| So, ye silent ones of internets vast, this is a braindump of an idea that just hit me... it's probably undeveloped and possibly not very helpful, but here it is: image comparison browser testing. I've had server testing going for a while in the benow code, tho not used too much. A sequence of pages can be recorded and the requests (with cookie state, etc) resubmitted and compared. This can help to detect unexpected differences in server response... most likely bugs (with solid test data and exclusion of dynamic content). It does not test rendering or dhtml issues or render completion time, which is where my latest brainfart comes in.
I thought screenshot comparison might be a way to test rendering, with javascript onload events used to measure render time (and cause screenshot). Some way from javascript, a screenshot could be taken and saved for offline comparison... I'm thinking a hidden iframe with a java applet, or like voodoo. The reference mode could be enabled and a shot taken and stored, along with render time and perhaps other stats. The sequence could then be triggered via java applet fetches of url progressions (or repeated requests), each onload triggering a screen shot save. (the signed java applet could do os trigger of screenshot using the wonderful ImageMagick).
An analysis process could run (perhaps parallel or after) which compares the retry image with the original along with the timings. It could spit out a report and perhaps demonstrate the differences, if any. Timing differences, if any could perhaps be compared with server state to determine processing hiccups... maybe.
The differences might highlight browser or javascript issues.... or maybe code issues affecting delivery (tho it should be constant). At El 9-5, we're using a (good but) thick web framework in which we're seeing browser based issues. Isolating the issues is tricky. Screen shot comparison might give reason, perhaps even moreso when coupled with spidering or random url browing thru a url pool or something.
Another level of funk would be to let the server know that it was being recorded for screenshots and that the screenshot comparison was running. When recording, it could save the join between url and browser output to files. When comparing, it could deliver from the file (or from memory) for the requested url, perhaps from file or even from memory cache. This could be used to determine the breaking point, if any, of the browser.
Quirk generator, or bug tool... maybe both, perhaps neither.
Have a good one, y'all.
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