Web Testing Issues

Goutam K. Saha
Senior Member IEEE
sahagk@gmail.com gksaha@ieee.org

Web Testing includes testing for Functionality, Usability, Interface, Compatibility, Performance and Security.

Functionality Testing tasks include: (a) Checking all the Links (testing outgoing links from all pages from a domain under test, testing all internal links, links jumping on same page, links to send email to admin and other users from web page, checking for orphan pages and broken links thereof), (b) Forms Testing in all pages (Checking validations on every field, checking default values of fields, Wrong inputs to the fields, form delete/view/modify the forms, options to create forms if any), (c) Validate HTML/CSS for optimizing a site for search engine and for site crawl ability to different search engines, (d) Cookies Testing by enabling or disabling the cookies (small files stored on user machine to maintain the session) and checking effect on application security by deleting cookies, (e) Database Testing for checking data consistency, data integrity and checking for errors while editing, deleting or modifying the forms or doing any DB related functionality, checking for correct execution of database queries, correctness of data retrieval and update and load on DB.

Usability Testing includes: (a) Testing for Navigation (how a user surfs web pages, various controls — buttons, boxes, links) includes checking for easiness to use web site, clarity and correctness of instructions, checking for consistency of main menu on each page, (b) Checking content ( whether it is easy to understand, logical and meaningful, spelling errors checking, checking for usage of annoying dark colors, frames, fonts etc., proper working of anchor text links, checking for proper placing of images in proper sizes and tasks for UI validation, (c) Checking for search option, presence of sitemap with all links in web sites with proper tree view of navigation, help files, option for “search in the site”.

Interface Testing includes checking the Web server and Application server Interface, Application server and Database server Interface for proper execution of all interactions between the servers and proper Errors handling and displaying error messages appropriately, checking for any user-interrupt in between transaction or if in between resetting of web server connection.

Compatibility Testing includes Browser compatibility, OS compatibility, Printing options and Mobile Browsing. Web site coding needs to be cross browser platform compatible. Web application needs to be tested on different browsers like IE, Firefox, Chrome, AOL, Safari, Opera with different versions. Web application needs to be tested on different operating systems like Windows, Unix, MAC, Linux with different OS flavors because all new technologies (e.g., graphics designs, interface calls like different API’s ) used in Web development may not available in all OSs. Web pages need to be tested on mobile browsers. Testing for page printing options for fonts, page graphics, page alignment, page fitting to paper size etc., need to be carried out.

Performance Testing is must to ensure that web application sustains to heavy load. It includes testing for Web Load and Web Stress. Application performance needs to be tested on various internet connection speed. Web Load testing is to test when many users are accessing or requesting the same page and to check whether system is able to sustain in peak load times. Web site should be able to handle many simultaneous user requests, users’ large input data, heavy load on specific pages, simultaneous connection to DB etc. Web Stress testing is carried out to break the site by giving stress beyond its specification limits and to check how the system reacts to excessive stress and how it recovers from crashes. Performance testing includes checking web site functionality on various OSs, hardware platforms, memory leakage errors etc.

Security Testing is carried out by pasting internal url directly onto browser address bar without login. Internal pages should not open. Security Testing includes trying invalid inputs in input fields e.g., login username, password, input text boxes for checking system reaction on all invalid inputs, checking for direct inaccessibility of Web directories or files unless given download option, testing the CAPTCHA for automatic scripts logins, testing if SSL is used for security measures. If used proper message should get displayed when users switch from non-secure http:// pages to secure https:// pages and vice versa. All transactions, error messages, attempts for security breach must get logged in log files on web server. By trying to change url options directly after logged in using username and password access should be denied for this user to view others stats.