Getting the Internet Explorer View

The Application Analyzer performs what is essentially a desktop application check. However, most applications today also have an Internet connection and your apps may be written to work within a browser.

To perform this level of testing, start the Internet Explorer Compatibility Evaluator. Click Enable IE Logging; the system installs the required support. At this point, you can perform any required compatibility tests; everything from checking online help to working with online application features. When you're finished, select Tools | Disable IE Logging to stop logging the compatibility data.

One special note about using this feature: You will quickly get frustrated unless you keep the Internet Explorer Compatibility Evaluator up to date. Simply select Help | Check for Updates, and the application scheck for any required updates.

Using ACT to Your Advantage

This article isn't about making testing more difficult or telling you that you didn't do a very good job writing your application. It's about getting your application onto a system where a user can work with it to accomplish the tasks you designed the application to perform.

As administrators get more involved in ensuring that your application won't trash their network or systems, tools such as ACT will see greater use. If you aren't testing with ACT (or another tool like it), then you're probably missing problems that your developer tools won't tell you about. It's in your best interest to test with ACT to ensure that the application you so lovingly created actually gets into the hands of the users who need it.

Don't get the idea that testing with ACT frees you from other kinds of testing. You still need that test suite you and your development team created. Even though an administrator might not have an interest in testing your application using the complex suite you developed, you still need to rely on stringent testing to ensure that your application works as anticipated. Remember that ACT performs a different kind of testing from your test suite; it applies a different sort of pressure to your application to ensure it won't break down at a critical moment.