Ensuring a seamless end-user experience, necessitates to test websites in different browsers. End-users expect high-quality applications, and organizations need a mechanism that allows developers to create top-notch web applications compatible with all devices. This makes cross-browser testing essential for businesses, rather than just an added step in web development.
However, testing websites in different browsers can be daunting. Setting up an in-house test infrastructure can strain an organization’s budget, and managing browser and OS updates can be time-consuming for IT or DevOps teams.
This is where cloud-based cross-browser testing tools come into play. These tools help ensure that websites and web applications work seamlessly across various browsers, devices, and platforms without needing extensive in-house infrastructure. Hosting these tools on the cloud allows for more efficient testing, eliminating the need to install multiple testing environments on local workstations.
Cross-Browser Testing: What Is It?
Functional tests are carried out as part of cross-browser testing to make sure websites and web apps perform properly in various browsers. The main objective is to confirm that these digital items function accurately and reliably in a variety of browsers so that a wider range of users may access them regardless of the browser, device, operating system, or screen resolution they choose.
Finding and fixing browser-to-browser differences is the main goal of cross-browser testing. These differences can show up as differences in picture orientation, user input validation and placement, JavaScript execution, font size rendering, and page alignment, among other things. Furthermore, it is critical to take into account how well-suited certain browsers are for various operating systems, as this might impact the general functionality and user experience of web application
Why Are Cross-Browser Testing Tools Necessary?
Websites and applications must be compatible with various browser versions, making cross-browser testing complex.
Challenges QA Teams Face
- Diverse Combinations: Testing across numerous browsers and operating systems is challenging. Maintaining an in-house infrastructure for this purpose is impractical, especially with the need to keep browsers, devices, and operating systems updated according to market trends.
- Infrastructure Management: Setting up and maintaining an in-house browser or online device farm is tedious and often faces scalability issues, particularly if manual testing is employed.
- Frequent Updates: Popular browsers like Chrome, Firefox, and Edge frequently release new versions. These updates, while essential for functionality and features, may introduce bugs, requiring repeated tests to ensure compatibility with the latest versions.
- Design Consistency: Ensuring that a website renders correctly on different screen resolutions can be time-consuming if done manually. Detecting and fixing visual mismatches across browsers is another challenge.
By guaranteeing compatibility with many web browsers, even different versions of the same browser, cross-browser testing methods assist address these issues.
Advantages of Cloud-Based Testing Compared to On-Premise Testing
On-premise testing is significantly inferior to cloud-based testing platforms, especially Software as a Service (SaaS) offerings. They do away with the requirement for expensive infrastructure, a lot of upkeep, and physical area. Cloud platforms provide easy access for geographically dispersed teams, facilitating seamless collaboration and uninterrupted business continuity.
However, some SaaS products may lack advanced security features. On-premise solutions, while offering more customization options and control, can be expensive and challenging to maintain.
Ideal SaaS Product Capabilities
- Customization: Should accommodate an organization’s dynamic needs.
- Framework Support: Should support multiple testing frameworks.
- Parallel Testing: Should allow running test cases across multiple environments and provide scalability.
- Device-Browser Coverage: Should ensure cross-browser compatibility across various devices in the target market.
- Security Compliance: Should adhere to security standards applicable to the business.
Opt for a Highly Scalable Testing Platform
Achieving cross-browser compatibility requires a scalable device lab that can easily add or remove devices as needed. Given the uncertainty surrounding browser, operating system, and device combinations, the device lab must be adaptable. This ensures seamless addition or removal of devices based on project requirements without disrupting other functionalities.
Approaches to Effective Cross-Browser Testing
To achieve a high standard in cross-browser testing, QA teams and developers must adopt clear strategies. This involves reassessing tools and methodologies and implementing improved alternatives. These are the best ways to make cross-browser testing easier, faster, better, and more efficient.
Validating Code
Code validation is essential for maintaining adherence to W3C standards. Overlooking this step can lead to compatibility issues, as seen with Internet Explorer. Validating and well-structured code not only aids cross-browser compatibility but also improves search engine optimization and simplifies maintenance.
Developers can use online validator tools or integrated validators in text editors like Adobe Dreamweaver. These tools help ensure that code adheres to standards, reducing long-term maintenance efforts.
Developing a Browser Matrix
Creating a browser matrix is vital for defining which browsers and versions to target during website development. It’s impractical to test every browser and version due to the varying acceptance and rejection of CSS and JS properties. Therefore, prioritizing the most relevant browsers and versions based on the target audience is essential.
For instance, if your target audience comprises employees of a specific bank who primarily use Firefox 78, your website should be optimized for this browser. Regular updates to the browser matrix should align with the auto-updates typical for most users.
Ensuring Component Feature Support
Developers must verify that all features used in the application are supported across the targeted browsers. Overlooking deprecated or obsolete features can lead to functionality issues. For instance, while CSS Subgrids are supported in Firefox, they may not work in Chrome. Identifying such discrepancies early helps prevent potential user experience issues.
Conducting Tests on Multiple Devices and Browsers simultaneously
Parallel testing, where automated test scripts run concurrently across different device-browser-OS combinations, accelerates the testing process without sacrificing accuracy. This approach reduces the time required to complete a comprehensive test suite.
Platforms like LambdaTest facilitate automated parallel testing on over 3000 real devices and browsers, supporting frameworks such as Selenium, Cypress, and Playwright.
Coding Essential Components Only
Including only essential components on your website can prevent unnecessary complexity. Excessive components increase the likelihood of cross-browser compatibility issues. Keeping the component count to a minimum simplifies maintenance and enhances compatibility across different browsers.
UI Test Frameworks for Web Applications
Selenium allows for automating cross-browser testing by executing commands in the browser. Selenium WebDriver helps automate tests, saving valuable time and enabling the team to focus on tasks such as analyzing test reports and conducting manual testing.
UI Test Frameworks for Mobile Applications
Appium supports both iOS and Android applications, sharing library functions with Selenium for ease of use. However, it may have slower processing times and occasional flakiness compared to other frameworks.
Espresso, developed by Google, is designed for testing Android applications. It allows for the creation of reliable tests for Android UI, providing faster and less flaky tests compared to Appium. Espresso employs advanced practices like continuous testing, agile development, and DevOps.
Harnessing Automation and Parallel Testing
Automating Selenium tests is crucial for efficient cross-browser testing. Parallel testing further complements automation by allowing tests to run simultaneously on multiple browsers and devices. Selenium Grid facilitates this by enabling concurrent test execution in multiple environments.
This workflow can be enhanced through a CI/CD pipeline using continuous integration, where test cycles are executed more frequently due to regular commits to a centralized repository.
Embrace Flexibility and Customization
The dynamic nature of the application industry requires a platform that is service-ready, allowing for flexible hardware and software integrations. Ensure that your product can adapt to future customer requirements and deliver quality within deadlines.
Leverage AI-Powered Testing Tools
While it’s impossible to eliminate all errors or bugs from a software application, using high-end technologies like continuous integration and DevOps can enhance the testing process. AI-powered tools can further accelerate testing by offering codeless solutions, reducing the effort required by QA teams. AI and machine learning can also minimize test case flakiness, enabling continuous automation with minimal human intervention.
Incorporate Browser-Specific Workarounds
Integrating browser-specific workarounds or fallbacks, such as using prefixes like -webkit- for Chrome and Safari or providing alternate styling for browsers lacking support for certain CSS features, is crucial. Document these fixes thoroughly to ensure clarity and maintainability.
What Benefits Can Cross-Browser Testing Provide from Using Selenium?
It is often known that Selenium is an effective framework for automated cross-browser testing. There are several advantages to using Selenium for web application testing, and it guarantees a consistent user experience across various operating systems and browser setups. The following are some benefits of cross-browser testing with Selenium:
- Browser Compatibility: Selenium makes sure web apps work with a range of browsers, including widely used ones like Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and others. This test of compatibility ensures that the application functions consistently in various browser contexts.
- Test Scenario Simulation: Selenium testing provides a wide range of features for simulating various use cases and test scenarios. It enables thorough test coverage by letting developers interact with site items and carry out operations including clicking buttons, entering text, and confirming expected outcomes.
- Selenium IDE: An add-on that makes recording and replaying script interactions with browsers easier, Selenium comes with Selenium IDE. With the help of this tool, testers and developers can quickly create test scripts and begin conducting cross-browser testing more easily.
Best Cross-Browser Testing Tools
Cross-browser testing on the cloud is a straightforward and convenient method for web and mobile app testing, eliminating concerns about local infrastructure. Cloud testing allows the use of various resources online without exhausting your resources on browser, device, and OS coverage.
LambdaTest
LambdaTest is an AI-powered test orchestration and execution platform that supports over 3000 real devices, browsers, and OS combinations for both manual and automated tests.
Key Features:
- Automate tests with different programming languages and frameworks on an online browser farm of 3000+ real environments.
- Real-time cross-browser testing on real devices.
- HyperExecute for fast test orchestration.
- Smart visual regression testing on the cloud.
- Over 120 third-party integrations.
- Localhost testing and geolocation testing.
- Chromium-based LT Browser 2.0 for responsive testing.
Selenium Box
Selenium Box simplifies Selenium and Appium infrastructure for cross-browser web and mobile testing behind corporate firewalls and in private clouds for high-security environments.
Key Features:
- High scalability.
- Maintenance-free browsers.
- CI/CD environment integration.
- Manual browser access.
- System usage tracking and advanced test reporting.
Testim
Testim provides AI-powered test automation, focusing on reducing time and effort to maintain test automation environments.
Key Features:
- Intuitive UX for easy test creation.
- Comprehensive test automation platform.
- Eliminates flaky tests with AI-powered stabilizers.
- Parallel test execution.
Virtuoso
Virtuoso leverages AI for automating end-to-end testing using natural language programming, API testing, and visual regression tests.
Key Features:
- No-code automation.
- Generate tests from requirements or wireframes.
- API call creation and reuse.
- Integration with popular tools.
QA Wolf
For all of your testing requirements, QA Wolf offers end-to-end test automation with a staff of QA engineers.
Key Features:
- Comprehensive test plan strategy and maintenance.
- Parallel test execution.
- Real-time status updates.
- Integration with internal systems.
Conclusion
In order to ensure that online applications work seamlessly across different browsers and platforms, cross-browser testing is essential. It is imperative to confirm that the application operates as intended and displays uniformly in various browsers and versions. Extensive testing across multiple browsers aids in locating possible problems, contradictions, or inconsistencies brought about by different rendering engines, operating systems, or browser behaviors.
