kilotest-overview

Kilotest overview and workflow

Kilotest tests web pages for front-end quality: accessibility, usability, and web standards, including HTML, CSS, ARIA, and WCAG.

Kilotest integrates an ensemble of 12 independent rule engines to test a web page and stores the results as a structured report, from which it exposes results at selectable granularities.

Report hierarchy

Results are organized as a hierarchy:

• Tested pages.
• For each tested page, reports from the tests of the page.
• For each report, issues reported.
• For each issue, violators of rules belonging to the issue (a violator is an element or the whole page).
• For each violator, diagnoses by rule engines of its violations.

Typical workflow

1. Call listPages to determine whether the page has been tested.
2. If it has been tested:
   • Use listIssues to identify reports about the page and summarize the issues reported by one report.
   • Use listViolators to inspect elements violating rules belonging to an issue.
   • Use listDiagnoses to inspect diagnoses by rule engines of violations of applicable rules by an element.
   • Use getReport to retrieve an entire JSON report.
   • Use requestRetest or orderRetest if the latest report is obsolete and you want the page retested.
3. If the page has not been tested:
   • Use requestNewTest or orderNewTest if you want the page tested.

Test request and order processing

A test or retest request is reviewed by a manager. If approved, the testing is typically performed within a day.

A test or retest order is reviewed automatically and immediately. If it is approved, you get a report identifier. You can then use awaitTest, with the identifier, to await test completion, which typically takes 2 to 4 minutes, or you can later use listIssues with the identifier to check the status.

Reporting to users

When reporting test results to users:

• Do not assume a requested or ordered test or retest has produced a report until Kilotest confirms this.
• You may quote the Kilotest classification of issues into priorities, but identify any additional prioritization recommendations as your own.
• You may quote recommendations for remediation made by rule engines in diagnoses, but identify any additional remediation recommendations as your own.