Tests designs for web applications require a wide range of specific purpose coding elements including HTML, PHP, Active Server Pages, Java and Javascript, XML, Cascading Style Sheets, DHTML, and many others.
Web applications and client/server testing involves many areas of investigation beyond those normally required for test designs of stand alone applications. The table summarizes these.
| Web Testing Procedure | Description |
| Server-Side Testing | Testing of the servers directly, bypassing the user interface. Often requires monitoring tools, scripting and test harnesses, and the examination of log files. Features requiring testing include resource handling, connection issues such as time-outs and state maintenance, multithread handling, data backup and server fail-safes.
|
| Server Tests (Performance, Stress, and Load) | Using either a true production system or as close a model as possible verify that page serving and other interactions are fast enough even when the system is being hammered by thousands or millions of users.
|
| Database Tests | Includes Database Integrity Testing, Data Import Testing and user access concurrency testing - record locking and release and so forth..
|
| Configuration and Compatibility Tests | Includes Browser Operating System Configuration tests as well as Third-party Component Integration Tests |
| Web Security Testing | Particularly credit card handling but generally any password protected or encrypted transmissions. Also prevention of many forms of Windows vulnerabilities. Keeping up with new security patches is half the battle. |
| Client Side Tests | Tests include verification of: Existence of DNS Entry; Proper Configuration of the Client Machine and Browser Settings; HTTP Settings on the Browser; Just In Time Compiler-Enabled Setting on the Browser; Multimedia Settings on the Browser; Security Settings on the Browser; Proper Configuration on the Web Server; Deletion of the Browser Cache (Temporary Internet Files)
Also consider client side causes of slow connections. |
| Common Keyboard Navigation and Shortcuts | As with any software application but particularly so with web browsers as alternative control keys may not have been included in the security design or in the data handling design. |
| Mouse Actions | Verify all the mouse over, mouse on click, mouse on click plus esc and so forth combinations, left mouse and right mouse buttons, scrolling, all that. |
| Input Boundary and Validation | As with any software application but particularly so with web browsers as alternative control keys may not have been included in the security design or in the data handling design. Overflowing buffers with scripts can achieve execution on a remote server of that script - just one among many forms attack. |
| Browser and Video Display Compatibility | Verify that screen resolutions and various monitor types do not adversely affect the quality of the displayed web page. |