Web application testing

A Web Application Performance Tool, also known as (WAPT) is used to test web applications and web related interfaces. These tools are used for performance, load and stress testing of web applications, web sites, web servers and other web interfaces. WAPT tends to simulate virtual users which will repeat either recorded URLs or specified URL and allows the users to specify number of times or iterations that the virtual users will have to repeat the recorded URLs. By doing so, the tool is useful to check for bottleneck and performance leakage in the website or web application being tested.

A WAPT faces various challenges during testing and should be able to conduct tests for:

• Browser compatibility
• Operating System compatibility
• Windows application compatibility where required (especially for backend testing)

WAPT allows a user to specify how virtual users are involved in the testing environment.ie either increasing users or constant users or periodic users load. Increasing user load, step by step is called RAMP where virtual users are increased from 0 to hundreds. Constant user load maintains specified user load at all time. Periodic user load tends to increase and decrease the user load from time to time.

Open Source Web Testing Tools

• JMeter: http://jakarta.apache.org/jmeter/ - Java desktop application for load testing and performance measurement.
• QASL: http://qasl.sourceforge.net/ - Quality Assurance Scripting Language, a tool that provides a simple method for creating automated web application test scripts.
• HTTP Test Tool: http://htt.sourceforge.net/ - Scriptable protocol test tool for HTTP protocol based products.
• Tellurium: http://code.google.com/p/aost/ - UI module-based automated testing framework for web applications.
• Badboy: http://www.badboy.com.au - Simple testing and web development tool for Internet Explorer.
• Spectacular: http://code.google.com/p/spectacular/ - Acceptance Test Driven Development tool for framework testing.

Windows based Web Testing Tools

• Quick test Professional - Automated functional and regression testing software from HP.
• LoadRunner - Automated performance and load testing software from HP.
• Rational
• SilkTest - Automation tool for testing the functionality of enterprise applications