The world of user interface testing can be a daunting one. The different terms and types of testing can often get one feeling complicated and a little confused, especially if you’re a beginner at it. However, user interface testing is a crucial part of many software testings cycles during the Software Development
A user interface is technically the website or app one creates for the clients to interact with and a user interface test helps you receive the first and last impression of your interface before putting it out there for the clients. It is also called GUI testing or UI testing.
It is considered to be an important part of the development blueprint and focuses on features such as functionality, visual design, compliance, performance, and usability. Keep reading in order to skim through a basic guide about UI, short for the user interface.
The two main types of user interface
There are a variety of different types of user testing and the main two categories of UI are two. They are
- command-line interface (CLI)
- graphical user interface. (GUI)
Command-line interface:
CI or command Line interface is type of interface that guides the users to interact with the app by inserting commands into a specific terminal. You don’t need to install a special program for running these interfaces and far ever it’s faster and uses code commands.
Graphical user interface:
GUI or graphical user interface allows the users to interact and perform their tasks or test on graphical elements such as the buttons, text fields, and so on. The main GUI approaches are manual testing, record, and playback testing, and model-based testing.
Nowadays the most application has GUIs which are popular for both web and mobile apps.
If you’ve got one of the above user interfaces that need to be tested, you can make use of a user testing app.
What is checked during a UI test?
There are a variety of things that are tested during a user interface test, be it for your app or website. Some amongst many of the areas that they touch amidst conducting a user test include:
It is important to ensure that all the navigational pathways in a website or app work accurately and take you to the right pages, back and forth
Field Widths
this particular testing category focuses on word limits allocated to certain field boxes that users are supposed to type in, ensuring the fieldwork is accurately according to the assigned character limit
Data type errors
The data type errors ensure that things such as currencies, dates, etc. entered are only the validated data that is specified for it
Menu items
often the menu is created in a chronological order that leads a user further into the interface. This ensures that the interface displays the valid set of menu items in the particularly needed order
actions button is important as the user should be able to click and receive the appropriate said action behind it such as keeping or deleting an item off of a shopping cart.
Table scrolling
this often takes place when a table of information is extended to another page; the user should be able to scroll through without losing the header of the app or website.
Conclusion
User interface testing is done for software testing . There are a variety of benefits in conducting a user interface test, just ensure that you do conduct a test that is best suitable for your interface.