Why is cross-browser testing a MUST-DO before every browser update?
In 2020 alone, Google updated their Chrome browser a massive seven times, and ‘Blink 91’, their current (latest) version, is only the 5th release of 2021.
With such regular frequency in-browser updates and releases, cross-browser testing is the need of the hour for website and app developers.
Good user experience is a decisive factor in the success or failure of a software application. Although a significant part of a web application’s UX stems from a clean & crisp UI, the deciding factor is its compatibility and performance on different web browsers.
If that was hard to understand, let’s break it down for you!
Have you ever encountered a web application that had one of these issues?
● Slow load time
● Alt text with broken images
● Incompatibility with HTML/JavaScript/CSS embedded code elements
● Half-baked icons/blurry Images
● Frozen/disfigured panes
Nothing frustrates a user more than running into these petty incompatibility issues. Add to it the pain of glitches, authentication & other security-related problems, and an overall bad I/O experience.
Let’s get this straight. Nobody likes software updates. Your customers are used to interacting with your application in a certain way. But what happens when browser fixes & improvements force you to make changes in your code?
To save your app from bad ratings, you need to perform frequent browser compatibility tests. If not, these problems can snowball to the point where they discourage your customer from using the application altogether and looking for alternatives. In the world of business assurance, this is a rookie mistake, one that organizations cannot afford to make.
The importance of regular cross-browser testing
Testing for browser compatibility is paramount, given that users are spread over various regions, use several devices & their preferred browser to access the application. Google Chrome is the most widely used browser on which most applications are tested, followed by Microsoft Edge and Mozilla Firefox.
Cross-browser compatibility is an essential element that defines the performance of software over various browsers smoothly. Furthermore, interoperability is a core prerequisite for any application to be used over the web. Therefore, quality assurance for browser compatibility is key to assuring a seamless performance of your application over various internet browsers.
By performing cross-browser QA, you ensure that your PC application, mobile application, or website performs without errors on all browsers.
A website/application may sure look a little different on one browser compared to another. But all functionality and code should work at maximum capacity. Testing for browser compatibility ensures a uniform user experience across all app browsers that your customers use.
What is tested under cross-browser testing?
Compatibility testing focuses on four areas- Basic functionality, design, accessibility, and responsiveness. It means that apart from testing your software application for flawless performance across different browsers, it also involves QA for consistent compatibility across various devices and operating systems.
Additionally, it stresses testing for web accessibility compliance, i.e., checking if the website/application can be accessed by differently-abled individuals.
The primary elements of an application that are tested can include validations for
1) CSS
2) HTML
3) XHTML
4) The Webpage (both with and without JavaScript enabled)
5) Font size
6) Page styles
The other elements that are tested include-
1) Ajax and jQuery functionality
2) Page layout in different resolutions
3) Image rendition and alignment
4) Placement of Header and footer sections
5) The alignment of Page content to center, LHS, or RHS
6) Checking for appropriate Date formats
7) Special characters with HTML character encoding
8) Page zoom-in/ zoom-out functionality
Now coming back to the crux of the matter, the burning question remains:
Why perform cross-browser quality assurance before every software update?
In an agile & DevOps environment, with a continuous delivery pipeline, there is a demand for quick iterative testing whenever a new feature is added, or an existing part is modified. To keep up with frequent browser updates, app developers need to perform automated compatibility tests at each new release.
Why automated and not manual?
Simply because executing a new set of test cases to validate app functionality and performance at each iteration is a monumental effort. By the time the manual testing is complete, a new browser update would have already launched.
Automated regression tests run parallelly on multiple devices, platforms, and browsers and perform end-to-end testing of browser compatibility. The test scope defines the test coverage, i.e., which browser-OS combination to test. Obviously, with the vast number of browsers and operating systems available, it is impossible to test them all.
So, in short, accurate test results, speed of completion, reusable test cases, and better test coverage are why automated browser testing is preferred over manual efforts.
Best practices for conducting cross-browser testing
While cross-browser testing comes with a bunch of benefits, doing it right is quite crucial to reap these benefits and achieve success. Here are some best practices you should consider.
1) Choose the right QA testing partner/ tool
This can truly make a world of difference. With the aid of an experienced software testing partner and by having a versatile browser testing tool at your disposal, you are ensuring continuous improvement in your software product.
2) Compile and define the test scope
Do not test what is unnecessary. Those internet explorer memes serve their purpose by telling you not to test your software for obsolete browsers. Instead, perform software testing for only relevant browsers and operating systems.
3) Handle browser-independent bugs separately.
Some bugs persistently occur on all browsers, therefore, do not waste time testing for the same defect on all browsers. Instead, resolve and fix the error on one browser and apply the same fixtures to the rest of the browsers.
4) Leverage automation to create parallel tests and save time.
If you are not automating your browser tests, you are losing out on time. Run parallel tests on multiple devices under various test environments simultaneously. Keep track of the test results in a central repository. Use these learnings and previously created test cases to benefit future tests.
5) If short on time, prioritize which browsers to test on.
This one’s self-explanatory. Not all browsers are worth your time. For your testing efforts to be successful, find out which browsers your customers are using and perform compatibility testing on those browsers first.
In a nutshell, with the increasing need of customers to have a glitch-free, fast, and smooth experience on their web browsers, it becomes a compulsion on web app developers to keep up with these expectations.
The right quality assurance partner can back you up by smartly setting your software testing goals and helping you check all the boxes when it comes to a clean and fluid app experience.
