A Short Guide to Web Application Testing

How can you be sure that an application that took a long time to develop works well? Web application testing is something that any application should undergo before being released to the market. It is useful for finding errors and weak points so that the application does not crash under the influx of users at the most crucial moment. Below we will look at web testing in more detail.

What Is Web Application Testing?

Web application testing is logically functional, precise and efficient performance check of a web application. The aim is, therefore, to capture any crucial bugs that would otherwise hinder high user experience, security or service delivery.

Carrying out checks is needed to avoid any issues that may be experienced while the application is live as skipping this step or even doing it at a rush may give rise to a number of issues. Those include affecting the user’s experience, performance and security.

Key Types of Web Application Testing

In order to fully implement the processes of testing, several types of testing need to be introduced. Each tackles a given part of the app and hence there will be no section that will be left untested.

Functional Testing

As the name suggests, functional web app testing is used to test out all the functions of the app under validation. Among others, it is the process of testing the critical elements such as: is the user able to log in, fill in any given forms, make payments and navigate the app as intended.

Usability Testing

Usability testing determines how user-friendly and easy the app is to operate. Generally, this involves gathering information from real users operating the app to pinpoint the areas that may induce confusion or rage in the users. Such concerns might be when buttons are not well-labeled, the flow of information is not well-directed, or the text is too dense.

Security Testing

Security testing ensures that your application does not fall victim to unscrupulous users.

Security testing validates the application against some of the most common such as SQL injection attacks, cross-site scripting (XSS) attacks, and insecure data storage. This type of testing helps in the protection of sensitive information like user data and payment information.

Performance Testing

Performance testing is one of the testing phases one cannot do without. The performance testing of the app measures how good and reliable the app is under varying conditions. Particularly, it considers things like busy hours, heavy operations on the system, etc.

Cross-Browser Testing

Your app must work on several browsers, such as Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge, as well as different operating systems. Cross-browser testing helps to check that the application works on every operating system. You would want to know how the app fits on the web page, whether all the buttons are operational, and whether there is a uniform performance level regardless of the app used.

Mobile Testing

Because most users use web applications through mobile devices, mobile testing must be done. The responsive nature of your app to altering screen resolutions and sizes is simply impressive. Mobile testing assesses the appearance and overall functioning of your app on mobile devices, especially regarding text size and button placement for the user’s fingers and stylus pens.

Accessibility Testing

Accessibility testing should apply all sorts of techniques to make sure every user, including those with disabilities, can utilize the given application. This includes checking for visually impaired, hearing impaired and physically impaired users if the app is easy to use. Keyboard navigation, suitable color contrast, and screen reader support are some features that increase the usability of the app.

Manual Testing vs Automation Testing

Testing of web applications can either be done manually or in an automatic way, and both options are effective within a given testing framework.

• Manual testing for any application means the end-users will be using the application to detect if there are bugs or issues that the application will have against it in terms of usability.
• Automated testing refers to practices that make use of tools and scripts to perform repetitive tasks on the application such as ensuring the effectiveness of the login system to page responsiveness.

It is great to combine the two approaches with use of manuals for user-centered testing while the remaining functional and performance parts are automated.

Wrapping Up

Testing of a web application is one of the stages in the development of a qualitative, trustworthy, and secure application. It includes testing an application in terms of its performance, security, ease of use, etc. All of these things allow a positive experience regardless of the platform used to deliver the application.