DGD Consulting

At DGD Consulting the quality of our websites is a primary concern. We use the Crosby Definition, where quality is defined as “Conformance to Requirements”, or in other words delivering what we agreed!

Code Checking

The web page coding languages - HTML (Hypertext Mark Up Language) and CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) are implemented to the international standards set by the W3C (World Wide Web Consortium). Correct implementation is checked by running all our code through their mark-up validation software and as a result is entitled to use their quality marks :-

The W3C Validation icon for HTML Code. Issued for code that has successfully passed through the WC3 Markup Validation Service.

The W3C Validation icon for CSS Code. Issued for code that has successfully passed through the WC3 Markup Validation Service.

Functional Testing

Full functional and non-functional testing is carried out to include both success and error pathways.

Browser Testing

The look of your website can be highly influenced by the browser that is being used by your visitor’s computer. The behaviour of browsers can be very dissimilar. Different version of the same browser can have different facility sets, interpret the W3C standards differently or even (as in the case of Microsoft's Internet Explorer Version 6) be notorious for its errors.

Until recently, 19/02/2010, according to the BBC, over half the world's internet users, used Microsofts Internet Explorer (IE). However, following a legal agreement between Microsoft and Europe's Competition Commission, in December 2009, European users were given the option to choose an alternative browser, starting 1 March 2010. Users were presented with a choice screen, giving details and download links for a whole range of browsers. With such a wide choice of browsers and versions available, it is impossible to test every possible browser choice that may be out there and so testing is restricted the latest version of a limited subset to give a maximum return from our validation effort:-

Microsoft Internet Explorer

Market Share

59.5%

There are 3 significant versions of Internet Explorer in current usage:

• Version 6.0
• Version 7.0
• Version 8.0

At present we test on Version 7 (the most popular) and Version 8.

FireFox

Market Share

24.5%

This is the descendent of the Netscape Navigator browsers. It is a free and open source web browser managed by Mozilla Corporation. Its popularity, despite the marketing strength of Microsoft, is due to its quality and it’s “not owned by Microsoft" status. HAving a smaller market share, it is also perceived as not being as popular a target for virus and trojen attacks as Internet Explorer.

Chrome

Market Share

6.7%

This browser is provided by Google and as such is backed by the advertising power of the world’s most powerful Search Engine and Google Corporation’s perceived altruism. It is currently the main beneficiary of opening up IEs dominance.

Safari

Market Share

4.7%

Produced by the Apple Corporation it is designed with their products in mind. It provides testing of a MAC orientated product. Apple also uses this software in their handheld browsers.

Opera

Market Share

2.7%

The fastest browser on Earth. Secure, powerful and easy to use, with excellent privacy protection. A small but significant market share.

Testing on versions not in our deafult set can be tested, but there will be a charge on a time and materials basis for testing and correcting any browser type/version problems.

Your Testing

Remember that you have the ultimate responsibility to confirm that the software behaves as you want it to and that it will not cause you problems. You should therefore carry out "Acceptance Testing" where you test out the website as thoroughly as possible, before being ready to accept it.

As a minimum you should check that:-

1. It's doing what you asked for – unfortunately we cannot be held responsible if you asked for the wrong thing, but we will try and rectify problems quickly with minimised cost.
2. Check that the page looks OK, that there are no graphics out of place and that the colours are correct. Note that most of this would have been agreed when the design phase completed – so you are looking for deviations from those agreed layouts.
3. Check your content – are you happy with the way the graphics are displaying, and the text has been formatted OK. Maybe on screen some small amounts of rewording may be required.

Testing should not all be left to the last minute. As part of our service, finalised and sometimes part-finished pages may be placed on our web-server for viewing. If you see something you don’t like, the earlier it is addressed the easier it may be to fix!