Testing Web Based Applications - Challenges, Suggestions and Tools

PIT Solutions GmbH PIT Solutions (P) Ltd
Inno center,alte spinnerei, 214, Nila, Technopark,

8877 Murg, Thiruvananthapuram – 695 581,
Switzerland Kerala, India
Tel: +41 81 720 3556 Tel: +91 471 2700 915
Email: thomas@pitsolutions.com Email: rafeek@pitsolutions.com
Testing Web based Applications -

Challenges, Suggestions and Tools
From: http://www.softwaretestinginstitute.com/webtest.html
SQA Articles PITS Confidential Page 1 of 7

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Table of Contents
1 INTRODUCTION 3
1.1 TESTING LINKS AND WEB SITE MAPPING 3

1.2 PAGE PROPERTIES 4
1.3 LOAD AND PERFORMANCE TESTING 4
1.4 CHALLENGES 4
1.5 TESTING JAVA AND ACTIVE X THROUGH GUIS 5
1.6 GO FORTH AND WEB TEST 6
1.7 WEB TESTING TOOLS SAMPLER 6
1.7.1 ASTRA SITETEST 6
1.7.2 AUTOTESTER WEB 6
1.7.3 JAVASTAR 7
1.7.4 SILKTEST 7
1.7.5 SURFBOT 3.0 7
1.7.6 WEBLO@D 7

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1 Introduction
Whether testing a world wide internet site, an internal corporate intranet, or
an extranet virtual IP network that grants limited internet access to select
groups, web sites and network applications that use a browser interface are
everywhere. Web testing is critical when your image and reputation are on
the line, around-the-world, 24 hours a day.
This article presents the challenges that web testers face, the tools that are
available, and gives some suggestions of where to begin when you attempt to
test the World Wide Web.
1.1 Testing Links and Web Site Mapping

Testing begins with mapping out the site under test. Your web test plan
should include following all the links of a web site to generate or validate a
map of the web site structure. Testing the links ensures that no "404 - Not
Found" errors exist, and that the pages retrieved for display are the ones that
are expected.
Links come in all shapes and sizes: hyperlinked text, linked graphics, or java-
enabled controls. Some automation test tools can’t recognize and manipulate
links. Be sure your tool evaluation includes a question about exactly how
links are recognized, and how they can be tested once recognized. Even in
straight HTML, links need to be recognized as controls or objects in order to
test them. Tools are available for starting with a URL (Uniform Resource
Locator), then automatically following all the links and pages that are found
within that site. There are some robots available for this process. Some of the
less-expensive robots limit how deep the link search will go, but they generate
comprehensive error reports, and save the pages that were retrieved for off-
line review. Some even allow you to replicate an entire web site in no time.

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More expensive automated test applications have few limits in number of

links deep that can be followed or other restrictions, but require you to build
scripts, customize existing scripts, or invest lots of time in creating your own.
1.2 Page Properties

Once a page is accessed some immediate attributes are made available to the
browser and can be tested. These include the URL, title, date last updated,
size, and number of links, last HTTP status, and the time to load. Virtually all
of the automated test tools allow this level of testing using pre-defined
commands or routines, and every web test plan should include interrogating
these variables. Track these properties to compare to what is expected, or to
establish the environment at the time the test was run.
1.3 Load and Performance Testing

There’s nothing better than automation when you have to hit your program
or server with multiple simultaneous requests to see how it performs!
Imagine load testing the next version of Yahoo™, which today gets hit rates of
one million a day. Fortunately, there are automated test tools specifically
available for this task--sometimes even a Java applet will do the trick.
1.4 Challenges
One of the challenges lies in automating the testing process and keeping the
unattended test scripts synchronized with the application under test.
Synchronizing implies knowing when an event has occurred before
proceeding with the test.
Automated scripts that are clock- or timeout-based will be logging nothing
but false defects in just one day of high packet loss over the net. Even event-
based solutions can fall short since few things inside the browser window are
reliably present to signify that an event has occurred. Many visual clues for

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events--such as files being fully loaded--are on the browser window frame,

and even those aren’t reliable. Think how many times the phrase "Document:
Done" appears on the frame before all files that make up a page are fully
loaded.
Another challenge lies in the behind-the-scenes complexity. If your web
browser crashes, how do you know what problem you’re really seeing? The
bug you’re chasing could be in that browser version, or in the HTML code, or
the database connectivity software, or the database itself, or in the web server
software, or a unique combination thereof. Each day that goes by adds to the
pieces and parts of web sites that beg to be tested.
Perhaps the biggest web testing challenge has to do with the browser
interface itself. Even though there are only two real players--Internet
Explorer© or Netscape Navigator©--the browser eases delivery but
complicates the testing process. First you must test the different versions of
the two browsers, test for browser neutrality on all browsers, and test with
different plug-ins that may be installed. With the browser issue comes
operating systems, platforms, graphic capabilities, and machine
configurations. Testing all the different configuration combinations can
quickly become a huge and insurmountable task. Just thinking about it can
keep you up at night.
1.5 Testing Java and Active X through GUIs

Secure access, managed accounts, dynamic web content--a lot of internet-
related needs are enabled using Java or Active X programs on the client or
server side. These programming languages, which are barely a year old, are
standard fare today.
The browser neutrality issue particularly comes into play for Java and Active
X programs, which may not work from one browser to the next but also may
behave completely differently on one than the other.

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1.6 Go Forth and Web Test

From the upper processes down there won’t be too much difference in a web
test plan than any other. Issues of supported configurations will take up a lot
of time and metrics--probably more than any other testing project.
An in-depth understanding of the parts that make up the web site, and which
part is responsible for what, is necessary for formulating the right mix of
hoops the site must jump through. Selecting and using automated tools where
possible will give you an edge since web test developers and their users have
already encountered many of the challenges you’re likely to face.
1.7 Web Testing Tools Sampler
1.7.1 Astra SiteTest

Astra SiteTest© by Mercury Interactive is a stress testing tool for Web-based
systems (internet and intranets) that provides consistent, repeatable and
measurable load to exercise the system. LoadRunner™ is an integrated client,
server and Web load testing tool for larger scale systems with database
connectivity. Mercury also offers Astra SiteManager©, a comprehensive
visual Web management tool. Mercury Interactive Corp., 470 Potrero Avenue,
Sunnyvale, CA 94086, 408-523-9900, http://www.merc-int.com.
1.7.2 AutoTester Web

AutoTester Web© by Autotester, Inc. has much to offer in the way of browser
neutrality and in recognizing links as objects. The automated testing solution
is designed to perform functional and regression testing of large-scale internet
and intranet applications. AutoTester, Inc., 8150 N. Central Expwy., Suite
1300, Dallas, TX 75206, 214-368-1196, http://www.autotester.com.

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1.7.3 JavaStar
JavaStar© by SunTest is a tool for testing Java applications and applets
through their GUIs. This is a capture/playback/compare application with the
benefit of running on all platforms that run Java. JavaStar is one of the
SunTest Suite of test tools. Sun Microsystems, Inc., 2550 Garcia Ave., Mtn.
View, CA 94043-1100, (415) 336 2005, http://www.suntest.com.
1.7.4 SilkTest
SilkTest©, Segue’s web testing tool, is a functional and regression testing tool
that also offers much in the way of "cross-browser" testing. SilkTest is part of
the Silk© family of products which also includes Surf! ©, a robot for testing
links, and Silk Performer©. Segue Software, Inc., 1320 Centre St., Newton
Centre, MA 02159, 617-969-3771, http://www.segue.com.
1.7.5 Surfbot 3.0

Surfbot 3.0© is a low-cost robot that works on your behalf to retrieve,
organize and filter information from the internet. Surflogic LLC, San
Francisco, CA, 415-731-2732, http://www.surflogic.com.
1.7.6 Weblo@d
Weblo@d© by Radview generates user defined loads to simulate over 8.2
million user hits in a day. Radview also offers Webex@m©, a tool that
automatically crawls and detects broken links. Radview Ltd, 7272 Wisconsin
Ave., Suite 300, Bethesda, MD, 20814, (301) 941-1990,
http://www.radview.com.
Editor’s Note: Special thanks to Scott Killen of AutoTester, Inc., Yakup Kinikoglu of
Texas Instruments, Inc., and Mike McGary of OnDaWeb, Inc. for sharing their
expertise in the crafting of this article.
This article is protected by copyright.

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PIT Solutions GmbH PIT Solutions (P) Ltd

Inno center,alte spinnerei, 214, Nila, Technopark,

Testing Web based Applications -

SQA Articles PITS Confidential Page 1 of 7

1.1 TESTING LINKS AND WEB SITE MAPPING 3

SQA Articles PITS Confidential Page 2 of 7

1.1 Testing Links and Web Site Mapping

SQA Articles PITS Confidential Page 3 of 7

More expensive automated test applications have few limits in number of

1.2 Page Properties

1.3 Load and Performance Testing

SQA Articles PITS Confidential Page 4 of 7

events--such as files being fully loaded--are on the browser window frame,

1.5 Testing Java and Active X through GUIs

SQA Articles PITS Confidential Page 5 of 7

1.6 Go Forth and Web Test

1.7 Web Testing Tools Sampler

1.7.1 Astra SiteTest

1.7.2 AutoTester Web

SQA Articles PITS Confidential Page 6 of 7

1.7.5 Surfbot 3.0

SQA Articles PITS Confidential Page 7 of 7

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