Content Management System Testing in Drupal: Manual Testing

Content Management System Testing in Drupal: Manual Testing

Drupal Manual Testing involves manually verifying Drupal's functionalities, workflows, and user interactions without using automation tools. Manual testing focuses on exploratory testing, usability, and one-time scenarios that require human intuition and attention to detail.

Key Areas of Manual Testing in Drupal

Content Management:
- Validate content creation, editing, deletion, and publishing/unpublishing.
- Verify different content types (e.g., articles, blogs, pages) and their configurations.
- Test media uploads (images, videos, documents) and embedding them in content.
User Roles and Permissions:
- Ensure role-based access control for roles such as Administrator, Editor, Author, and Viewer.
- Validate restricted access for unauthorized users.
Workflow Testing:
- Test content workflows, including drafts, approvals, publishing, and archiving.
- Validate workflow escalations and notifications.
Theming and Layout:
- Test Drupal themes for responsive design across various devices and screen resolutions.
- Verify layout consistency and UI element placements.
SEO and Metadata:
- Validate SEO settings like meta tags, titles, descriptions, and alt text for images.
- Test the generation of clean URLs and structured data.
Multilingual Support:
- Verify translations and language-specific content display.
- Test language switchers and right-to-left (RTL) language layouts.
Integration Testing:
- Test integrations with external systems such as APIs, databases, and analytics tools.
Version Control:
- Validate the versioning of content (check-in/check-out).
- Test the rollback functionality to restore previous content versions.
Accessibility Testing:
- Ensure the site meets accessibility standards such as WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines).
- Test keyboard navigation, ARIA attributes, and screen reader compatibility.
Performance Testing:
- Test page loading times manually using browser tools.
- Simulate multiple users by opening multiple sessions or tabs.

Manual Testing Tools in Drupal

Drupal Admin Interface:
- Use the built-in admin interface to test content creation, workflows, and roles.
Clipboard and Tracer:
- Debugging tools for inspecting runtime data and rule execution.
Browser DevTools:
- Inspect elements, debug JavaScript, and analyze page load times.
WAVE or Axe:
- Browser extensions to test accessibility issues.

Sample Manual Testing Scenarios in Drupal

1. Content Creation and Management

Test Case ID	Scenario	Steps	Expected Result
TC001	Create a new article	1. Log in as an editor.2. Navigate to "Add Content." 3. Select "Article" content type.4. Fill in fields and save.	Article is created and listed under "Content."
TC002	Edit an existing page	1. Log in as an admin.2. Navigate to the "Content" list.3. Select a page and edit content.4. Save changes.	The page is updated, and changes are visible.
TC003	Test media upload	1. Log in as an editor.2. Edit a page.3. Upload an image.4. Save changes.5. View the page.	Image is displayed correctly on the page.

2. User Roles and Permissions

Test Case ID	Scenario	Steps	Expected Result
TC004	Verify editor permissions	1. Log in as an editor.2. Try to access admin-only settings.3. Edit an article.4. Save changes.	Editor cannot access admin settings but can edit content.
TC005	Validate viewer access	1. Log in as a viewer.2. Attempt to edit any content.3. Attempt to add content.	Viewer cannot edit or add content.

3. Workflow Testing

Test Case ID	Scenario	Steps	Expected Result
TC006	Test content approval	1. Log in as an author.2. Create a new article.3. Submit for approval.4. Log in as an admin and approve the article.5. Publish the article.	Article transitions from draft to published state.

4. SEO Testing

Test Case ID	Scenario	Steps	Expected Result
TC007	Validate meta tags	1. Edit a page. 2. Add a meta title and description. 3. Save changes. 4. View the page source in a browser.	Meta tags are visible in the page source.

5. Theming and Layout

Test Case ID	Scenario	Steps	Expected Result
TC008	Test responsive design	1. Open the site in a desktop browser. .2. Resize the browser window to mobile dimensions. .3. Check the layout and navigation.	Layout adapts to mobile screen size.

Best Practices for Manual Testing in Drupal

Understand Requirements:
- Familiarize yourself with Drupal's functionality and project-specific requirements.
Use a Checklist:
- Create a detailed checklist for content management, workflows, and integrations.
Leverage User Roles:
- Test all features for different user roles (admin, editor, viewer).
Document Issues:
- Use tools like JIRA or Trello to log and track issues.
Test Configurations:
- Test custom configurations for themes, modules, and workflows.
Responsive Testing:
- Test the site on multiple devices and screen sizes.
Perform Accessibility Checks:
- Ensure compliance with accessibility standards using WAVE or Axe.
Cross-Browser Testing:
- Verify functionality across major browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge).

Advantages of Manual Testing in Drupal

Exploratory Testing:
- Allows testers to explore and test new or complex functionalities.
Usability Validation:
- Ensures the CMS is user-friendly and intuitive.
Human Intuition:
- Identifies issues that automated tests might miss, like visual design flaws.
Adaptability:
- Quick and flexible for small-scale or one-time testing needs.

Challenges of Manual Testing in Drupal

Time-Consuming:
- Repetitive tasks like regression testing take longer.
Error-Prone:
- Human errors are more likely during repetitive tasks.
Scalability:
- Less efficient for large-scale or performance-critical testing.

Conclusion

Manual testing in Drupal focuses on exploratory, usability and one-off scenarios requiring human judgment testing to ensure that the CMS meets business requirements and provides a seamless user experience by testing content management, workflows, user roles, and integrations. A systematic approach, detailed test cases, and proper documentation can maximize the effectiveness of manual testing in Drupal.

Let me know if you'd like further assistance or detailed examples of specific Drupal functionality!