How do you usually test your sites? 7

[EugenePaliev]

Hi people!

I'm interested in how other developers test sites they create. I think it could be interesting for most of this thread members - before anyone asks for site check, he/she could check it him/herself.


I usually do next things:

1) check how it looks in different browsers. I check it with IE 5.0, IE 6.0, NN 4.7, NN 6.0, NN 6.2, Opera 5, Opera 6 (I know it's not enough, but it's all I have...).

2) check how it looks without images and see if it's still possible to work with site.

3) check how it looks with different color settings - 8, 16, 24, 32 bits.

4) check how it looks on different platforms - Windows, Mac, Linux (honestly, I have only Win2000, so to test it on other platforms I have to ask friends who got Mac and Linux).

5) check how it looks without CSS.

6) check if all links are OK on site and there is no broken ones.

7) sometimes I test it with different on-line tools for TITLEs, METAs and others (but unfortunately only sometimes).

These are basic things I do to test my sites. What do you do? (A star for every response if needed) Good Luck!

 

[Boomerang]

hi EugenePaliev,

8) Check different screen layout's (800*600 -- 1024*768 etc.) See Sleidia's tip in thread216-241106 for an easy way. Do also read boomerang's post at the end of this thread for more bookmarklets)

Erik

<!-- My sport: Boomerang throwing !!
This year I will participate at the World Championships in Germany. (

http://www.boomerang2002.com)

!! Many Happy Returns !! -->

 

[EugenePaliev]

Hi Boomerang!

++ for you!

Nice trick from Sleidia! Certainly I do check screen resolutions, but it's so I would say natural that I even forgot to write about it. (-:

Is there any other thoughts? Good Luck!

 

[pindky]

I don't have all the browser versions for testing, so I use NetMechanic's Browser Check

http://www.netmechanic.com/browser-index.htm

I also use NetMechanic's HTML text service.

For disability access, I use &quot;The Wave&quot; and &quot;Bobby&quot;

http://www.temple.edu/inst_disabilities/piat/wave/

http://www.cast.org/bobby/

I check my CSS with:

http://www.htmlhelp.com/tools/csscheck/

Then, when I still can't figure it all out I go to the Tek-Tips Boards!!!

-Pindky

 

[Boomerang]

Nice tips Pindky,

A star for you !!

Erik <!-- My sport: Boomerang throwing !!
This year I will participate at the World Championships in Germany. (

http://www.boomerang2002.com)

!! Many Happy Returns !! -->

 

[EugenePaliev]

Hi Pindky!

Thanks for links and

++

One more question - is there a free version of NetMechanic available? Good Luck!

 

[iSeriesCodePoet]

Wow! These are all good tips. It is also nice to know people actually care about browser compatibility. Here (for internal sites) they only confirm with IE. I really don't like that. Mike Wills
AS400 Programmer

http://www.koldark.net

Please, if you find my post useful, let me know.

 

[pindky]

Oh, my first stars!! Sweet.

You can use NetMechanic for free one page at a time for HTML checks. Not so sure about the browser photo check (separate subscriptions.)

You can check HTML for free at

http://validator.w3.org/

but you have to have a DOC TYPE in your code to run the check...and I never know what DOC TYPE to choose so I don't!

-Pindky

 

[cian]

Cool question,

-Usually I try to clean up validate my HTML, CSS and usually have lots of errors!
-check the pages without CSS
-Then (recently) I check compatability with netscape (I use IE all the time).
-Then I use a link checker to check for any broken links etc. (Xenu, rLinkChecker)
-Then I ask the Tek Tips guys and gals for their advice criticism! They're the experts so their advice is invaluable!

I DON'T
-bother with other browsers (i know I should)
-test screen resolutions (my pages are all quite narrow anyway)
-check it without images (I always forget!)
-check for accessibility (yeah, i should!)

Thats about it, i'm too lazy to do much else!


É

http://www.endamcg.com/finland-gaa

 

[onpnt]

Putting your site here to have some of the designers and programmers in the forum always seems to be a good thing to do. The knowledge in Tek-Tips is so great that even if problems are found the solutions are usualy found concurently with them. I may not get it the 1st or 2nd time,
but how sweet that 15th time can be.

 

[cian]

Yeah, it's an EXCELLENT thing to do cos you are getting many different opinions from people with a broad range of experience and expertise. One person may spot mistakes in your javascript, another may be proficient in graphic design and could suggest better use of images etc etc etc etc
Especially for someone like me with little experience site building, I learn everything from source codes so the guys and gals here are a terrific help!
Is it possible to award a big star to the community?


É

http://www.endamcg.com/finland-gaa

 

[jamsa]

There is a very good site testing process laid out in the book &quot;Don't Make Me Think!&quot; by Steve Krug.

He stresses to test early, way, way, way before the site is
&quot;done&quot;.
Here's his site:

http://www.sensible.com/

It's a great book, I got it and it is immensely useful.
jamsa