Testing

Reviewing and testing code is another basic point of software engineering that is often overlooked in Web development. It's easy enough to try running the system with two or three test cases, and then say, "yup, it works fine." This is a commonly made mistake. Ensure that you have extensively tested and reviewed several scenarios before making the project production ready.

We suggest two approaches you can use to reduce the bug level of your code. (You can never eliminate bugs altogether; but you can certainly eliminate or minimize most of them.)

First, adopt a practice of code review. This is the process in which another programmer or team of programmers look at your code and suggest improvements. This type of analysis will often suggest:

• Errors you have missed

• Test cases you have not thought of

• Optimization

• Improvements in security

• Existing components you could use to improve a piece of code

• Additional functionality

Even if you work alone, it can be a good thing to find a "code buddy" who is in the same situation and review code for each other.

The second suggestion that we have is that you find testers for your Web applications who represent the end users of the product. The primary difference between Web applications and desktop applications is that anyone and everyone will use Web applications. You shouldn't make assumptions that users will be familiar with computers. You can't supply them with a thick manual or quick reference card. You have to instead make Web applications self-documenting and self-evident. You must think about the ways in which users will want to use your application. Usability is absolutely paramount.

It can be really difficult to understand the problems that naive end users will encounter if you are an experienced programmer or Web surfer. One way to address this is to get testers who represent the typical user.

One way we have done this in the past is to release Web applications on a beta-only basis. When you think you have the majority of the bugs out, publicize the application to a small group of test users and get a low volume of traffic through the site. Offer free services to the first 100 users in return for feedback about the site. I guarantee you that they will come up with some combination of data or usage you have not thought of. If you are building a Web site for a client company, they can often supply a good set of naive users by getting staff at their company to work through the site. (This has the intrinsic benefit of increasing a client's sense of ownership in a site.)