Introduction

No website is perfect, but with the right plan and tools, you can ensure a robust cross-browser testing environment.

Why Is Cross-Browser Testing Important?

Organizations follow cross-browser testing procedures to verify that their applications function seamlessly across various browsers and devices. The key benefit of cross-browser testing is the early detection of issues, which helps prevent user frustration and boosts user satisfaction.

Setting Up Your Testing Environment

1. Start with a Plan

Define the content and functionality your site should have. Identify the critical features that need to be rendered accurately and determine the minimum acceptable display and functionality for outdated browsers.

2. Choose the Browsers and Devices

Use usage analytics to prioritize the browsers and devices you need to test. While it's ideal to test on all possible combinations, it's impractical due to the vast number of options. Focus on the most commonly used browser-OS combinations.

3. Select a Suitable Tool/Platform

For a comprehensive cross-browser testing environment, a cloud-based platform that offers a wide range of devices and browser combinations is highly recommended. Tools like BrowserStack are among the best in this category, thanks to their pre-configured testing environments.

4. Create a Test Matrix

Define the combinations of browsers, operating systems, and devices you want to test. A test matrix helps ensure that no critical combinations are overlooked, and it streamlines the testing process.

5. Incorporate CBT into Your Dev Lifecycle

Integrate cross-browser testing (CBT) into your development lifecycle to catch issues early. This proactive approach ensures that changes are thoroughly tested before being deployed to production. Regularly update test cases to reflect browser updates and new functionalities.

Implementing Cross-Browser Testing with TestNG and Selenium

Step 1: Create a TestNG XML File

Define the browsers you want to test within the TestNG.xml file. Here is an example of how to set this up:

suite nametestSuiteName    test nametestName        parameter namebrowser valueFirefox/        classes            class nameExampleClass/        /classes    /test    test nametestName2        parameter namebrowser valueChrome/        classes            class nameExampleClass2/        /classes    /test/suite

Step 2: Create the Test Script File

Create a test script file, for example,

import ;
import ;
import ;
import ;
import ;
import ;
public class SearchUserTest {
    WebDriver driver;
    @Parameters(browser)
    @BeforeClass
    public void initializeBrowser(String browser) {
        if (browser.equalsIgnoreCase(Firefox)) {
            (, path/to/geckodriver);
            driver  new FirefoxDriver();
        } else if (browser.equalsIgnoreCase(Chrome)) {
            (, path/to/chromedriver);
            driver  new ChromeDriver();
        }
    }
    @Test
    public void searchUserByID() {
        // Your test code here
    }
}

Note that in a full-fledged automation framework, you would typically create a base class to handle the initialization of the WebDriver. Each subsequent test class would extend this base class, reducing code duplication and making the testing process more maintainable.

For example:

public class BaseTest {
    protected WebDriver driver;
    @BeforeClass
    public void initializeBrowser() {
        if (browser.equalsIgnoreCase(Firefox)) {
            driver  new FirefoxDriver();
        } else if (browser.equalsIgnoreCase(Chrome)) {
            driver  new ChromeDriver();
        }
    }
}
public class SearchUserTest extends BaseTest {
    @Test
    public void searchUserByID() {
        // Your test code here
    }
}

Conclusion

Setting up a perfect cross-browser testing environment requires careful planning and the right tools. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can ensure that your application is robust and performs well across a variety of browsers and devices. Utilizing tools like TestNG and Selenium can significantly enhance your testing capabilities and streamline the process of identifying and fixing cross-browser issues.