Ghost Inspector
"Automated website testing. Record yourself browsing. Make assertions. Replay in the cloud.
"
Captcha test
Ghost Inspector is an extension for Google Chrome, which is designed to make the testing of websites and web applications much easier.
The user is able to record certain activities, such as mouse clicks or form entries, and then create so-called assertions - these are formalized expectations about what output the website should deliver under certain circumstances. An assertion can include, for example, whether a defined text is actually in a text field or whether a specific image has been loaded on the website.
As if that wasn't enough, Ghost Inspector takes screenshots of the page each time a test is run and compares them with the original screenshot to identify any discrepancies - a visual diff of the page at different points in time.
If there are any discrepancies in screenshots or assertions, you will receive a direct email with a detailed error report.
The test process and evaluation take place entirely in the browser and, apart from the extension, no further installations are necessary. Furthermore, the data is stored in the cloud and the work can be carried out by any Chrome browser with an installed extension.
Captcha test
For demonstration purposes, I applied the testing tool to our contact form:
1. Download the Chrome Extension and Setting up a Ghost Inspector account
2. click on the Ghost Inspector icon next to the URL to record a test directly. After the recording has started, I navigate to the Tojio contact page and fill out the form with an incorrect captcha
3. now the recording can be stopped with another click on the ghost icon and the assertions can be defined. Simple clicks on expected text boxes or images are sufficient for this.
4 After the recording has been made and the assertions have been defined, we can run the test and view the result.
5. the test was successful, the error message was displayed as expected and the screenshot shows 0% deviation from the original.
Conclusion
However, the price model of Ghost Inspector is a bit of a thorn in my side. As the tool is currently still in the beta phase, you will initially receive the "Beta Plan", with which it is possible to set up to ten different tests. However, if the beta phase ends at some point, the "Basic Plan", which only allows a total of five tests, will cost a hefty nine dollars per month. The next level for 29$ per month includes 20 tests and an additional feature to export the results for the Selenium test environment.
Nonetheless, Ghost Inspector is a really helpful tool that serves its purpose perfectly and can certainly simplify one or two test procedures.