Did you know that about 70% of users will abandon a website if it is not displayed correctly on their browser? That is why cross-browser compatibility in web development is just indispensable.
With developer tools unlike ever before, web browsers online should be the most vital tool in any developer’s arsenal today. That is if one thinks it important that it is quite easy to test how well a website actually works across different browsers and devices, considering this is the way the web is being accessed: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, among other browsers in the market. This will empower developers to test out websites quickly and effectively without necessarily having to own a host of physical devices.
In this post, we go through cross-browser compatibility, the role of online browsers in checking compatibility, some features that are few yet important about such tools, the popular platforms for cross-browser testing, and take a deep insight into LambdaTest as a whole solution for cross-browser testing.
Compatibility issues
Developers often face several common issues when ensuring cross-browser compatibility:
- CSS Inconsistencies: Different browsers may interpret CSS rules differently, leading to variations in layout and design.
- JavaScript Issues: Some browsers might not support certain JavaScript functions, causing functionality problems.
- HTML Rendering: Variations in HTML rendering engines can result in different displays of the same HTML code.
- Performance Differences: Some browsers are faster than others, which can affect the website’s performance.
The Role of Online Web Browsers in Compatibility Checks
Online web browsers are tools that allow developers to test their websites across different browsers and devices without needing physical access to those browsers and devices. These tools simulate the browsing environment, making it easy to see how a website performs on various platforms.
Using online web browsers for compatibility checks offers several benefits:
- Accessibility: Developers can access these tools from anywhere with an internet connection.
- Convenience: There is no need to set up and maintain multiple devices and browsers.
- Cost-Effectiveness: These tools often come with affordable subscription plans, saving costs on purchasing physical devices.
- Efficiency: Quick setup and immediate results help speed up the testing process.
Key Features of Online Web Browsers for Testing
Most online web browsers feature an intuitive user interface that is easy to navigate. Developers can select different browsers and devices with just a few clicks. The simplicity of these interfaces allows for a smooth testing experience, even for those who are not very tech-savvy.
One of the most significant advantages of online web browsers is the ability to conduct real-time tests. Developers can see how their website behaves across different browsers and devices in real-time. This feature helps in identifying and fixing issues quickly.
Online web browsers come equipped with robust reporting and debugging tools. These tools provide detailed reports on compatibility issues and offer suggestions for fixes. Debugging features allow developers to inspect and modify the code directly within the testing environment, making it easier to resolve problems.
Popular Open Source Platforms for Cross-Browser Testing
Selenium
Selenium can be definitely argued to be possibly the most widely used open-source tool for web application testing. It supports a majority of the browsers available on the market right now as well as operating systems. You can learn more about what is Selenium and its features in different courses, tutorials, and learning hubs.
Key Features:
- Cross-Browser Testing: Test on multiple browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge.
- Multiple Programming Language Support: Write functional tests using Java, C#, Python, Ruby, and/or JavaScript.
- Selenium WebDriver: Offers a programmatic way for test development and execution.
- Paralle Testing : The use of Selenium Grid permits the ability to run parallel testing on many machines and browsers.
Playwright
Microsoft’s open-source automation library is designed for end-to-end testing in all modern browsers.
Key Features:
- Cross-Browser Testing: Supports testing in Chromium, Firefox, and WebKit.
- Automatic Waiting: Automatically waits for elements to be ready before performing actions, reducing flakiness.
- Multiple Language Support: Compatible with JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, C#, and Java.
- Headless Mode: Allows running tests in headless browsers for faster execution.
Puppeteer
Puppeteer is a Node.js library developed by Google. It provides a high-level API to control Chrome or Chromium over the DevTools Protocol.
Key Features:
- Headless Browser Testing: Primarily used for headless browser testing but can also run in full browser mode.
- Screenshot and PDF Generation: Can capture screenshots and generate PDFs of web pages.
- Automation: Automates tasks like form submission, UI testing, and keyboard input.
- Fast and Reliable: Offers high performance and reliability for testing Chrome and Chromium.
Cypress
Cypress is an open-source front-end testing tool built for the modern web. It is particularly well-suited for testing web applications.
Key Features:
- Time Travel: Takes snapshots as tests run, allowing you to see what happened at each step.
- Debugging: Provides readable error messages and stack traces for easier debugging.
- Automatic Waiting: Waits for commands and assertions before moving on, reducing test flakiness.
- Real-Time Reloads: Automatically reloads the application under test upon changes.
TestCafe
TestCafe is an open-source tool that provides a simple and flexible way to test web applications. It does not require WebDriver and supports multiple browsers out of the box.
Key Features:
- No Browser Plugins Required: Runs tests directly in the browser without the need for plugins.
- Supports Modern JavaScript: Uses ES6 and other modern JavaScript features.
- Cross-Browser Testing: Supports Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and Internet Explorer.
- Parallel Test Execution: Runs multiple tests concurrently to save time.
LambdaTest: A Comprehensive Solution for Cross-Browser Testing
LambdaTest is a powerful platform designed for cross-browser testing. It allows developers to test their websites across various browsers and devices. With LambdaTest, ensuring that your website works flawlessly on all platforms becomes much easier.
Key Features:
Wide Range of Browsers and Devices: LambdaTest supports an extensive list of browsers and devices, enabling comprehensive testing.
Automated and Manual Testing: LambdaTest offers both automated and manual testing options. Automated testing allows for running tests in parallel, saving time and effort. Manual testing provides hands-on control for detailed inspections.
Real-Time Interaction: One of LambdaTest’s standout features is real-time testing. Developers can interact with their website as if they were using the actual device. This feature helps in identifying and fixing issues on the spot.
Best Practices for Cross-Browser Testing with Online Web Browsers
We will focus on most impactful best practiese here.
Regular Testing
Testing should be done permanently during the development cycle. All added features and introduced changes have to be tested under various browsers and on different devices. Regular testing will help catch compatibility issues at an early stage, hence reducing the risk of huge problems later. Regular testing also ensures that updating browsers themselves don’t break functionality on the website.
It shouldn’t be a one-time affair, meaning cross-browser testing can very well be integrated into your daily continuous integration (CI) pipelines so that source code modifications can be checked by running automatically. In this way, when cross-browser testing just becomes another to-do for developers as a part of the development process, it increases their bar in both quality and user experience.
Comprehensive Coverage
This is, for the most part, because one wishes to test on all major browsers and devices. These days, people use websites through different browsers that are available on the market, such as Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, among others. Each of the mentioned browsers can act differently because of variations in its rendering, JavaScript engines, and support for web standards.
Testing in various mobile browsers is as essential as testing on desktop browsers. There is an increasing amount of traffic to the mobile platform each month, making it essential that your site functions just as well on mobile devices and their browsers. Test with Chrome for Android and Safari for iOS—these are the two most popular browsers in the mobile space.
It is also important to test the varied software environments: Windows, MacOS, Linux, iOS, and Android will bring their own peculiarities. An overall comprehensive testing strategy includes a blend of these systems to help serve universal websites.
Responsive Design
It should be responsive since there are a wide range of devices in existence. Websites should be in a position to adjust to different screens and different resolutions to make fine views. Some of the elements that will be tested in responsive design include the layout, images, fonts, form, and interactive buttons.
Very useful are tools that give the ability to test in real time with different screen sizes. That is when a developer can see how the website appears and its behavior on any kind of device—from small-screen smartphones up to large desktop monitors. This can help a lot in catching issues related to layouts and functionalities that might arise on specific devices.
Responsive design is something you can do with these types of things like Bootstrap or Foundation, so hope is never lost. Still, important testing must be done to assure this works. Responsive design is tested in both of the orientations because users are able to rotate devices now.
Utilizing Automation
Automation is a powerful tool in cross-browser testing. It allows for efficient and thorough testing by running scripts that simulate user interactions and check for issues. Automated tests can be executed repeatedly with minimal effort, saving time and resources.
Selenium is one of the most popular tools for browser automation. It supports multiple programming languages and can interact with various browsers. Other tools like Cypress and Puppeteer also offer robust automation capabilities.
Parallel testing is an advantage of automation. By running tests simultaneously across different browsers and devices, developers can get results faster. This speeds up the development process and helps in catching issues early.
While automation is beneficial, it is also essential to include manual testing. Automated scripts might miss certain user interface nuances that a human tester would catch. A combination of automated and manual testing ensures comprehensive coverage and high-quality results..
Future Trends in Cross-Browser Testing
Let’s delve into the future of CBT.
AI and Machine Learning
Automation is the future of cross-browser testing. The emerging complexity of challenges in web application testing will, therefore, fully utilize automation for total coverage and efficiency in testing.
You are moving toward the future whereby tools will offer seamless integration with your CI/CD pipelines, which, for developers, means they can have their automated tests running continuously to give instant feedback following a change.
AI-driven test automation tools are also emerging. These tools can generate test scripts automatically based on user behavior patterns. This reduces the manual effort required to write and maintain test scripts.
Increased Automation
The future of cross-browser testing lies in increased automation. As web applications become more complex, manual testing alone will not suffice. Automation will play a critical role in ensuring comprehensive and efficient testing.
Tools that offer seamless integration with CI/CD pipelines will become more prevalent. This integration will ensure that automated tests are run continuously, providing immediate feedback on code changes.
Advancements in automation tools will also focus on reducing flakiness in tests. Flaky tests, which produce inconsistent results, can be a significant challenge. Future tools will aim to minimize these issues, providing more reliable test outcomes.
Enhanced User Experience
The user experience of testing tools themselves will also see significant improvements. Intuitive interfaces, detailed reporting, and easy-to-use debugging tools will make the testing process smoother and more efficient.
Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) might also find their way into cross-browser testing. These technologies can simulate real-world environments, providing a more immersive testing experience. This will be particularly useful for applications that rely heavily on user interactions.
Cloud-based testing platforms will continue to evolve, offering faster and more reliable services. These platforms will provide more extensive coverage, supporting a wider range of browsers and devices.
Conclusion
We have talked about importance, online checking compatibility with web browsers, and the features of those toolkits in this blog. We also discussed popular platforms for cross-browser testing and took a deep dive into LambdaTest as an all-in-one cross-browser testing solution. Finally, let’s discuss a few best practices around cross-browser testing and some future trends in this area.
Online web browsers are very essential in cross-browser testing with respect to the modern-day developments in the world wide web field. The tools avail ease of access, convenience, and effectiveness for developers, hence making it easy to have sites that work perfectly over any browser and device. Quality user experiences online can be achieved by following best practices and staying ahead of future trends.
Ingrid Maldine is a business writer, editor and management consultant with extensive experience writing and consulting for both start-ups and long established companies. She has ten years management and leadership experience gained at BSkyB in London and Viva Travel Guides in Quito, Ecuador, giving her a depth of insight into innovation in international business. With an MBA from the University of Hull and many years of experience running her own business consultancy, Ingrid’s background allows her to connect with a diverse range of clients, including cutting edge technology and web-based start-ups but also multinationals in need of assistance. Ingrid has played a defining role in shaping organizational strategy for a wide range of different organizations, including for-profit, NGOs and charities. Ingrid has also served on the Board of Directors for the South American Explorers Club in Quito, Ecuador.
