Visual regression testing is an essential process for web developers and QA testers to catch any errors or regressions in the app's interface that may have been introduced during development.
Using visual regression testing tools, such as UIlicious, developers can take screenshots of web pages and compare them to previous versions to ensure that the app looks and works the same across all platforms and devices.
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What is visual regression testing, and why is it important?
Visual regression testing compares the current visual state of a web app or website against its past visual states. By using visual regression testing tools, developers can catch any errors or regressions in the app's interface that may have been introduced during development. This process helps to ensure that the app looks and works the same way across all platforms and devices.
Visual regression testing is essential because it helps to ensure that the app looks and works the same way across all platforms and devices. This testing type is vital because inconsistency can lead to customer confusion and lost sales.
Additionally, visual regression testing can help to catch errors or regressions in the app's interface that may have been introduced during development, which can improve the app's quality.
How does visual regression testing work?
Visual regression testing tools work by taking screenshots of web apps or websites and then comparing these screenshots to previous versions. If there are any changes in the visuals, the tool will flag these changes and alert the developer. This way, developers can fix any issues before they cause problems for users.
What are some of the benefits visual regression testing offers?
There are many benefits of visual regression testing, including:
Catching errors and regressions early on in the development process
Being able to catch errors and regressions early on is a huge benefit of visual regression testing. By catching these potential problems early in the development process, you can avoid having them impact users down the road. Not only does this save you time and effort in the long run, but it also helps to keep your users happy and coming back for more.
Ensuring the app works the same everywhere
Anyone who's ever tried to use an app on a phone that was made for a different platform knows how frustrating it can be. The buttons are in the wrong place, the font is too small, and half the time the thing just doesn't work right.
That's why one of the benefits of visual regression testing is that it can help to ensure that an app looks and works the same no matter what platform or device it's being used on.
By constantly comparing screenshots of an app across different devices and platforms, QA teams can quickly identify any areas where the interface isn't consistent. And that means that users will have a better experience, no matter how they're accessing the app.
Automating repetitive tasks
Third, visual regression can help automate repetitive tasks so developers can focus on more important tasks. For example, if you are working on a web application, you may need to take screenshots of the application every time you make a change. This can be a time-consuming task, but you can automate it with visual regression. That way, you can spend more time developing the application and taking screenshots less.
In addition, automating repetitive tasks can help reduce errors. For instance, if you are manually testing an application, you may forget to take a screenshot or test a certain feature. But if you automate the tasks, you can be sure that all the tests are performed correctly and that all the necessary screenshots are taken.
Automating repetitive tasks can thus help improve the quality of your work and save you time.
Make changes with confidence
One of the great benefits of visual regression testing is that it gives developers the confidence to make changes, knowing that they can quickly and easily revert to a previous state if necessary. This flexibility is essential in today's ever-changing world of web development, where new features and redesigns are constantly being introduced. By taking advantage of visual regression testing, developers can be confident that they can make the changes they need without fear of breaking something that is already working.
In addition, visual regression testing can also help identify areas of the codebase that are in need of refactoring or improvement. By quickly and easily identify these areas, developers can save time and improve the overall quality of their code.
What are some of the best tools for visual regression testing?
Some of the best visual regression testing tools on the market include:
Applitools
Applitools is an automated visual testing and monitoring service. It takes screenshots of web pages and compares them to reference images, identifying any differences. This allows developers to ensure that their web pages are consistently rendered across different browsers and devices.
In addition, Applitools can be used to monitor web pages for changes, such as new content or layout changes.
Moreover, this software is perfectly integrated into our all-in-one automated testing service: UIlicious, making it the best dynamic duo to catch regressions in no time. We will give you more details about it in the next lines.
UIlicious
Coupled with Applitools, UIlicious is also an excellent tool for visual regression testing because it offers many features that other tools do not. For example, UIlicious can simultaneously take screenshots of web apps on multiple devices and browsers at every step of your user journey. Additionally, UIlicious offers a flexible and accessible experience for advanced testers and beginners who don't know how to code.
As we said previously, UIlicious offers integration of Applitools so you can take the best of both services to find your regressions before they arrive in production.
You can try UIlicious for free by registering today
Sign up for UI-licious now
Percy
Percy is a great visual regression testing tool for developers looking for an easy-to-use solution. Percy offers a simple interface that makes it easy to take screenshots and compare them to previous versions. Additionally, Percy integrates with a wide range of development tools so that developers can use them in their existing workflow.
How can UIlicious be used to improve the quality of web apps and websites?
As we briefly explained above, UIlicious is an automated testing tool that is easy to set up and can cover most scenarios you can imagine to verify that your site's user experience is as you defined it.
The video below is an example of a test running on UIlicious and using the Applitools integration we referred to above:
In this example, we check that the tabs on the home page of our site display the right content when we click on them.
All these actions were guided by the script below, which is written in a language easy to understand even for a person not experienced in coding.
TEST.applitools.setup("TfktAI2xdcFlZFfNG990qAizBxT108f4ccuXNTB8HVcYkU110", {
//appName: "",
//projectName: "uilicious",
testName: "UILICIOUS SAMPLE TEST",
autoScreenshot: false // turn this off
})
I.goTo("https://uilicious.com")
TEST.applitools.check("Uilicious")
I.see("Automate your web app tests in minutes")
I.click("Netflix")
TEST.applitools.check("Netflix")
I.click("Google Maps")
TEST.applitools.check("Google Maps")As you can see, the commands in the UIlicious scripting language can be read and understood as in spoken language. The script also includes commands to send information directly to Applitools. All these commands start with TEST.applitools.
Starting from this small script, you will be able to perform the test on several web browsers and on several screen formats. The screenshots will be sent and compiled to Applitools which will alert you if there is any visual regression that has appeared on your site.
Responsive testing is important to make sure that your site looks great and is usable on all devices. There are many benefits to responsive design, including increased traffic from mobile devices and a better user experience. If you're not using responsive design, you may be missing out on these benefits.
Use UIlicious with Applitools to spot visual regressions on your web app or website effortlessly. You can try UIlicious for free by signing up today!
