TechUpdatesZone

What is cross browser testing?

The software industry has quite a few complications, and many times a website or application runs correctly in one browser and crashes in another. Cross-border testing is a brilliant and useful technique to check the compatibility of various applications in various browsers. The interpretation of different software and websites varies from browser to browser. There is a possibility that one browser will display a website accurately, and another will display discrepancies or a broken website.

But this should not prevent users from viewing the website in other browsers to access an application. With the update of the technology, it is now possible to check the compatibility of web and mobile applications and websites with multiple browsers like Internet Explorer, Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc. Why should cross-browser testing be done?

The characteristics of the test applications in various browsers are:

• Helps increase efficiency, customer experience, and, eventually, business prospects.
• It helps to identify any problems or difficulties in the internal software.
• Ensure the proper functioning of the websites.
• It helps test the appearance of applications in different browsers and analyze the key differences in the overall appearance.
• It is useful to identify what is wrong with the website and what can be changed.

Who performs this test?

Dedicated companies and professional analytics and marketing teams perform various tests on browsers, devices, applications, and environments. It takes a lot of time, effort, money, interest, and infrastructure to do the same thing. The QA, Development, and Design teams are actively involved in testing and implementing the suggested transformations. How to test in various browsers?

There are two ways to test across browsers:

Manual – A dedicated company conducts testers on various applications using various browsers, identifies any complications, and observes the applications’ behavior. It covers a wide variety of browsers, but this process is time-consuming and expensive. Automated – Under this type of test, the same sets are evaluated in different browsers multiple times. Because it is automated due to its repeated verification tasks, it is more cost-effective and time-consuming, thus more favorable to the end-user. This can be done using various tools like:

• It uses a secure VPN: a remote virtual machine to verify the operation of JAVA, AJAX, HTML, Flash, and other pages. You must be careful, as a third party does it.
• The functions are performed in various browsers, and the results are further analyzed.
• Multiple screen resolutions are accessed.
• In case of any technical complications, a screenshot is recorded for further investigation.
• Applicable to all types of websites and web and mobile applications.
• Authenticated websites can also be tested.
• Applications can also be tested on a private network using a firewall.

Cross-browser testing checklist

The following Cross-Browser Test Tool is used to conduct a thorough investigation of website compatibility:

• CSS, HTML and XHTML validation
• Page validations using JavaScript
• Font size validation using Ajax and Jquery functionality
• Page layout, alignment, and images, header and footer sections in different resolutions
• Aligning page content to the center, left, and right
• Page styles, date formats, HTML character encoding, page zoom functionality
• Testing of different operating systems like Windows, Linux, and Mac in other browsers

[Also Read: Progressive web application tools: frameworks for building a PWA]

7 benefits of testing your website in multiple browsers

1. Fast and cost-effective procedure

It is better to automate the website testing system across multiple browsers as the investment return is much higher. The process is much faster, and the effort involved is comparatively less than in the manual testing process. The script must be accurate and truthful, as the test exercise depends entirely on its effectiveness.

2. Continuity in multiple tests and provision of massive test coverage

Automated tests include new codes and allow continuity in tests on a larger scale. It will enable you to send code faster and estimate the right time to launch the market’s desired application.

3. Improves user accessibility and accuracy

Web application tests perform several tests: functionality coverage tests, short and long, based on functions, and allow the system to perform faster and more efficient techniques. Also, it will enable us to test a suitable infrastructure for testing in the preferred language. It will allow us to eliminate the traps and errors identified through the test modules.

4. Provides a positive business image and effective team collaboration

A collaboration between teams, driving new ideas, supporting a better approach within a good infrastructure is the need to perform multiple tests on websites on different platforms. This also ensures the credibility and increased goodwill of the market-tested website and applications as they are browser-friendly and can run on any interface without complications.

5. Accurately detect defects and problems in the system.

If the test module finds a bug, it will immediately collect screenshots, make a detailed analytical report on it, write email strings about the bug, and display it in an agile dashboard. If too many bugs are found, then the situation could be critical, and the team will need to make significant changes to the software.

6. Improves browser compatibility and 24/7 access to shared resources

These testing techniques provide resources and services 24 hours a day, providing companies with a detailed report and a significant competitive advantage. The reliability factor is much higher, ensuring better cross-browser compatibility of the software.

7. Automatic updates for new devices and browsers

As new devices continue to appear on the market, they are automatically added, and the Selenium Test updates any changes found with a powerful automated tool. Relevant teams conduct detailed study and reporting, and extensive research and investigations are undertaken to combat limitations and reduce costs of conducting such tests. Instant problem identification and immediate resolution enable a soundproofing system that allows the website to run effectively across multiple browsers.

Conclusions

It is a technical necessity for all businesses to test cross-browser to verify accessibility and smooth transition of cross-browser applications. Rather than relying on manual test operations, organizations should switch to automated systems that help eliminate high costs, low efficiency, time-consuming, and wasted resources.