Mobile Web Testing - Various approaches to become good at it
A couple of years ago, I got into a totally new domain of testing and have never repented my decision since then. Yes. I am talking about Mobile Web Testing. Before, getting into mobile web testing and my experience, let me give you a broader idea about the Mobile ecosystem, how it is changing the world and why we need to be part of this revolution.
On a high level the mobile ecosystem consists of Native, Web and Hybrid applications (apps). Each one has its own advantages and disadvantages. Understanding the difference between them is the first step towards becoming a good tester in the mobile space. I personally have worked with all 3 types of apps and understood that there are multiple factors in each one of them. A tester needs to be aware of this and think about test objectives, test approach, test design and test execution specific to the type of app being tested.
A majority of my testing experience is in the mobile web domain where I researched various approaches, tools and networked with so many mobile testers inside and outside my company to get a grasp of the subject. As a result, I came to a conclusion that I still have to learn so many things due to the ever changing nature of the mobile web domain and the mobile space as a whole.
Currently, the direction everyone is going towards is “Responsive Web design”. If you haven’t heard about this term, please stop reading any further and at least read the first paragraph of this link -> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Responsive_web_design. It is going to be almost mandatory for testers to know about this, as the world is heading in this direction and it is here to stay at least for the next couple of years or so. Examples of Responsive web sites are Microsoft, Disney, Boston Globe and there are others here at www.mediaqueri.es
Testing these responsive websites is a challenge as there are different devices, different form factors, different screen resolutions, different browsers and numerous other permutations. This being the case, I tried out different approaches that will help me become a better tester. Some of them are as follows-
Networking with inside/outside mobile testers and consultants.
Keeping updated with the latest in mobile technology.
Researching different tools to help out in testing
Trying to see how Rapid Software Testing approaches could help out in mobile testing.
Researching production defects. This is to help to focus testing on types of problems the users are seeing in the application.
Attending mobile focused conferences
So, from all the above description, you should have started to get an idea about the message I want to convey through this article. Still thinking!!! The answer is “Thinking out of the box”. Mobile being such a vast domain governed by multiple factors, it becomes all the more important to try out different approaches rather than just sticking to a set of scripted test cases and hoping you have the so called “100% Coverage”. These test cases are written usually by an individual who thinks he/she knows all the things affecting a particular module but the truth is “They Don’t” and for that matter no one does until a new feature is fully implemented, especially in the mobile web space.
I have seen this happen time and again throughout my experience as a mobile tester. So please do not fall into this trap of writing test cases for each and every thing. By doing this, you will end up consuming valuable testing time that could have actually been spent on exploring the application. The mantra I follow is “Very High level test cases complemented with Exploratory testing”. Again, this worked for me on a real industry application which is used by millions of users in the US but is not a hard and fast rule. See which works best for your project but avoid pitfalls of completely relying on scripted test cases.
Finally, never hesitate to challenge anything when working in a mobile web project. “Always ask Questions”. The ugly truth is no one has any idea about how a new feature is going to implemented in responsive web design world (even if you have mockups). There are always challenges and the least you could do is, challenge ideas and question idealistic thinking which in turn would help to flush out ambiguities in requirements.
So join the mobile revolution and lets become good mobile testers!!!.