Compare Desktop testing, Client-Server testing and Web testing

We have three testing types

• Desktop application testing,
• Client server application testing and
• Web application testing.

Each one differs in the environment in which they are tested and you will lose control over the environment in which application you are testing, while you move from desktop to web applications.

DESKTOP APPLICATION:

It runs on personal computers and work stations, so when you test the desktop application you are focusing on a specific environment. You will test complete application broadly in categories like GUI, functionality, Load, and back-end i.e DB.

CLIENT / SERVER TESTING:

In client server application you have two different components to test. Application is loaded on server machine while the application exe on every client machine. You will test broadly in categories like, GUI on both sides, functionality, Load, client-server interaction, back-end.

This type of testing usually done for 2 tier applications (usually developed for LAN) Here we will be having front-end and back-end.

The application launched on front-end will be having forms and reports which will be monitoring and manipulating data E.g: applications developed in VB, VC++, Core Java, C, C++, D2K, Power Builder etc., The back-end for these applications would be MS Access, SQL Server, Oracle, Sybase, MySQL, Quad-base.

The tests performed on these types of applications would be

• User interface testing
• Manual support testing
• Functionality testing
• Compatibility testing & configuration testing
• Intersystem testing

WEB TESTING:

This is done for 3 tier applications (developed for Internet / intranet / xtranet) Here we will be having Browser, web server and DB server. Web application is a bit different and complex to test as tester don’t have that much control over the application. Application is loaded on the server whose location may or may not be known and no exe is installed on the client machine, you have to test it on different web browsers. Web applications are supposed to be tested on different browsers and OS platforms so broadly Web application is tested mainly for browser compatibility and operating system compatibility, error handling, static pages, back-end testing and load testing.

The applications accessible in browser would be developed in HTML, DHTML, XML, JavaScript etc. (We can monitor through these applications)

Applications for the web server would be developed in Java, ASP, JSP, VBScript, JavaScript, Perl, Cold Fusion, PHP etc. (All the manipulations are done on the web server with the help of these programs developed)

The DB server would be having oracle, sql server, sybase, MySQL etc. (All data is stored in the database available on the DB server)

The tests performed on these types of applications would be:

• User interface testing
• Functionality testing
• Security testing
• Browser compatibility testing
• Load / stress testing
• Interoperability testing/intersystem testing
• Storage and data volume testing

Difference between Desktop, Client-Server and Web Applications :

Desktop applications	Client/Server applications	Web applications
Application runs in single memory (Front end and Back end in one place)	Application runs in two or more machines	Application runs in two or more machines
N/A	Application is a menu-driven	URL-driven
N/A	Connected mode (connection exists always until logout)	Disconnected mode (state less)
Single user only	Limited number of users	Unlimited number of users
N/A	Less number of network issues when compared to web app.	Many issues like hardware compatibility, browser compatibility, version compatibility, security issues, performance issues etc.

As per difference in both the applications come where, how to access the resources. In client server once connection is made it will be in state on connected, whereas in case of web testing http protocol is stateless, then there comes logic of cookies, which is not in client server.

For client server application users are well known, whereas for web application any user can login and access the content, he/she will use it as per his intentions.

So, there are always issues of security and compatibility for web application we need to be aware of