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You are here: Mozilla MailNews Functional / UI Tests > Start Page

Feature Test Spec: Mail and News Component

Mail and News Component: Start Page

Written by Peter Mock
Updated by Esther Goes

References

UI Specification:

Description

Started in Communicator 4.5, when you launched Messenger the start page automated loaded in the message pane. This page linked to Netscape netcenter portal pointing to available services. The idea was instead of leaving the message pane blank, we could show the user some useful content by loading a web page into that window. As soon as the user selected a message in any way, the start page would be replaced by a normal message. The feature was available only on Win32 platforms but is now available on all platforms. The public mozilla and commercial build will point to different start pages. The mozilla start page is to be determine by the net community. The commercial build will point to netcenter services.

Start Page Preference Setting

Goal: Verify what are the default preference for the start page. The start page setting can be changed through the individual user preference or directly through the netscape preference file "prefs.js".

  1. Verify if the preference setting is not the same as the 4.5 start page preference for public mozilla build.
    1. View the mailnews-ns.js to verify the user_pref("mailnews.start_page.url", "http://www.mozilla.org");
    2. View the prefs.js file to verify the user_pref("mailnews.start_page.url", "http://www.mozilla.org");
    3. View the prefs.js file to verify the start page user_pref("mailnews.start_page.enabled", true);
  2. User preference dialog
    1. Verify there is a user interface preference.
      1. Verify the interface has a check box to enable/disable the feature.
      2. Verify the interface has a location field to enter in your URL".
      3. Verify the interface has a "Use Current Page" button.
      4. Verify the interface has a "Select File".
    2. Verify whether this preference is per profile.
    3. Verify the text wording of the user preference.
    4. Verify you can change the default web page.
      1. Verify you can manually type in a new url into the location field.
      2. Verify you can use the "Use Current Page" button to change the default page to the current page displayed in the browser window.
      3. Verify you can use the "Select File" button to select a local web page.
      4. Verify you can leave the location field blank.
      5. Verify you can have an incorrect url.
    5. Verify the preference is enabled by default.
    6. Verify this option can be changed and the setting is persistent after the dialog is closed.
    7. Verify the preference takes effect immediately without needing to restart.

Start Page Loading

These tests should be performed under IMAP (mail server), POP (mail server), and NNTP (news server).

  1. Verify that when the Mail Start Page is loading, the Stop button is enabled and the netscape logo icon indicates progress.
  2. Verify the start page is dismissed when the user starts views a mail message. (other cases TBD).
  3. Single click on another mail folder but do not select a message. Verify that the mail start page is still loaded.
  4. Single click on a mail or news server icon/name. Verify that the mail start page is still loaded.
  5. First time the 3 pane mail window is opened. Verify the start page loads when:
    1. The first time messenger is started and the message pane is open.
    2. Verify the Start Page loads only once
    3. Verify that launching Communicator into both the browser (with a home page being loaded to different url) and Messenger will display the mail start page.
    4. Start messenger from the command line option. (e.g. mozilla -mail. The mac will have its own icon to launch directly into Messenger.)
    5. Start Communicator (to the browser window) then select a bookmark mail message. A separate message window should open. Open the 3 pane mail window then verify the start page does load.
  6. In the message pane, verify all the content menu items are grayed.
  7. Verify that you can not bookmark the start page.
  8. Different 3 pane mail window configurations
    1. Once the start page has been loaded.
      1. Collapse and expand the folder pane. Verify the start page is still loaded.
      2. Collapse and expand the message pane. Verify the start page is still loaded.
      3. Minimize the messenger window then restore. Verify the start page is still loaded.
    2. Verify the 3 pane mail window configurations work for first time the 3 pane mail window is opened. (by default, all panes are expanded.)
    3. Set your 3 pane mail window to collapse the folder pane so that only the thread pane and the message pane are displayed. Exit and restart Communicator. Open the mail window (now 2 pane) for the first time. Verify the mail start page will be loaded.
    4. Verify if the message pane has been collapsed that the start page appears when it has been expanded
    5. Load the URL for the start page in the browser window then open the Messenger. Verify the start page loads
  9. IMAP specific tests - verify that the mail start page loads and no conflicts occur with other operations that may be occurring at the same time.
    1. Open messenger. The password dialog appears but the start page does not load until the password dialog is dismissed after you enter your password or you cancel the dialog.
    2. Open messenger and log into mail and verify the IMAP headers downloads.
    3. Verify the Start Page loads connecting to a Messenger 4.x server
    4. Verify the Start Page loads connecting to a Messenger 3.x server
  10. POP specific tests - verify that the mail start page loads and no conflicts occur with other operations that may be occurring at the same time.
    1. No summary file for inbox file
    2. Open a mail folder that has a large summary file. Verify that the start page doesn't start loading until the summary file is done loading.
  11. News specific tests - verify that the mail start page loads and no conflicts occur with other operations that may be occurring at the same time.
    1. Subscribe to a new newsgroup that you have not viewed before. Verify the newsgroup headers still download.
      1. Open a newsgroup that had more than the allocated number of headers to download so that the dialog prompt appears.
      2. Open a newsgroup that had less then the allocated number of headers to download so that the dialog prompt does not appear.
  12. Disabling of preference through the prefs.js preference file
    1. Verify that setting the preference to false will not enable the mail start page feature and the mail start page will not attempt to load the next time launch messenger.
    2. Verify that setting the URL to an empty string will not enable the mail start page feature and the mail start page will not attempt to load.

Interruption of Loading of Mail Start Page

These tests should be performed under IMAP, POP, and NNTP.

  1. Verify that the mail start page stops loading when the following actions are performed:
    1. Click the Stop toolbar button
    2. Select a message
    3. Select another folder
    4. Perform for IMAP, POP, and NNTP
  2. Verify that the mail start page continues to load when the following actions are performed:
    1. Sorting of the messages in the thread pane by clicking on the column headers. You are not necessarily selecting a message here.
    2. Expanding the newsgroup list in the folder pane. You are not necessarily selecting another folder/newsgroup here.
    3. Perform a random set of commands (that are enabled) as the start page is loading to verify that no adverse effects happen. This is probably best performed when dialed in on a slow connection (i.e.. 28.8K modem).
  3. Closing of the mail window
    1. Verify that as the mail start page is loading, closing the mail window will have no adverse effect.
    2. Verify that as the mail start page is loading, collapsing the message pane will have no adverse effect. The mail start page will stop loading. Showing the message pane again will not attempt to re-load the mail start page.
    3. Verify that as the mail start page is loading, exiting Communicator will have no adverse effect.

Non Loading of Mail Start Page

The Mail Start Page should not load or attempt to load for the following.

  1. Verify if you disable the start page through the preference dialog, the start page does not load.
  2. Verify if you delete the contents of the start page location field url through the preference dialog, the start page does not load.
  3. Verify if you set the start page location field to an incorrect through the preference dialog, the start page does not load.
  4. Verify if the web site specified in the location field is busy that it should time out after a specific amount of time.
  5. Verify the start page does not load if the message pane was collapsed by default.
  6. Any subsequent time that the 3 pane mail window is opened during a Communicator session
    1. Close all open 3 pane mail windows, but do not close the browser or composer windows. Bring up the 3 pane mail window again. Verify that the mail start page does not load.
    2. Preference set to open a new mail window when double-clicking on a mail folder. Double-click on another mail folder. Verify that when the second 3 pane mail window opens, the mail start page does not load.
  7. Set your 3 pane mail window to collapse the message pane so that only the folder pane and the thread pane are displayed. Exit and restart Communicator. Open the mail window (now 2 pane) for the first time. Verify there is no attempt to load the mail start page.
    1. Select a message in the thread pane and expand the message pane. Verify there is no attempt to load the mail start page and that the contents of the selected message display fine.
    2. Select a message in the thread pane and open into a separate message window. Verify there is no attempt to load the mail start page and that the contents of the selected message display fine.
  8. Mail Notification Program (nsnotify.exe, This feature is yet to be determine if it will be implemented in seamonkey)
    1. Start Communicator via the Mail Notification Program to bring up a mail compose window. Verify the mail start page does load if the message pane is open by default.
    2. Start Communicator via the Mail Notification Program to bring up the Messenger window, the mail start page does load (assume Communicator was not previous running) and if the message pane is open by default.

Mail Start Page Content

QA will NOT be checking for the accuracy of any information found on the start page besides verifying the visual layout of this page and that URL links are click able.

  1. Verify that the correct start page gets loaded.
  2. Verify that all URL links located on this start page can be accessed. When the URL is clicked, a browser window opens to load the URL.
  3. Verify URL gets added to history and is accessible from the history window.
  4. Re-size the message pane and/or the 3 pane mail window. Verify that the start page content gets reloaded and re-sized correctly.
  5. Substitute a page with frames as the default mail start page. Even though the specification states that the default mail start page cannot be set to one containing frames, verify that no bad side effects occur.
  6. Preference set to disable JavaScript in mail/news. Set your default mail start page to a test page that has JavaScript in it. Exit and restart Communicator. Open the 3 pane mail window. Verify that the JavaScript functionality in the mail start page does not execute/work.

Operations when Mail Start Page is loaded

  1. Menu items (including context menus)
    1. Access each menu item that gets enabled from the 3 pane mail window when the mail start page is loaded. Verify that the result of selecting each menu item makes sense and functions properly.
    2. Review each menu item that gets disabled from the 3 pane mail window when the mail start page is loaded. Verify that the disabling of these menu items are acceptable.
    3. Right click to bring up the context menu. Verify that the context menu items are the same ones displayed if you were to bring up the context menu for any html message displayed in the message pane. Exceptions would be any item having to do with replying, forwarding, or any action related to thinking that the mail start page is a mail message. Perform for various elements of the mail start page:
      1. blank spaces
      2. URL
      3. images
      4. selected text
      5. tables
  2. Toolbar buttons
    1. Access each toolbar button that gets enabled from the 3 pane mail window when the mail start page is loaded. Verify that the result of clicking each toolbar button makes sense and functions properly.
    2. Review each toolbar button that gets disabled from the 3 pane mail window when the mail start page is loaded. Verify that the disabling of these toolbar buttons are acceptable.
  3. Verify that you can/cannot choose add bookmark to add the mail start page URL to your bookmark list.
  4. Re-size the 3 pane mail window. Re-sizing the window should work as expected.

Additional Start Page tests

The logo icon is located on the upper right corner of any window. It's the mozilla icon for public build and netscape icon for the commercial build. Clicking on the icon will cause the default url to be loaded in the browser window. These url are different for mozilla and commercial builds.

  1. Open messenger then click on the logo icon in the upper right corner of messenger window while the start page is loading. Verify the start page loading is not affected.
  2. Open messenger then click on the logo icon in the upper right corner of any non mail window will continue to load the default url into a browser window. Verify for:
    1. Browser window
    2. Composer window
    3. Mail Compose window
    4. Calendar
  3. Verify that the tooltip for the logo icon in any of the mail windows is accurate.
  4. Verify that clicking on the the logo icon has no effect on any selected message in the 3 pane Mail window. We do not change anything in the message pane of that window.
  5. Verify that these preferences work for the following different profiles:
    1. New profile created in seamonkey
    2. Upgrade profile created in 4.0x to seamonkey
    3. Upgrade profile created in current version of 4.x to seamonkey

Off-line Conditions

  1. Off-line check box in multiple user profile dialog
    1. Check the check box to work off-line in this dialog. Bring up the 3 pane mail window. Verify that the mail start page does not attempt to and does not load.
    2. Uncheck the check box to work off-line in this dialog. Bring up the 3 pane mail window. Verify that the mail start page loads.
  2. Single user account (one mail or news server)
    1. Set your preferences to always start Communicator off-line. Exit and restart Communicator. Bring up the 3 pane mail window. Verify that the mail start page does not attempt to and does not load.
    2. Set your off-line preferences to show the Ask Me dialog at startup. Exit and restart Communicator and select to work off-line. Bring up the 3 pane mail window. Verify that the mail start page does not attempt to and does not load.
  3. Multiple user account (multiple mail server and/or news servers)
    1. Set your preferences to always start Communicator off-line. Exit and restart Communicator. Bring up the 3 pane mail window. Verify that the mail start page does not attempt to and does not load.
    2. Set your off-line preferences to show the Ask Me dialog at startup. Exit and restart Communicator and select to work off-line. Bring up the 3 pane mail window. Verify that the mail start page does not attempt to and does not load.
  4. Go Online (Assume messenger has not been open before.)
    1. Start Communicator and work off-line. Go online before bringing up the 3 pane mail windows. Open the 3 pane mail window. Verify that the mail start page does load.
    2. Start Communicator online and then choose to work off-line. Go online again before bringing up any 3 pane mail windows in this session. Open the 3 pane mail window. Verify that the mail start page does load.
    3. Start Communicator and work off-line. Open the 3 pane mail window. Select a message in a folder that you have downloaded to read off-line. The contents of the message gets displayed in the message pane. Go online. Verify that the mail start page does not load and replace the contents shown in the message pane.
  5. Physically disconnect your computer from the network. Your mail protocol is to use POP. Start Communicator and open the 3 pane mail window. Verify the mail start page does not load and no errors are encountered.
  6. Verify that if Communicator is configured for dial on demand, the mail start page will cause computer to dial and connect