Visual software testing is a type of testing that uses images and visual elements to test software applications. Instead of relying solely on manual testing, visual testing tools use image recognition algorithms to automatically detect and identify bugs and errors in an application’s user interface (UI). It is how developers ensure that a web or mobile application they are building appears to the end-user as it was originally intended.
The basic idea behind visual testing is simple: if a picture is worth a thousand words, then a screenshot is worth a thousand test cases. By capturing screenshots of an application’s UI and comparing them to expected results, visual testing tools can quickly and accurately identify any discrepancies or issues.
While Manual and Automated tests focus on determining the performance of an app and discovering bugs, this type of testing focuses on what the users can see. Since users use a wide variety of devices with different screen sizes and resolutions, it’s important to visually test on a varied set of devices, a feat which is difficult to do without using a cloud testing platform as most organizations can’t afford to buy and maintain a large enough set of devices. To conduct a visual test, every screen, icon, image, and text in an app must be viewed and interacted with to see if it always appears the way the designers originally intended. In this way, carrying out a visual test is much like carrying out a manual test. This is why many testers combine the two into one, saving time and money.
So how does this type of software testing work in practice? Typically, a tool will take a screenshot of an application’s UI and compare it to a baseline image that represents the expected result. The tool will then look for any differences between the two images, such as changes in text, color, or layout.
If the tool detects any discrepancies, it will flag them as potential bugs or errors, and provide detailed information on the nature of the issue. This can include information on the specific element that is causing the problem, as well as suggestions for how to fix it.
One of the key benefits of visual testing is that it can greatly speed up the testing process. Because testing tools can quickly and accurately identify UI issues, testers can focus their attention on other areas of the application, such as functionality or performance.
Another benefit of visual software testing is that it can help to improve the quality of an application’s UI. By detecting and flagging UI issues early in the development process, visual testing tools can help developers to create more consistent, user-friendly interfaces that are free from bugs and errors.
Of course, there are also some potential drawbacks to using this specific type of software testing. For example, because visual testing tools rely on image recognition algorithms, they may not be able to detect more complex UI issues, such as issues with dynamic content or animations. Additionally, because visual testing tools are still a relatively new technology, they may not be as well-established or widely-used as more traditional testing methods.
CaIoT For Visual Testing:
Offering a large set of devices of all different screen sizes and resolutions, including tablets, CaIoT provides a versatile solution for visual testing. It is recommended for any app going through visual testing to be conducted on at least one tablet of any brand, the largest iPhone available, the smallest iPhone available, the largest Samsung phone available, and the smallest Samsung phone available. For the purpose of discovering visual faults and experiencing what users will truly see, this is the best way to go about it and should cover the majority of your user’s screens.