Safari is a built-in web browser application developed by Apple primarily for macOS and iOS. Safari browser can be explained by a simple design but, at the same time, integrated greatly with iOS macOS, and other Apple products. This browser has been so popular not only in general use but also with web application development and testing. What makes Safari browser online especially attractive to web developers and testers is its strangeness, which is significant and can affect how a site is displayed or functions. This blog is going to elaborate on how the features of Safari would look from a tester’s perspective, starting with the user interface and the most basic features available to include in your skill set and make your testing extraordinary.
Understanding the User Interface of Safari
Safari is very clean and intuitive when opened for the first time. Across the top of your browser, you will see the address bar, and several navigation buttons, which include back, forward, refresh/stop, as well as a share button. To the right, you have the Tabs bar and more functionalities available, such as the Sidebar button, Downloads icon, and the New Tab button. This layout is designed to provide maximum space for viewing web content, which is particularly useful when testing website designs and layouts.
Key Features and Tools Accessible from the Main Interface
Safari is equipped with several useful tools that can help you as a beginner tester. For instance:
- Favorites Bar: Directly below the address bar, you can access your favorite websites quickly. This is useful for testers who frequently visit specific pages.
- Sidebar: Accessible via the sidebar button, this feature allows you to view your bookmarks, reading list, and shared links all in one place.
- Reader View: Available on many web pages, this tool simplifies the page layout and removes clutter, which is helpful when focusing on text content during testing.
Tips for Customizing the Interface to Improve Testing Efficiency
Customizing Safari to suit your testing needs can greatly improve your efficiency. Here are a few tips:
- Customize the toolbar: Right-click on the toolbar and select ‘Customize Toolbar’. You can drag and drop items you use frequently, such as the Home button or the Flexible Space, to create a workspace that suits your workflow.
- Use keyboard shortcuts: Learning shortcuts can save you time. For example, Command + T opens a new tab, while Command + Option + I opens the Web Inspector.
- Manage tabs efficiently: Organize multiple testing sessions with tab groups. This lets you keep related tabs together and switch contexts quickly without losing your place.
Essential Features of Safari for Testing
Developer Tools are a set of resources that are of high utility to developers and testers alike. They help in inspecting and debugging of web pages within the browser. To enable working with these tools, you will first need to enable them by going to the preferences of Safari. These are located at Safari > Preferences. Click the ‘Advanced’ tab and check the checkbox at the bottom called ‘Show Develop menu in menu bar’. This will add the ‘Develop’ menu to your menu bar, which gives you access to a lot of useful tools.
How to Access and Use the Inspector, Console, Network, and Performance Tabs
- Inspector: This tool is essential for examining the HTML and CSS of a web page. You can right-click on any part of a webpage and select ‘Inspect Element’ to open the Inspector. It allows you to hover over different elements in the HTML code and see how they are rendered on the page.
- Console: The Console is useful for testing JavaScript and for debugging. It displays logs, errors, and other messages from your web page’s JavaScript. It’s also interactive, allowing you to execute JavaScript code directly.
- Network: This tab shows all the network requests made by the page, such as when loading images, scripts, and CSS files. It’s invaluable for analyzing loading times and understanding performance issues.
- Performance: Use this to record and review how your webpage performs during tasks. It helps identify where slowdowns occur and what causes them.
Explanation of Safari’s Unique Features like Reader Mode, Privacy Reporting, and Website Tinting
- Reader Mode: This feature strips away clutter like ads and popups from articles, making them easier to read. When testing websites, use Reader Mode to check how your pages look when simplified, ensuring essential content remains accessible.
- Privacy Reporting: Safari provides detailed privacy reports showing which trackers have been blocked on websites you visit. This feature helps testers understand privacy practices on different sites.
- Website Tinting: Safari tints the browser window with the color of the website you’re viewing, providing a more immersive experience. As a tester, observe how this feature affects the user experience, particularly on websites where brand identity is important.
Understanding these tools and features is just the beginning of becoming proficient in testing with Safari. As you become more familiar with what Safari offers, you can more effectively test and ensure that websites not only look good but also work well across all Apple devices.
Compatibility and Testing on Safari
Safari is widely used, especially among Apple device users. This makes it critical for web developers and testers to ensure their websites work well on Safari. Compatibility testing helps to check if your website functions as intended across different versions and settings of the browser. This is important because what works on one browser might not work the same way on another, especially between Safari and browsers like Chrome or Firefox.
Common Issues Encountered While Testing Websites on Safari
Several common issues can arise when testing websites on Safari:
- CSS Compatibility: Safari interprets some CSS rules differently than other browsers. For instance, certain flexbox and grid properties may display differently, impacting the layout and user experience.
- JavaScript Execution: Safari might handle JavaScript differently, leading to functionality issues or errors. For example, certain ES6 features might not be supported or could perform differently.
- Session Storage and Cookies: Safari has strict privacy protocols that might block or restrict these, affecting how user sessions are managed.
Understanding these nuances can help testers create more reliable and consistent user experiences across all browsers.
How Safari Handles Media Queries and Viewport Sizes
Safari may render responsive designs differently because it handles viewport sizes uniquely. For instance, the way Safari calculates the viewport height can affect full-page elements or sticky headers, often causing layout issues. Media queries, essential for responsive design, also need extra attention as Safari might interpret them differently than other browsers.
Using LambdaTest to Test on Safari
LambdaTest is a cloud-based platform that allows testers to check browser compatibility of their websites and applications. It provides access to a range of browser versions and operating systems without the need for physical devices.
How LambdaTest Can Be Used to Test Websites on Different Versions of Safari
LambdaTest is particularly valuable for testing on Safari because:
- Multiple Safari Versions: You can test across several versions of Safari to ensure your website performs consistently, regardless of the version a visitor is using.
- No Need for Multiple Apple Devices: Since Safari runs primarily on Apple devices, owning each device for testing is impractical. LambdaTest provides an online solution where you can test across multiple devices virtually.
Step-by-Step Guide on Setting Up a Test Session for Safari on LambdaTest
- Sign Up/Login: Create an account or log in to LambdaTest.
- Choose Browser: Select Safari from the list of browsers available for testing.
- Select Browser Version: Pick the version of Safari you want to test.
- Choose Operating System: Select an Apple operating system, like macOS or iOS.
- Start Testing: Once setup is complete, you can start testing your website in real-time.
Benefits of Using LambdaTest
- Access to Various Safari Versions: Test on multiple versions to ensure broad compatibility.
- Real-time Testing: See how changes affect your website in real time.
- Automated Screenshot Features: Automatically capture screenshots across different devices and versions for easier issue tracking and documentation.
Best Practices for Beginners Testing on Safari
Mainly 3 practices will improve major part of your testing.
Regularly Update Safari
Keeping Safari updated is crucial for testers. Every single update of Apple most likely introduces new features, bug fixes, and most importantly, new security configurations that likely change the landscape—dramatically—of how the web application behaves, or how it is rendered. This will ensure that you are testing under conditions that reflect what most end users would be doing by using the latest version of Safari. This practice also helps you stay ahead of potential issues that could arise from deprecated features or newly introduced standards.
Use Safari’s Private Browsing Mode
Safari’s Private Browsing mode is a valuable tool for testers. This mode allows you to visit websites without storing cookies, cache, or history. This can be particularly useful when you need to test how a website behaves for a first-time visitor or how it manages session data without interference from previously stored data. Using Private Browsing mode ensures that each test session is clean and unaffected by prior interactions, providing you with accurate and consistent results.
Utilize Safari’s Developer Console
The Developer Console in Safari is a powerhouse for detecting and diagnosing issues. It not only displays JavaScript errors and warnings but also provides insights into network activity, which can be critical when analyzing the load times and responses from servers. Regularly checking the Developer Console can help you catch issues early in the testing process, making it easier to address them before they affect the end-user experience. For a thorough testing routine, integrate regular checks of the console to monitor for any new errors or warnings that might indicate underlying problems with the website’s code or compatibility with the Safari browser.
These practices are essential for any tester working with Safari. By updating regularly, using Private Browsing mode, and utilizing the Developer Console, you can ensure that your testing is thorough and effective, leading to higher quality web applications that perform well across all Safari versions.
Advice on Using Specific Safari Features to Detect and Diagnose Issues
- Responsive Design Mode: Use this mode in Safari’s developer tools to test different screen sizes and resolutions.
- Network Tab: Analyze loading times and network requests to identify potential bottlenecks.
Resources for Further Learning and Troubleshooting Safari-Specific Problems
- Apple’s Official Documentation: A great starting point for understanding Safari’s features and developer tools.
- Web Development Blogs: Many blogs and forums cover browser-specific topics, including Safari.
- Online Courses: Platforms like Udemy and Coursera offer courses focused on browser compatibility and web development.
Conclusion
We’ve covered a range of topics from the basics of Safari’s interface and essential tools for testing, to using LambdaTest for thorough cross-browser testing. Safari is a crucial browser to master given its prevalence among Apple users. Combining the use of Safari’s built-in tools with external testing platforms like LambdaTest can significantly enhance your testing capabilities.
Testing on Safari can be unique due to its specific rendering and privacy settings. Regular practice using both Safari’s tools and external resources like LambdaTest will make you a proficient tester in an Apple-centric world. Continue exploring and utilizing these tools to ensure your websites deliver the best user experience on Safari and beyond.
