Written by a true authority in the field, Hung Q. Nguyen's Testing Applications on the Web
is a nicely comprehensive guide to virtually every conceivable aspect
of software testing. It's filled with must-have background
information for any test engineer or manager who's testing thin-client
systems.

Gray-box testing--a new means to test complex,
distributed systems based on server-side components and browser-based
clients--is the focus of the book. While, in the past, testers might
have ignored certain aspects of stand-alone desktop software, today's
Web-based software requires a thorough knowledge of every aspect of
multitiered Web applications. To this end, the book surveys the basics
of essential computing topics like thin-client computer architectures,
networking (including a comprehensive introduction to TCP/IP and
related standards), databases, and SQL.

This book also
outlines the state of the art in software testing. Notable sections
include a short guide to no fewer than 24 distinct types of software
tests, how to test browser-based user interfaces effectively, and a
thorough guide to Web-performance testing. The general discussion of
testing methodology is anchored by a case study on actual test
documents and tests for a Web-based software application (a tool for
tracking software defects). The text closes with a survey of today's
testing tools, and blank templates for creating your own test plans in
the field.

With its expert's-eye view of what's involved in software testing, bolstered by real-world examples, Testing Applications on the Web proves itself an extremely worthwhile resource. --Richard Dragan

Topics covered:

• Introduction to Web testing
• Gray-box testing fundamentals
• Traditional vs. Web testing
• History of computing architectures
• Thick and thin clients
• Survey
  of 24 software-testing types, including acceptance tests, load/volume
  testing, regression, and user-interface testing
• Networking basics, including TCP/IP fundamentals, DNS, and network architectures
• Web components for thin-client systems
• Test partitioning
• Guide to test planning
• Templates and sample documents
• Testing case study
• User-interface tests for browsers (design and implementation tests)
• Functional
  tests, including FASTs (functional acceptance simple tests), TOFTs
  (task-oriented functional tests), and FETs (forced error tests)
• Database testing (white-box and black-box techniques)
• SQL tutorial
• Testing help systems
• Installation tests, including uninstall tests and tools
• Configuration and compatibility testing (testing on multiple browsers)
• Web security (security attacks and encryption basics)
• Performance
• Load and stress testing
• Survey of testing tools