Ensuring your website works well on all browsers from the latest Chrome to older versions like Internet Explorer online is crucial for a professional web development approach. Even with the popularity of modern browsers some users in organizational settings still rely on older ones. Ensuring a smooth experience for all users is crucial.
In this blog. We will explore the steps, strategies, and best practices for running web application tests on Internet Explorer online. Understanding how to ensure compatibility with IE is crucial for reaching all users and maintaining a smooth user experience.
Testing Web Applications on Internet Explorer
Here’s a step-by-step guide to run your tests on Internet Explorer online.
Setting Up Your Testing Environment for Internet Explorer
Testing on Internet Explorer online requires setting up a suitable environment. Here are the primary options:
Virtual Machines (VMs)
Microsoft offers free virtual machines designed for testing purposes. These VMs contain different operating systems with pre-installed versions of Internet Explorer online to test and troubleshoot in a controlled environment. Visit the Microsoft Edge Developer Tools to download VMs for various platforms, including Windows, Mac, and Linux. The key advantage of VMs is that you can isolate testing environments and use different versions of IE without impacting your primary operating system.
Cloud-Based Browser Testing Platform
Cloud testing platforms offer a comprehensive suite of browsers and operating systems for automated and manual testing. One of the most used platforms is LambdaTest. It is an AI-powered test orchestration and execution platform that allows you to run manual and automated tests at scale, offering access to over 3000+ real devices, browsers, and OS combinations. This cloud platform is useful for cross-browser testing to simulate different versions of Internet Explorer online.
You can verify cross-browser compatibility of Internet Explorer browsers online, from the latest to legacy versions, all in one cloud with LambdaTest.
- Conduct live-interactive testing on Internet Explorer browsers to ensure your web app is compatible with all versions.
- Execute Selenium tests on a secure, scalable cloud-based grid with over 3000 real browsers, including Internet Explorer.
- Access Internet Explorer browsers online to test your locally hosted web apps using LambdaTest Tunnel.
- Automate full-page website screenshots across various versions, operating systems, and devices in a single automated test.
Testers can easily scale the testing efforts, run automated test suites, and integrate with CI/CD pipelines for continuous testing without maintaining a local test environment. LambdaTest is perfect for multi-browser testing and can speed up testing.
Manual Testing on Internet Explorer Online
Manual testing on Internet Explorer online allows you to identify issues specific from layout glitches to JavaScript errors. Here’s what to look for during manual testing on IE:
Layout and Styling
Internet Explorer online struggles with modern layout techniques like Flexbox and CSS Grid. It’s common to find misalignments, improper spacing, or overlapped elements due to IE’s outdated CSS support.
- Common Problems: Visual discrepancies such as misplaced elements are typical in IE. This can occur when newer CSS properties or layout techniques aren’t fully supported.
- Workarounds: Using older layout techniques like floats or tables to ensure compatibility. If your project relies on modern CSS frameworks make sure they offer backward compatibility with IE, also test at different screen resolutions to catch layout issues that might be resolution-dependent.
Functionality and Interactivity
Testing interactive elements in the web application is essential as IE might not support some modern JavaScript functions causing broken functionality.
- JavaScript Errors: Open Internet Explorer’s developer tools (press F12) to identify JavaScript errors. This step is crucial for diagnosing compatibility issues or outdated syntax. Fix any errors to ensure a smooth user experience.
- Polyfills and Shims: To address JavaScript compatibility, incorporate tools like Babel and libraries like core-js. These tools help provide support for modern JavaScript features in older browsers.
Security Settings and Compatibility Mode
Internet Explorer online has various security settings and compatibility modes that can impact the web application’s behavior.
- Protected Mode: This security feature can affect automated testing and certain functionalities. If you encounter issues related to Protected Mode, adjust Selenium scripts to work with it.
- Compatibility View: This mode alters how Internet Explorer renders web pages to replicate older versions. Check your web app’s behavior in Compatibility View to ensure consistency. If it behaves differently, determine the cause and address it.
Automating Tests with Selenium for Internet Explorer
Selenium WebDriver is a powerful tool for automating browser testing, including on Internet Explorer. Here’s how to set it up
Step 1: Install Internet Explorer Driver (IEDriverServer)
Download the Internet Explorer Driver from the Selenium website. Ensure the version matches the IE version you want to test.
Configuration: Set the appropriate capabilities to avoid common issues with IE such as ignoring Protected Mode settings. Here’s a basic setup in Python:
| from selenium import webdriver from selenium.webdriver.ie.options import Options ie_options = Options() ie_options.ignore_protected_mode_settings = True driver = webdriver.Ie(executable_path=‘path/to/IEDriverServer’, options=ie_options) |
Step 2: Write Selenium Scripts
Develop Selenium scripts to automate your test cases. Interact with your web application to ensure that all critical functionalities work as expected.
- Handling IE-Specific Issues: Be prepared to adjust scripts to handle IE quirks like different DOM structures or specific security settings.
- Cross-Browser Compatibility: Use Selenium Grid to run tests across Internet Explorer to ensure comprehensive coverage.
Step 3: Execute Test Cases and Refine Scripts
Run your Selenium test cases against Internet Explorer. Monitor for failures or unexpected behavior, and refine scripts as needed.
Step 4: Integrate with CI/CD for Continuous Testing
To ensure continuous testing on Internet Explorer, integrate Selenium tests into your CI/CD pipeline. This allows you to run tests whenever new code is pushed automatically. Automate the testing process using tools like Jenkins, Travis CI, or GitLab CI
Performance testing
Conducting performance testing on Internet Explorer is vital for uncovering potential issues and guaranteeing a seamless user experience given the browser’s constraints in rendering engine and JavaScript capabilities. Utilizing benchmarking tools such as Google’s Lighthouse and WebPageTest provides comprehensive insights into various performance metrics aiding in understanding the impact on page load times.
Network speed is a crucial consideration in assessing web application performance. Simulating different connectivity scenarios helps gauge performance under varying conditions. It helps in finding instances where high latency or low bandwidth affects page loading times.
Resource optimization is another vital aspect of performance testing. Large images, extensive scripts, and heavy stylesheets can slow down Internet Explorer. Consider reducing file sizes, using image compression, minifying JavaScript and CSS, and using content delivery networks to decrease load times.
Page rendering is where Internet Explorer Online often shows its limitations. The browser might render elements slowly or out of order to a disjointed user experience. You can pinpoint areas for optimization by observing how different elements appear on the page. This involves simplifying complex layouts, reducing JavaScript reliance, or pre-loading critical resources to ensure a smoother user experience.
Minimizing JavaScript Execution Times
Minimizing JavaScript execution times in Internet Explorer Online is critical due to its less efficient JavaScript engine. Focus on reducing complex scripts, implementing lazy loading, and managing polyfills and transpilation for smooth operation and faster response.
Reducing Heavy JavaScript: Identify and limit heavy JavaScript components that might cause delays. This includes reducing complex scripts, avoiding excessive DOM manipulations, and eliminating redundant JavaScript operations. Refactor code to be leaner and more efficient to ensure only essential scripts are loaded during initial page rendering.
Lazy Loading: Implement lazy loading for scripts, styles, and other assets that are not immediately required when the page loads. This technique delays the loading of non-essential resources to render faster and reduce the initial JavaScript load. Lazy loading improves performance and enhances user experience by prioritizing critical content.
Polyfills and transpilation can introduce additional overhead in Internet Explorer. Consider minimizing their use or implementing them conditionally based on the user’s browser to reduce unnecessary JavaScript execution. Rely on simpler JavaScript features that are widely supported across browsers to reduce the need for extensive polyfills.
Regression Testing Strategies
Regression testing for Internet Explorer requires an effective approach to ensure that updates or fixes do not disrupt the user experience on this legacy browser. Utilize automated testing tools and frameworks compatible with Internet Explorer to improve the process and maintain product quality. Begin by identifying critical functionalities and user workflows specific to Internet Explorer. Develop a comprehensive test suite covering functionalities like UI interactions, form submissions, and data processing.
Prioritize test cases based on their impact on the user experience and frequency of use. Focus on areas prone to compatibility issues such as layout rendering, JavaScript functionality, and CSS styling. Implement cross-browser testing to validate consistency across different versions of Internet Explorer and other browsers.
Utilize version control systems to track changes and facilitate efficient regression testing. Integrate automated tests into the continuous integration and continuous deployment pipeline to automatically trigger regression tests upon code changes. Monitor test results closely to identify failures. Keep the regression test suite updated to match changes in the app and evolving browser features. Work with devs, QA, and stakeholders to improve testing plans for better coverage.
Cross-Browser Performance Benchmarking
Cross-browser performance benchmarking is essential for comprehensively understanding a web application’s performance across different browsers. Developers can assess how the application performs on Internet Explorer by implementing cross-browser performance benchmarking. This analysis involves comparing page load times, rendering speed, and resource utilization across various browsers.
The benchmarking process begins by establishing a baseline performance profile for the web application on Internet Explorer. Test scenarios are executed on Internet Explorer and other target versions to capture performance metrics under similar conditions. Developers can identify disparities in performance and identify areas for optimization by comparing these metrics across browsers.
Common areas for optimization include addressing compatibility issues specific to Internet Explorer, optimizing resource loading strategies, and fine-tuning rendering processes. cross-browser performance benchmarking also enables developers to ensure consistent performance across different browsers. Regularly conducting cross-browser performance benchmarking allows developers to track performance trends over time and validate the effectiveness of optimization efforts.
User Feedback and Beta Testing
Implementing beta testing programs using Internet Explorer can provide valuable insights into compatibility challenges and user experience issues. Feedback from these users to capture their experiences, preferences, and any reported issues encountered using the web application. Developers can prioritize enhancements and address compatibility issues effectively by engaging with users of Internet Explorer.
Ensure that the beta testing process includes comprehensive feedback mechanisms such as surveys, feedback forms, or user interviews, to gather actionable insights. Analyze feedback from Internet Explorer users to identify common pain points and prioritize improvements that will benefit all users.
Conclusion
In conclusion, ensuring compatibility with Internet Explorer is essential for reaching a larger user base and maintaining a smooth user experience. Developers can effectively test and optimize web applications for Internet Explorer by following the steps, strategies, and best practices outlined in this blog. A comprehensive approach enables developers to address compatibility challenges and deliver a smooth browsing experience across all supported browsers. Allowing these practices builds inclusivity and enhances the overall quality of web applications.
