing rather than managing infrastructure.
3. Shift Left Testing: Starting testing earlier in the development process is called Shift Left Testing. It integrates testing into the early stages of development so that issues can be identified and fixed sooner. The trend will grow as teams improve quality and reduce the time it takes to bring an app to market.
4. Test Management/Collaboration: Better collaboration tools for development and testing teams will continue to evolve. These tools will help teams communicate more effectively and manage defects efficiently. Integration with project management and version control systems will be standard.
5. Integration testing with microservices: Many web apps are now built using a microservice architecture. Testing these microservices and their interactions will become more important in the future. Tools that can handle the complexities of microservices testing will be in high demand.

Conclusion

Web app testing guarantees that applications work properly and deliver a positive user experience. It entails evaluating functionality, performance, security, and compatibility across multiple devices and browsers. Effective testing benefits developers and QA teams by detecting issues early, reducing errors, and improving the overall quality and stability of online programs.

Source: This article was originally published at testgrid.io.