How can World Wide Web sites be tested?
Web
sites are essentially client/server applications - with web servers and
'browser' clients. Consideration should be given to the interactions
between html pages, TCP/IP communications, Internet connections,
firewalls, applications that run in web pages (such as applets,
javascript, plug-in applications), and applications that run on the
server side (such as cgi scripts, database interfaces, logging
applications, dynamic page generators, asp, etc.). Additionally, there
are a wide variety of servers and browsers, various versions of each,
small but sometimes significant differences between them, variations in
connection speeds, rapidly changing technologies, and multiple
standards and protocols. The end result is that testing for web sites
can become a major ongoing effort. Other considerations might include:
•
What are the expected loads on the server (e.g., number of hits per
unit time?), and what kind of performance is required under such loads
(such as web server response time, database query response times). What
kinds of tools will be needed for performance testing (such as web load
testing tools, other tools already in house that can be adapted, web
robot downloading tools, etc.)?
• Who is the target audience? What
kind of browsers will they be using? What kind of connection speeds
will they by using? Are they intra- organization (thus with likely high
connection speeds and similar browsers) or Internet-wide (thus with a
wide variety of connection speeds and browser types)?
• What kind
of performance is expected on the client side (e.g., how fast should
pages appear, how fast should animations, applets, etc. load and run)?
• Will down time for server and content maintenance/upgrades be allowed? how much?
•
What kinds of security (firewalls, encryptions, passwords, etc.) will
be required and what is it expected to do? How can it be tested?
•
How reliable are the site's Internet connections required to be? And
how does that affect backup system or redundant connection requirements
and testing?
• What processes will be required to manage updates
to the web site's content, and what are the requirements for
maintaining, tracking, and controlling page content, graphics, links,
etc.?
• Which HTML specification will be adhered to? How strictly? What variations will be allowed for targeted browsers?
• Will there be any standards or requirements for page appearance and/or graphics throughout a site or parts of a site??
• How will internal and external links be validated and updated? how often?
•
Can testing be done on the production system, or will a separate test
system be required? How are browser caching, variations in browser
option settings, dial-up connection variabilities, and real-world
internet 'traffic congestion' problems to be accounted for in testing?
•
How extensive or customized are the server logging and reporting
requirements; are they considered an integral part of the system and do
they require testing?
• How are cgi programs, applets, javascripts, ActiveX components, etc. to be maintained, tracked, controlled, and tested?
Some
sources of site security information include the Usenet newsgroup
'comp.security.announce' and links concerning web site security in the
'Other Resources' section.
Some usability guidelines to consider -
these are subjective and may or may not apply to a given situation
(Note: more information on usability testing issues can be found in
articles about web site usability in the 'Other Resources' section):
•
Pages should be 3-5 screens max unless content is tightly focused on a
single topic. If larger, provide internal links within the page.
•
The page layouts and design elements should be consistent throughout a
site, so that it's clear to the user that they're still within a site.
• Pages should be as browser-independent as possible, or pages should be provided or generated based on the browser-type.
• All pages should have links external to the page; there should be no dead-end pages.
• The page owner, revision date, and a link to a contact person or organization should be included on each page.
Many
new web site test tools have appeared in the recent years and more than
280 of them are listed in the 'Web Test Tools' section.
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