Exploratory Test Report for Scrapeanywebsite Desktop application
Date: July 3, 2024
Objective: The objective of this test is to explore the functionalities, usability issues and bug within SAW-ScrapeanyWebsite
Tested Environment:
Browser: Chrome 91.0.4472.124
Operating System: Windows 11
Device: Laptop
For this exploration, I utilized Scrape Any Website, a popular SAW application. Starting with the happy paths, I tested core functionalities like URL extraction, data filtering, and export options. The application successfully extracted data from various websites, allowing me to customize scraping parameters and export results in different formats.
Test Case:
Functionality Test:
The application crashes when attemping to scrape without providing any input for the URL, and then clicking on save.
Limited Error Handling:
When encountering unexpected website structures or invalid URLs, the application sometimes crashed abruptly without informative error messages. This left me troubleshooting in the dark. Also error of 3xx and 5xx where not taken into consideration a the desktop app, causing a difference in the scrape count to the error code recorded in the scrape statistics sections.
Usability Issue:
The user interface encounters some frustrating glitches when minimizing and maximizing the application. After minimizing and then maximizing, the log content section doesn't fully return to view. Additionally, when switching to dark mode, the text color remains unchanged, failing to invert with the rest of the UI. This makes it difficult to see if the text box is even accepting user input.
Recommendations for a Smoother SAW Experience
The application should strive to avoid crashing abruptly when encountering unexpected website structures or invalid URLs. Instead, it should implement robust error handling routines that:
- Identify the issue: Log or display a clear error message pinpointing the specific problem encountered (e.g., "Invalid URL format" or "Unexpected website structure").
- Offer recovery options: Whenever possible, provide the user with options to recover from the error. This might involve allowing them to correct the URL, adjust scraping parameters, or skip the problematic website altogether.
- Provide user guidance: Include suggestions for troubleshooting common errors within the error message itself, empowering users to resolve issues independently.
- Dynamic Theme Adaptation: Integrate functionality to dynamically adjust the text color based on the chosen theme (light or dark mode). When dark mode is enabled, the text color should invert to ensure proper contrast with the background. This will improve readability and make it clear whether the text box is accepting user input.
- Visual Cues for User Input: Consider adding visual cues to the text box to indicate its active state, especially when dark mode reduces text contrast. This could include a subtle change in the text box border or a faint cursor indicator to provide better user feedback.
Despite the identified issues, Scrape Any Website offers a valuable tool for web data extraction. With the suggested improvements, SAW applications like Scrape Any Website can become even more user-friendly and powerful for anyone looking to leverage website data efficiently. It's also worth noting that SAW applications come in various forms, so if Scrape Any Website doesn't suit your specific needs, exploring the Windows Store [Link to Windows Store download page] might reveal alternative options that cater to your scraping requirements.
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