What are Chrome Extensions?

A Chrome extension is a program installed in the Chrome cybersurfer and used to enhance cybersurfer performance. One can create an extension using web technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

How are chrome extensions useful in Testing?

Google Chrome extensions can be installed on the Chrome browser to improve its performance. This includes adding new features to Chrome or adjusting the existing behavior of the system itself to make it more convenient for users. Moreover, extensions provide a wide range of additional functionalities that allow you to easily perform tasks or get more out of the websites that you visit.

Testers can use this Chrome extension to take screenshots for their tests or any critical defects found while testing. They can take screenshots of specific test steps, explain, highlight, cut and share them with other testers and help developers to understand the issue in an efficient way.

Efficiency is important when it comes to QA testing. By checking websites and web applications, adding plug-ins like Chrome extensions can speed up the process of manual testers. When browsing on a desktop, there are many browser options to choose from (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge for example). It can be useful to check in all these browsers. Testing in Google Chrome, however, has the advantage of many extensions that QA testers can use to make web testing more efficient and accurate.

How to add a Chrome Extension?

a. Open the Chrome Web Store.
b. Find and select the extension you want.
c. Click on Add to Chrome.

Here are some extensions useful in Software Testing.

1. LightShot

Lightshot is the fastest way to take a custom screenshot. This extension has a very simple interface, user friendly and easy to use.

Advantages of LightShot :

a. It helps to take a screenshot of any defects and share it with a few clicks
b. Select any part of the page
c. Edit screenshot in a specific place by highlighting
d. Save to disk or upload to cloud
e. Search for similar screenshots in cloud
f. Copy the screenshot on the clipboard

2. Screen Recorder

It helps to record video on camera or capture it on screen (desktop, program window or browser tab).

Advantages of Screen Recorder :

a. If there are any integrated related issues and if we want to show it to the developer virtually screen recorder plays a vital role.
b. There is no time boundary for video recording.
c. The two-tab popup menu also allows testers to switch between screenshot and screen recording (video).

3. Android Emulator Online

This extension allows you to use a random emulator for testing purposes and allows you to play your favorite games.

This extension will be a great help for the development team as they can do basic testing whenever they implement a new feature or fix existing issues apart from testing on physical devices. Also for QA Engineers they can use this extension to cover a wide range of devices apart from validation on physical devices.

If you download any type of malware that is not compatible with any external application anywhere, you will be completely safe and secure.

4. Temp Mail – Disposable Temporary Email

Temporary disposable email address protects your email from spam, bots and phishing with TempMail.

Advantages of this Extensions:

a. Temp Mail provides a temporary, secure, anonymous, and disposable email address.
b. This extension will be a great help when QA Engineers need to do testing w.r.t  creating multiple test accounts.
c. Forget about spam, advertising mailings, hacking and attacking robots without impacting our testing. 
d. Keeps our real mailbox clean and secure.

5. Grammarly

From grammar and spelling to style and tone, grammarly helps you eliminate spelling errors and find the right words to express yourself. You will find suggestions in Grammarly as you write on Gmail, Twitter, LinkedIn, and almost everywhere you find yourself writing.

Grammarly is a deeper writing tool than grammar to give you a comprehensive writing response. You can be sure that your writing is not only accurate but clear and concise too.

6. Page Time Load

This extension is mainly used to measure the page load time and it shows the results in the toolbar section. The Navigation Timing API is used for accurate measurement.

This extension will be a great help for Performance Test engineers as they can check page loading time of any website and get an initial set of results.

7. Resolution Test

This is an extension for QA to test web pages with different screen resolutions, with the option to explain your choices.

Solution Test changes the browser window size so QA can preview their websites at different screen resolutions. Includes a list of commonly used decisions and the ability to customize that list.

8. What Font

This is a useful extension to identify fonts on web pages. With this extension, you can explore web fonts by hovering over them. It’s that simple and elegant. It also finds resources used to process web fonts. It supports Typekit and Google Font API.

9. Jira Assistant

Assistance with tracking and uploading work done with Jira Tickets on time and producing Worklog, Sprint and other custom reports.

Advantages of this Extension

a. We can easily install the app by dragging and dropping, copying features.
b. We can easily get worklogs and bulk import problems
c. Able to view various activity-related reports, sprint, ratings and custom reports.
d. Ability to merge with a calendar to automatically generate a meeting app with one click.
e. Many customization options including custom dashboards, quick view, personal skin and other settings.
f. We can connect with multiple Jira servers / accounts and switch between situations easily.

10. Office Editing for Docs, Sheets & Slides

Once the extension is installed, Office files that you drag in Chrome, open in Gmail or Google Drive will open in Docs, Spreadsheets, and Slides for viewing and editing.

You can save each file back to its original Office format, or convert it into Docs, Sheets, or Slides to open additional features, such as inviting others to edit with you, comment, chat, and more.

Advantages of this Extension:

a. We can view and edit Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files with Google Docs, Spreadsheets, and Slides
b. Able to view and edit without Office installed.

11. Cookie-Editor

Cookie Editor is a simple but powerful that lets you create, edit and delete cookies quickly without leaving your tab.

Cookie-Editor is designed to have an easy-to-use interface that allows you to perform many common cookie functions. It is ideal for developing and browsing web pages or for managing your own cookies to keep your privacy.

You can easily create, edit and delete cookies for the current page you are visiting. There is also a useful button to delete all cookies from the current page. You can also Import and / or export your cookies in text format for easy sharing or backup copy. The search bar is located at the top of the interface so you can search for a specific cookie by name.

12. Clear Cache

Rapidly clear your cache with this extension without any verification conversations, hijackers, or other annoyances. You can customize how important of your data you want to delete from the options page, including Application Cache, Cache, Cookies, Downloads, File Systems, Form Data, History, Indexed DB, Location Storage, Plugin Data, Passwords, and WebSQL. Cookies may be deleted worldwide, only in certain domains, or in anything other than the same domain.

This is how the final view can be seen after adding the desired chrome extensions. From the highlighted part, we can use the desired extension .

Conclusion:

• Google Chrome extensions are a great way to enhance your product, but they can come at a cost. If you use too many extensions, your cybersurfer may start to slow down, and in that case it may defeat the purpose of using those extensions in the first place. Like anything, the key is balance.