How To Improve Cross-Browser Compatibility Testing

We are currently in an era where over 500,000 websites are generated on a daily basis. Presently, there are approximately 4 million websites worldwide, but only 1.5 million of them remain active. What happens to the rest of them? According to records, a staggering 90% of web applications encounter issues due to browser compatibility, and 62% of mobile applications are uninstalled because of problems like poor responsiveness and alignment issues, which indirectly point to inadequate cross-browser automated testing. These eye-opening statistics emphasize the critical importance of effective cross-browser testing when developing a fully functional web or mobile application. 

Quality assurance teams and developers in various organizations consistently strive to maintain high standards in Cross browser testing. However, it is high time that we reevaluate our tools and methodologies for cross-browser testing and explore superior alternatives to streamline the process. Let’s now delve into the top strategies that can simplify, accelerate, enhance the quality of apps, and make cross-browser testing more convenient.

Tips To Improve Cross-Browser Compatibility Testing

Enhancing the testing of cross-browser compatibility is essential for guaranteeing the smooth operation of your website or web application across various web browsers and their various versions. Below, you’ll find some suggestions to assist you in improving your approach to cross-browser testing:

Validate Your Code

Flawed HTML and CSS code can lead to the erratic behaviour of your website across various web browsers. These issues can be elusive, often resulting in minor, seemingly arbitrary glitches that make debugging a challenging task. One effective way to prevent such problems is to validate your code. You can utilize W3C validators to validate both HTML and CSS, or you can integrate extensions into your integrated development environment (IDE) to conduct real-time code checks as you write. Additionally, certain styling languages, such as SCSS, require preprocessing and will not compile if errors are present. This can be advantageous as they typically pinpoint the exact location of errors, facilitating their resolution.

Ensuring Compatibility Of Layout

A responsive application that functions seamlessly on all devices, platforms, and browsers, including various versions, is imperative. The application’s layout should maintain consistency and adhere to standards across all environments where it will be utilized post-release.

Layout compatibility issues can stem from the following factors:

• Unresponsiveness of the layout design on mobile devices.
• Discrepancies in how modern browsers render the layout design.
• Lack of support for certain layouts by modern browsers.

To preserve layout compatibility, consider implementing the following methods:

• Utilize the HTML viewport metatag to ensure proper content scaling on mobile screens.
• Employ CSS Multi-Column layouts to maintain the appropriate arrangement of content within multiple columns, adapting to the container’s layout.
• Harness the power of CSS Flexbox and Grid techniques to organize child elements based on their content and the available rendering space.

Adopt The “Don’t Repeat Yourself” (D.R.Y.) Principle

While developing your website, prioritize simplicity and code reusability. Instead of duplicating and pasting code across multiple files, create reusable functions, whether they are JavaScript functions or Sass mixins, that can be called when needed. This approach minimizes the likelihood of errors, as any issues that arise can be addressed within a single function rather than having to correct numerous separate files.

Check DOCTYPE Tag

The DOCTYPE declaration serves the purpose of specifying the rules to be applied in your code. It’s essential to include the DOCTYPE declaration in your code to ensure that web browsers understand the rules and avoid any erratic behaviour. In the case of older versions of Internet Explorer, they specifically check for the presence of the DOCTYPE tag at the beginning of the code. If this tag is missing, the application is not rendered correctly.

Browsers operate in three different modes, which are as follows:

1. Full Standard Mode: In this mode, browsers enforce strict adherence to the rules defined by W3C specifications, conducting thorough error checks.
2. Almost Standard Mode: This mode implements only a few quirks and deviations from the standards.
3. Quirk Mode: Quirk mode is designed for backward compatibility with older browsers. In this mode, browsers do not rigorously check for errors, and the layout may emulate non-standard behaviour.

When a code lacks a DOCTYPE declaration, the browser switches to quirk mode, ceases error checks, and behaves in a non-standard manner. Therefore, it is crucial to include the DOCTYPE declaration at the beginning of your code.

Utilize CSS Resets

Browsers apply default design layouts to websites viewed on them. To implement a different design layout for your application, developers need to override these default styles. Failure to do so can result in inconsistent rendering of the same application on different browsers. Developers accomplish this CSS reset by using CSS reset style sheets, which help avoid any layout design issues.

Examples of CSS reset style sheets include:

1. Normalize.css, based on Github.
2. HTML5 Reset.
3. Eric Meyer’s Reset CSS.

Create Responsive Websites

Responsive web design allows your design to adapt to various devices, ranging from desktops to mobile devices and everything in between. It is essential to ensure that all functionality remains accessible and that information is presented correctly on any device and in any browser, regardless of its size. You can create responsive websites using advanced platforms like Editor X or through the use of media queries. For instance, if you wish to set the margin of a container class when the screen width is less than 600px, you can write a media query like this:

Review Support For Your CSS Properties 

Not all web browsers offer consistent support for CSS properties; what works perfectly in one browser may not even exist in another. A prime example is the backdrop-filter property, which enjoys full support in Chrome but is entirely absent in Firefox. Dependence on such properties can lead to unexpected behaviour for users of unsupported browsers like Firefox. Fortunately, tools like “Can I Use” enable you to verify the browser support for various CSS properties. This way, you can avoid investing a significant amount of time designing a poorly-supported property, only to face the need for redevelopment later on. 

To simplify our development efforts, it is advisable to utilize frameworks and libraries that adhere to standards and promote cross-browser compatibility. Here are some examples:

For JavaScript:

• jQuery
• AngularJS
• ReactJS

For CSS:

• Bootstrap
• Foundation
• 960 grid

Commence Cross-Browser Testing Early

Commencing cross-browser testing as soon as one page of the application is ready is a wise practice. This early testing phase helps identify cross-browser compatibility issues in the initial stages of development, allowing for prompt resolution. Delaying testing until the later stages of the development cycle can result in increased stress and challenges, as cross-browser compatibility testing necessitates coverage across multiple environments.

Ensure Support For Essential Application Features

It is essential to verify that your application offers consistent native feature support across various sets of browsers. If a particular browser does not support a certain code, your application should be equipped to provide an alternative code that functions on that specific browser. This approach ensures that the fundamental features of your application remain accessible to users under all circumstances. This practice is known as feature detection, where you safeguard the application against scenarios where the browser lacks support for specific code. To implement feature detection in your code, you can:

• Create your own feature detection code for CSS and JavaScript.
• Utilize feature detection libraries like Modernizr, Polyfill, and others.

Make Use Of AI-Powered Testing Tools

No matter how hard you strive, it’s impossible to completely eliminate errors or bugs from a software application. However, you can certainly reduce their occurrence to achieve a higher level of quality. Many SaaS product organizations are putting significant effort into leveraging advanced technologies like continuous integration and devops development company to attain faster and more reliable results. However, the integration of AI can further expedite this process by offering codeless solutions. This approach reduces the time and effort required by QA teams substantially. Additionally, AI and machine learning can be harnessed to minimize the unpredictability of test cases, allowing for ongoing automation efforts and the implementation of AI-supported features without human intervention.

Opt For Cloud-Based Testing Instead Of On-Premise Testing

Establishing a physical device lab demands considerable investments in terms of time, finances, and effort, but it does provide a high level of security. Conversely, there are various online platforms, particularly SaaS products, that offer cloud-based setups accessible from anywhere and at any time. One such platform is LambdaTest, an AI-powered test orchestration and test execution platform. With the LambdaTest API, app developers can simultaneously run Selenium test cases on over 3000 modern browser instances.

With 24/7 accessibility and flexible working hours, it ensures uninterrupted business operations, which is a significant advantage for companies. Overall, LambdaTest, as a SaaS product, offers a range of features tailored to meet the unique requirements of each brand.

Here is a list of LambdaTest’s key features that make it a worthwhile choice:

• Exceptional customizability to adapt to an organization’s evolving needs.
• Support for multiple frameworks.
• Capability to execute test cases across various environments.
• Parallel test case execution and high scalability.
• Integration of cutting-edge technologies like AI and machine learning.
• Compatibility with advanced technologies such as continuous testing, continuous integration, agile development, and DevOps.
• A wide array of device-browser combinations to ensure cross-browser compatibility across all devices in the target market.
• Compliance with security standards tailored to your business.

Conclusion

Enhancing cross-browser compatibility testing is of paramount importance in order to deliver a unified and seamless user experience across diverse web browsers. By adhering to the best practices delineated in this article, you can ensure the consistent and dependable performance of your website or web application across a broad spectrum of browsers. This not only elevates user satisfaction but also mitigates the potential for compatibility-related issues. It is imperative to remain abreast of the latest browser updates and testing tools, sustain continuous vigilance over your website’s performance, and foster effective collaboration with your development and QA teams. 

By adopting a proactive stance toward cross-browser testing, you can save valuable time, minimize user frustration, and ultimately offer an improved online experience for your website’s visitors.