With the evolution of web app development, the testers have to ensure the compatibility of their web apps on multiple browsers and devices. This is a critical parameter to provide the optimal end-user experience and maintain a positive brand image. Developers can use Microsoft Edge online to guarantee the functionality of their app on the Microsoft Edge web browser.
This article will explore some of the most significant challenges of testing modern web apps on the Microsoft Edge browser. We will also go through some of the most important tips and practices that can help the testers streamline their testing process and eventually overcome these challenges.
Understanding Microsoft Edge Online
Microsoft Edge Online is a web browser developed and maintained by Microsoft. This web browser has received significant attention due to its security features, performance, and seamless integration with all the other available Microsoft services. This browser is mainly built on the Chromium open-source project.
The Chromium project makes the Microsoft Edge browser online compatible with a wide range of web standards and technologies currently operational. However, like any other browser in the present era, Microsoft Edge Online also has unique iterations and differences that the developers must account for while running the compatibility test cases.
Challenges in Testing for Edge Compatibility
While executing the compatibility test cases on Microsoft Edge online, the testers will encounter several challenges that might hinder the overall testing phase. So, to help the developers prepare themselves, we have mentioned some of the most common challenges that they will encounter in this process:
- Diverse User Base
The Microsoft Edge online browser has a huge user base. Moreover, the user base of this web browser is hugely diverse as it consists of individual and enterprise users. So, ensuring the compatibility of multiple web-based features across different user environments becomes a complex and challenging process.
- Version Differences
Microsoft rolls out frequent updates to the Edge online browser. However, different users may be using various versions of this browser. A survey even shows that over 75% of end users need to update their browsers at any time. So, app developing companies have to ensure the compatibility of their apps on all the functional versions of this browser.
This process is critical to guarantee a consistent end-user experience for a diverse user base.
- Legacy Edge
Although Microsoft Edge has transitioned to the Chromium engine, many users still need to be fixed on the legacy version of Edge. This version is also popularly known as the edge HTML. So, the testers must account for these users and implement backward compatibility per the testing requirements.
- Feature Variations
Although Microsoft Edge Online is based on the Chromium browser, Edge may have multiple features and behavior variations compared to other browsers. Some of the most popular alternatives include Google Chrome or Opera.
Therefore, the testers must account for all these variations and implement the necessary changes in the test cycles to identify and address any compatibility issues in the app architecture.
Optimizing the Testing Strategies
Now that we have understood some of the significant challenges of implementing web app testing on Microsoft Edge let us discuss some of the most advanced testing strategies that can help the testers solve these issues:
- Using Microsoft Edge DevTools
Microsoft Edge DevTools will provide a suite of different tools for web testers. Using these tools, the testers can debug, profile, and test their respective web apps per their testing requirements. Using these tools, the testers can simulate various device configurations, inspect CSS and HTML elements, debug JavaScript, and analyze network performance.
The testers should also familiarize themselves with these tools to utilize the debugging and testing capabilities significantly to improve the overall efficiency of the testing life cycle.
- Integrating Automation Testing
Modern web apps consist of thousands of different elements that significantly improve the overall efficiency of the app’s functioning. So, it is essential for the developers to individually verify the functioning of all these elements to ensure the app is ready to be forwarded to the production phase.
However, if the developers wanted to implement manual testing for all these elements, it would take several months to complete the entire development cycle. So, the testers must implement automation testing to run multiple test instances based on all the predetermined testing parameters.
The testers can also use various popular automation testing tools like Selenium, Playwright, and WebDriverIO to automate the testing phases. Using this approach, the testers can also run the test cases on different versions of Microsoft Edge to detect compatibility issues at the earlier stages of the development cycle.
Moreover, by integrating automation testing, the app testers can save a lot of time in the development life cycle, which they can further invest in creating new features that can be rolled out in the future iterations of the app. Therefore, automation testing has an indirect role in improving the quality of modern web apps.
- Utilizing the Compatibility Tools
Currently, the testers will find several online tools available in the market that help identify severe compatibility issues specific to Microsoft Edge online. For example, Microsoft’s native Sonar tool analyzes multiple websites for compatibility with Edge and also provides detailed reports on some other potential issues that might be present on them.
Moreover, the developers can also use cloud platforms like LambdaTest to test their websites on various browsers, including Microsoft Edge, across different platforms and devices.
LambdaTest is an AI-powered test orchestration and execution platform that lets you run manual and automated tests at scale with over 3000+ real devices, browsers, and OS combinations. It allows testers to do automated web testing on more over-rating systems and real device cloud. While using the combinations platform, the testers can utilize advanced features like artificial intelligence and machine learning for better test management.
After executing the test instances, LambdaTest will automatically generate comprehensive test reports, including several screenshots and videos, which will help the developers quickly debug the faulty elements of the application.
- Utilizing Feature Flags and Polyfills
Developers can use feature flags and Polyfills to address the differences in browser features and behaviors. The testers can selectively turn certain features on or off using feature flags based on the user’s experience. The final goal for this process is to ensure a consistent experience across different testing environments.
On the other hand, the testers can use Polyfills to provide fallbacks for missing or incomplete browser features. The ultimate goal of this process is to ensure compatibility with older versions of Edge or other older browsers that lack support for certain facilities, including modern ones.
In short, by using feature flags and Polyfills, the testers can continue using advanced software development practices while maintaining compatibility with outdated or legacy browser versions.
- Performing User Agent Testing
User Agent testing simulates different user agents to ensure that the website functions correctly across various devices and browsers. Although user agent strings can be spoofed using browser extensions or developer tools, testing the website under different user agent conditions is essential.
By deploying this approach, the application testers can catch any issues that might be prevalent within the application’s architecture currently being developed and tested.
Best Practices for Testing Microsoft Edge Online
Now that we have understood some of the best strategies for testing Microsoft Edge online, let us go through some of the best practices that the developers and testers can deploy in this process further to elevate the efficiency and accuracy of the test instances:
- Maintaining the Testing Balance
We mentioned earlier that it is essential for app testers to integrate automation testing in the modern testing cycles due to the total number of test cases and their complexity. However, the tester should also understand that certain testing instances are massively dependent on the expertise of human developers.
For example, it is almost only possible to execute exploratory testing and visual element comparison testing with the involvement of human testers. So, we advise the app companies to maintain a test plan to create the proper balance between manual and automation testing.
As a starting step, the app testers should only automate those test instances that consist of repetitive test cycles and do not involve a lot of variations in the form of data inputs.
- Understanding the Target Audience
The testers need to understand their target audience thoroughly because there are thousands of versions of Microsoft Edge online. This data will help them to shortlist the most important browsers that are currently popular in this segment. So, using this information, the testers can massively streamline the overall testing cycle.
Moreover, by analyzing the target audience requirements, app testers can integrate various features to help them personalize the test instances and expand the audience reach even more.
- Understanding the Importance of Real Device Testing
Most modern app-developing companies rely on simulation software to understand how web apps react while running on multiple devices. However, the tester should also realize that simulation software or virtual environments cannot replicate the physical parameters of a device.
So, it becomes almost impossible for the testers to understand how the app reacts to low battery, user interaction errors, or a broken display. Therefore, it is crucial to integrate accurate device testing through in-house device test benches or cloud platforms to avoid flaky or unreliable test results.
- Maintaining Data Integrity
While executing the test cases on Microsoft Edge online, the testers must download all the required dependencies from official websites to avoid any possibilities of malicious attacks or data leaks.
The Final Verdict
Based on all the points discussed in this article, ensuring compatibility with Microsoft Edge online is crucial for delivering a seamless web experience to multiple users. The testers must understand the challenges of Edge compatibility and optimize their testing cycles accordingly.
It is also essential for the testers to streamline their development process and catch compatibility issues at the earlier stages of the development cycle. Using all the strategies and best practices, we discussed in this article, the testers can navigate the complexities of testing on Microsoft Edge online.
Finally, the developers and testers must remember that the ultimate goal for the app development and testing process is to deliver high-quality web apps across all browsers quickly.