eValid™ -- Automated Web Quality Solution Browser-Based, Client-Side, Functional Testing & Validation, Load & Performance Tuning, Page Timing, Website Analysis, and Rich Internet Application Monitoring. © Copyright 2000-2008 by Software Research, Inc.

This table compares how well various technical methods can test website activity from four alternative perspectives:

• eValid InBrowser Technology. All testing funcionality is achieved entirely within a fully functioning browser.
• HTTP Protocol Emulation. This method simulates HTTP protocol activities independent of a browser. This method accesses all activity on the HTTP from multiple browsers.
• Browser Proxy Based. This method wraps a browser in a proxy and achieves testing by capturing and replaying activity to/from the browser. This method accesses only the activity to/from each wrapped browsers.
• Windows Desktop Based. This is the method used by most client/server based test systems. It involves activity capture/replay within the main Windows event loop.

See the Comparative WebSite Testing Technology Levels and the summary of eValid Advantages.

Issue Description (Requirement)	Windows Desktop Based	HTTP Protocol Emulation	Browser Proxy Based	eValid InBrowser Technology
Functional Testing Capabilities
Handle basic website navigation (record and play URL sequence).	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Handle HTML FORMs.	Yes	Partial	Partial	Yes
Adapt playback to moved URL link with same visibile text.	No	No	No	Yes Adaptive Playback
Handle JavaScript.	Partial	Navigation events only	Navigation events only	Yes
Handle Java applet clicks, typeins.	Yes	No	No	Yes
Handle HTTPS.	Yes	Possible	Yes	Yes
Provide for multiple session IDs.	Partial	Requires programming	May require programming	Yes
Handle FLASH objects.	No	No	No	Yes
Handle modal dialog typeins, clicks, other user interactions.	Partial	No	No	Yes
Record non-browser objects interactions (e.g. Adobe Acrobat Reader).	Yes	No	No	Yes
Record and play relative or absolute mouse and keyboard activity that preserves browser state.	Depends on WebSite implementation	No	No	Yes
Handle DHTML.	Limited	Requires programming	Requires programming	Yes
Handle parent/child windows that communicate.	Yes	Very difficult	Very difficult	Partial
Validation Modes
Documentation validation (size, last modified date, element count).	Partial	Possible with programming	Difficult with programming	Yes
Validate page text fragment(s) independent of rendering.	Difficult	Difficult	Difficult	Yes
Validate image sizes.	No	No	No	Yes
Validate partial image (selected screen rectangle).	Partial	No	No	Yes
Validate page text fragment(s) independent of rendering.	No	No	No	Yes
Synchronize & validate playback on text string match.	No	Difficult	Difficult	Yes
Synchronize & validate playback on selected screen rectangle.	No	No	No	Yes
WebSite Timing, Page Tuning, Monitoring
Time entire test session, set alarms.	Partial	Limited, requires HTML analysis program	Limited, requires HTML analysis program	Yes
Obtain detailed download timings of page elements.	No	Requires programming	Possible with programming	Yes
Alarm & monitoring features built in.	No	No	No	Yes
WebSite Load Imposition
Selectable page serve modes (FULL, TEXT, URL).	Difficult	Only URL	Only URL	Yes
Playback with adjustable wait times (think times).	Difficult	Difficult	Difficult	Yes
Modem speed simulation.	No	Difficult	Difficult	Yes
Parallel playbacks (multiple browsers), same session.	No	No	No	Yes
Parallel playbacks (multiple browsers), multiple sessions.	No	No	No	Yes
Synchronized focus among competing parallel browsers.	No	No	No	Yes
Automatic WebSite (Sub-WebSite) Analysis
Measure slowest loading pages (user specified time) on subwebsite.	Timing will be difficult	Very difficult	Very difficult	Yes
Measure largest pages (user specified time) on subwebsite.	No	Very difficult	Requires programming	Yes
Enumerate client-side broken links on subwebsite.	Only with manual operation	No	Very difficult	Yes
Enumerate non subwebsite pages.	No	Very difficult	Very difficult	Yes
Search all subwebsite pages for string match.	No	Very difficult	Very difficult	Yes