Run Web Application in Multiple Browser Simultaneously from Visual Studio

As a web developer, for performing cross browser testing, we need to run our web site in multiple browser from Visual Studio. Generally, in a common way, we select particular browser from browser selection menu and run the application.  However, you can set multiple browser as your default browser. When you run the application with out debugging ( Ctrl+ F5) , Visual Studio will run the application in all the browser, in case of debugging (F5),  Visual Studio will prompt you to select particular browser from the selected default browser list. You can link this feature very much with Refreshing browsers directly from Visual Studio 2013, where you can refresh the browser directly from Visual Studio.

In the browser list drop-down, by default you will be able to see all the list of added browser, with default browser as checked. 

Fig: Select Browser Menu Options

When you select the “Browse With…” option, following dialog will appear, and you can see all the list of browser along with the browser which marked as “(Default)”.

Fig: Browse With Dialog Control

Now, there can be more than one default browser, and same has been written in the dialog control as well – “Browsers (Select one or more):” . So, select all the browser in which you want run the application together, and click on “Set as Default”.  That’s all. Now if you click on “Browse” button in the same dialog control, you will find your web application starts on all the selected browser same time.

Fig: Select multiple browser as default browser

If you back to Visual Studio main menu, a new option “Multiple Browser” will appear.

Fig: Multiple browser option

Now, if you want to debug the application, and press “F5” or select the multiple browsers options, following dialog will appear, and you need to select a specific browser from the list of selected browsers.

Fig: Select Browser from the list of default browser

If you run the application without debugging mode and wanted to run the application to verify the cross browser compatibility, Visual Studio will invoke all the browser for the same application.

This feature is really useful for web developer and who spends time on for cross browser testing ! and of courser – all the web developer spends time for the same !! So, from next time, apply this feature!

Note: This is note new features with Visual Studio 2013, it was available in previous version as well.