Step 13: Test Templates
Your organization's IT department has most probably defined a standard software installation for all desktop computers. This is almost always an evolving standard, with some users just getting upgraded to the current configuration and others slowly moving past it. Two components of this standard that you have to become very familiar with are:
- What machines are currently deployed in the organization (platform, operating system, bandwidth capability)?
- What web browser software is installed on these machines?
You need to know what computers and software your users are running so you can test your templates on appropriately configured machines. Many problems about how users will see the intranet can be identified, trouble-shot and resolved at this stage by previewing the static HTML pages on typical machines.
A major advantage of standardized software deployment is that you can know a lot about your users in advance of your launch. Public Internet development is often complicated by an ever-increasing number of web browsers that display HTML pages in their own special ways. Be thankful for corporate IT standards, if they exist.
Test all the template pages in the web browser and computer configurations included in your IT standard. If there are errors, make revisions as necessary.