The Copy Function in Opera Does not Preserve Formatting

 

Summary

In this example we are going to perform Function Testing by making sure that the copy function confirms to users' expectations. If a user of Opera v7.23 copies text from a web page and pastes it into a word processor, only plain text will be pasted. Most of the other Windows browsers preserve formatting. (Source altman-t.web.lynchburg.edu/opera/opera-bugs.html#operabugs (no longer on the Internet))

Application Description

Opera is a Web browser developed in 1994. Its developers claim that it is the fastest and most standards-compliant browser today. It is available for all popular operating systems. (Source: www.opera.com).

This example will focus on the Copy and Paste functions. The Copy function is used to copy highlighted text into the clipboard. Paste takes the text from the clipboard and inserts it into the desired location.

Test Design

This example demonstrates the use of Function Testing.

Since Opera has a large number of functions, let’s focus only on the Edit functions for now.
We can start with Copy and Paste.

One way to test them is to copy text from the browser and paste it into a word processing application.

We would expect that the information is preserved while transferring it from the browser to the word processor.

Performing the Test

  1. We need to open a web page to get the text to copy. For example, let’s open http://www.testingeducation.org


  2. Highlight part of the text and then select Edit -> Copy

    Now we have to paste the text into a word processing application.

Results/Relevance

The result is that none of the formatting is preserved.

 

Let's try Paste Special. Again the text shows only as unformatted text.

The function Copy to Note doesn’t preserve formatting also. Opera’s specification’s definition of Copy is:
“Copy selected text to clipboard”. The current implementation of Copy satisfies the specifications, but does not satisfy users’ expectations; therefore, it is a bug.

It turns out that the problem doesn't exist in Internet Explorer or Mozilla. Since this problem appears only in Opera, a potential user might say: “If Opera is the only one that can’t do it, it must be worse than the rest”.

This is an example of a bug that gets fixed very fast due to large number of complains from the users.

It is also an example of the types of bugs that can be found with simple function tests.

Configuration Notes

Testing Opera Software's Opera 7.23 (trial version):

Created 19 May 2004 for the CSTER

All images and written material ©Copyright Georgi Nikolov 2004

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