Web Applications can have a lot of variables affecting and thus it can be resolved using Software Testing. Below are the few listed.
– Numerous Application Usage (Entry-Exit) Paths are possible due to the design and nature of the web applications it is possible that different users follow different application usage paths.
For example, in an online banking application, a user may directly go to “Bill Pay” page and other users may check account balances, view previous transactions and then “Pay the Bills”.
Generally, a large number of usage paths are possible and all are supposed to work well.
All these Permutations and Combinations need to be tested thoroughly.
– People with varying backgrounds & technical skills may use the application
Not all applications are self-explanatory to all people. People have varying backgrounds and may find the application hard to use. For instance, a Business Intelligence application with “Drill-Down-Reports” may work out for certain users but not for others.
Although this affects the design of the applications, these factors should be tested in usability testing of the applications.
Intranet versus Internet based Applications
Intranet-based applications generally cater to a controlled audience. The developers and architects can make accurate assumptions about the people accessing the apps and the hardware/software/technical specifications of the client machines.
While it may be difficult to make similar assumptions for Internet-Based Applications.
Also, the intranet users can generally access the app from ‘trusted’ sources whereas for internet applications the users may need to be authenticated and the security measures may have to be much more stringent.
Design test Cases for various scenarios that may cause a negative impact and to mitigate the risks involved.
The end users may use different types of browsers to access the app
Typically for Internet-based applications, users may have different Browsers when accessing the apps. This aspect calls for testing too. If we test the app only on IE then we cannot ensure it works well on Netscape or Fire-Fox. Because these browsers may not only render pages differently but also have varying levels of support for client-side scripting languages such as javascript.
– Even on similar browsers, there is a possibility to render applications differently based on the Screen resolution/Hardware/Software Configuration
– Network speeds
Slow Network speeds may cause the time lag on downloads of various components of a Webpage. Eventually, the application throws errors as a consequence.
The testing process needs to consider this as an important factor, especially for Internet-based Applications.
– ADA ( Americans with Disabilities Act)
Certain applications require to comply with ADA. Due to certain disabilities, some of the users may have difficulty in accessing the Web Applications unless the applications are ADA compliant. There is a need to test the application for compliance and usability.
– Other Regulatory Compliance/Standards
Depending on the nature of the application and sensitivity of the data you capture perform the testing of applications for relevant compliance standards. This is more crucial for Web-Based Applications because of their possible exposure to a wide audience.
– Firewalls
As mentioned earlier Applications may behave differently across firewalls. Applications may have certain web services or may operate on different ports that are blocked. So there is a need to test the mobile apps for these aspects as well.
If the Application captures certain personal or sensitive information, it may be crucial to test the security strength of the application. Take sufficient care to not compromise with the security of the data.
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