An Introduction to User Interface Automation Testing: A Blog that Shares Information on Browser Automation

We cannot define the usefulness of an application based on a single factor. Every segment and feature play an equal role in ensuring a successful market capture. However, there are certain elements in a web application whose role is critical compared to others. This is because these factors have a core functionality in building the initial and primary Framework. Such factors include the user interface, visual elements and the primary codebase. Many experts believe that ensuring the proper functioning of the user interface is one of the hardest processes in web application development. This process becomes even more difficult for developers who are new to the web Development Industry.

With this article, we will try to explore all the details a developer must know for performing web application testing. Our other intention is to dig deep into the world of browser automation testing and try to find out all its secrets.

Role of User Interface

We can compare the user interface to the backbone of the human body. It plays a vital role in maintaining the stability of the application. The homepage of the application is the ultimate example that explains the importance of the UI. This is the page that the users will see for the first time. So, you must pay proper attention to its functioning. The homepage of a web application is also responsible for maintaining the proper balance between user retention and bounce rates. User retention is used to refer to the total number of users who continue to use your application and become a part of a loyal customer base. On the other hand, bounce rates refer to the number of users who refer to using your application after visiting it only once.

These rates are also highly essential to maintaining a good position in Google search results. This is because Google Analytics takes all these data very seriously. Polishing the UI is considered to be one of the greatest ways in maintaining user satisfaction. The developers can also use various creative tricks to attract the attention of possible customers. Companies should provide proper training to prepare their developers for handling situations like these.

Variations in User Interface

The developers can introduce various variations of the user interface according to certain physical factors. These factors include the platform of the customer, operating system, screen size and device resolution. A very good example to understand these variations is to consider the example of a Hamburger menu. Companies use this menu to attract the attention of possible offline and online customers. However, they must progressively create the menu so that it can fit irrespective of the user’s device. For example, the application must have Augmented reality to access all the vital device information. This will allow it to organize all the elements of the menu according to the device.

For instance, when the user is accessing this menu from a mobile device, it will automatically shorten the elements and only show the main highlights. On the other hand, when the user is on a desktop platform with a decent display, it will elaborate the entire menu including the special effects.

So, you can easily justify those variations in UI are highly essential to customize the end-user experience. This process will also help the developers to create an application that is perfectly suitable for its customers. Experts believe that companies can conduct market research to gather more information about the target audience base. This research will collect all the vital information regarding the preferences of the user, their specific devices and their requirements. Minor details like this will help companies to remain ahead of the competition by a long mile.

Effect of Different Browsers

To understand the effect of the user interface, we need to analyses the massive role those different browsers have. Firstly, we need to understand the working algorithm for different browsers. It means that every browser has a unique way of interpreting a web application and showing its contents. In the core, every browser uses openGL standards for web app interpretation. However, they have a separate way for integrating these standards. During the early years of software development, the desktop was the only platform for accessing the internet. Similarly, Internet Explorer was the only browser that the customers could use. However, with the passage of time and advancement of Technology things have taken a message turn.

Currently, the customer can access the internet on multiple platforms like mobiles, tablets and computers. The browser industry has also witnessed a similar trend with the introduction of multiple browsers like Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer and Safari. The domination of the browsers industry is different for different platforms. On the desktop platform, the first position is held by Google Chrome, followed by Safari in the second and Mozilla Firefox in the third. On the other hand, in the mobile user base, Google Chrome again holds the top spot. It is followed by Safari in the second and Samsung browser in the third. During the browser testing process, the developers should also consider the different versions of every Browser. This is because a recent survey suggests that 80% of the user base seldom updates the browser.

Performing Compatibility testing of UI on Browsers

Now that we’ve finished discussing both the importance of user interface and different browsers, it is time to merge these two factors. Developers have to perform compatibility testing of the web application on multiple browsers and browser versions. Now, this process is easier said than done. This is because it is very tiresome for developers to run the compatibility testing over and over again for every Browser and its version. Moreover, it is practically impossible for a single individual to complete this process for every browser available in the market. So, the process of compatibility testing begins with performing market research on the audience base. This research will help the developers collect vital data and help them to understand all the browsers that are currently popular in the market.

After shortlisting the targeted Browsers and browser versions, the developers have to move on to the compatibility testing processes. Now, there are two ways of conducting this process. The initial process is to conduct all the testing processes manually. This is an exhausting process and it can take up to 5 days to complete all the test cases. The second process involves completing all the test processes with the help of a cloud-based cross-browser compatibility platform. In this process, the developers can use an automated test script to conduct all processes automatically. Moreover, it also saves the hassle of maintaining an expensive physical device testing lab. This is because cloud testing involves outsourcing the testing processes on external devices, virtual machines and emulators.

Currently, there are various tools and frameworks available in the market for this process. We will discuss the role of tools in the latter part of this article.

Role of Tools and Frameworks in this Process

Tools and frameworks have a vital role in simplifying the cross-browser compatibility process. The developers can use specific tools to realize the full potential of the test bench. However, the tool selection process is an extensive and important step for a web development company. This is because all tools are not the same and they serve different purposes during the test cases. So, the developer has to consider various general and customized factors during the tool selection process. The general factors include the effectiveness of the tool, its overall customer reviews and other physical factors. On the other hand, the customized factors include the specific requirements for a company. These factors can be the preferences of a developer, requirements of the project and the estimated budget. We can use Lambdatest, a cloud-based platform to analyse the role of browser compatibility tools.

It is a platform to verify the browser compatibility of different web applications. The developers can use this platform to test the compatibility of not only the native application but also hybrid apps. Lambdatest conducts all testing processes on a high-security Selenium grid. This is the reason why developers can use this platform to verify sensitive data on their web applications. Lambdatest can also verify the browser compatibility of different natively hosted web apps. The developers can also use this platform to perform visual testing on their web applications. This process will verify the proper placement of different interactive elements. Using this platform, the developers can also store all the final test results to use them for future bug detection processes. Currently, thousands of companies use Lambdatest in the testbench for performing compatibility testing processes.

Running a loyalty check on a tool or framework is highly essential before introducing it in the core test environment. This will help the developers to be completely sure that the third-party application will not negatively affect their testing capabilities. The best way to run a loyalty check is to look for reviews on various online forums. On these forums, the developers will find the daily life experiences of all the developers who are correctly engaged with this tool. For reference, Lambdatest has millions of positive reviews on various online forums.

The Final Views

The focus of the article was to concentrate on the importance of user interface testing and the introduction of browser compatibility testing. Both of these testing processes are essential to ensure that you are delivering a high-quality web application to your customers. Using this process, the developers can also initiate the quick delivery of finished products. Companies should have a proper infrastructure to train the developers about this advanced technology. This is because only with proper training the developers can utilise the full potential of an automated cross-browser testing platform. Experts also believe that with the advancement of technology companies will continue to integrate more and more functions in the testbench. For instance, many companies are already experimenting with the introduction of cloud-based services and artificial intelligence in browser compatibility test cases.

As a developer, you must try everything in your power to maintain the stand of a company. This mindset will help to continue expanding the audience base in this competitive market segment. Developers can consider browser compatibility testing as one of the stepping stones to guarantee the success of their business.