Review By: Terry Stewart
07/08/2010Each day we are bombarded by questions on how to test Web applications. This book "Testing Applications on the Web" attempts to answer some of our concerns by walking us through a process on how to determine what needs to be done. Questions we haven't even thought of are raised and potential solutions given to these questions.

Each chapter deals with its own area, and there is a short summary at the beginning of the chapter outlining what it is about. This summary helps the reader determine what chapters of the book are relevant for him. In other words, you do not have to read the entire book if you are only dealing with client/server or PDA testing. The authors provide charts, graphs, and templates to assist readers with development of their own testing solutions. If your company does not have a set of documentation you are required to complete, use the templates provided in the book. The book also contains a list of additional places where further research can be carried out.

Two chapters that should be required reading by everyone are the chapters on security and performance testing as these seem to be the two areas where testing sacrifices are made. In order to truly make this book effective, the reader needs to take time and focus on the relevant chapters first, become proficient in those skills, and then move on.

I know the authors are trying to cover as much material as they can in the pages allotted, but the first thought that came to my mind was to divide the book up into three books, which would include, client side, mid-tier and host side, and the mobile side. This way readers can select which area they are interested in and have the source for that area first. Since all of this information is crammed into 624 pages, they do a great job of keeping the topics in sections for easier digestion.

The content of the book is well-organized and set up so the reader can easily decide what is right for him. The book follows a pattern that actually walks the reader through the entire network piece by piece and the network diagrams make it easier to follow the flow of the discussion.

The authors provide lists of testing tools, which will aid in increasing the quality of testing of any project. The resource list at the back allows the reader the opportunity to research other opinions and gain a better understanding of the testing world. This book couldn't be timelier as Web testing and mobile testing are taking off. I know they only scratched the surface, but this is a good starting point for everyone.

This book is a must have for anyone involved in testing web or mobile applications. Add it to your library, bring it out often, and do not let it collect dust. At some point in time you will be exposed to everything mentioned in here.