With technological advances, more and more new systems are being developed. These systems run on different browsers. Some of the most commonly used browsers include Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome , Safari, etc.
However, there exist compatibility issues between these different systems. Since all these systems work on different parameters, a website designed for one browser might not work smoothly on another one.
A website designed by the client needs to be tested on different browser platforms to ensure that it gives similar results. As a result of this, cross-browser testing has become an important requirement for quality assurance.
What is cross-browser testing?
Any web-based application, website or page that is destined for users across different devices or browser platforms needs to be tested for compatibility across the various platforms. With cross-browser testing, the compatibility of the software or application is tested for hardware or software compatibility.
Different technologies support the development of webpages or applications including CSS and JavaScript. Since all desktop and mobile browsers (Windows, , iOS, Linux) have numerous versions.
An application or webpage designed for one system needs to be tested for compatibility with different platforms. Any defects which can affect the way any user views or interacts with the site can be identified and rectified by cross-browser testing.
1] Why is cross-browser testing important?
Consistent behavior across different web browsers and operating platforms are one of the major criteria to test web-based applications and pages. Software development is incomplete without cross-browser testing.
Websites run on different codes that are interpreted differently in different browsers. The looks, appearance, and functions of an application or webpage might differ in different browsers, this is because browsers interpret the code in different ways.
CSS style commonly used in webpage designing looks differently in Google Chrome, compared to Internet Explorer 8 and another version of Internet Explorer. The style of writing and effects (shadows, fonts, hovering, etc.) may vary from one browser to another.
Though it is not possible to get the complete alignment of all parameters across different browsers and OS, with the help of cross-browser testing, you can ensure that the entire content is accessible to the users and that they can perform all basic functions on the app or website without any glitch.
2] Most popular cross-browser testing tools
Cross-browser testing has become an integral part of software development . Even though the technology is evolving at a fast speed, people are not adapting at a similar pace. As a result of this, websites developed for the latest technology might not function properly on older browser versions.
This has led to the necessity of cross-browser testing. Since Google Chrome and Firefox are some of the most popular web browsers being currently used, cross-browser testing is usually performed on these two browsers.
Other browsers like Safari, Internet Explorer or Edge are also used for testing cross-browser testing that has become an essential part of non-functional testing.
Some of the most popular cross-browser testing tools are BrowserShots, EndTest, Selenium, IE Tab, Browserling, however, Comparium has emerged as a popular choice.
Comparium offers to test dozens of pages across different versions of various browsers daily. This is ideal for companies that have extensive data that needs to be tested and therefore cannot afford to waste time on doing it manually.
The QA (Quality Assurance) professionals test the consistency of the content's layout and the response to the design and send you a screenshot of your webpage.
You can submit your webpage test address and Comparium will test it across various OS and provide you with the results on email. Different versions are available for your requirements. Key features of Comparium app include.
- Exhaustive range of supported browsers including Microsoft Internet Explorer 11.0, 8.0; Google Chrome 75.0, 74.0, 73.0; Mozilla Firefox 68.0, 67.0, and Safari 11.0.
- Cross-browser testing available for different operating systems like Windows 10, 7, Mac OS, Linux, X Mojave, and High Sierra.
- Cross-browser testing result of website emailed to the client along with screenshots, thereby saving the client's time.
Comparium is one of the best website testing tools to ease browser testing.