URL mode vs. HTML mode
HTTP/HTML, a popular LoadRunner web protocol, is used in 70% of performance test scenarios. This protocol records the communications between the client and the server and is used for web-based applications. There are two recording modes for the HTTP/HTML web protocol: HTML mode and URL mode. Each mode offers unique qualities and benefits. Please compare HTML mode and URL mode for better understanding.
URL mode vs. HTML mode
- Context Dependency: Context-based recording is done in HTML mode while context-free recording is done in URL mode. There is no context dependency between the resources because each request in URL mode separates them.
- Resources – In URL mode, separate requests are made for each resource, while in HTML mode, page resources such as images and .css are fetched in a single request.
- User Action – Each user action in HTML mode corresponds to a single request, but in URL mode, multiple requests can be associated with a single user action depending on the number of resources on the page.
- Script Size – The HTML mode script is significantly smaller than the URL mode script in terms of file size. The explanation is that each resource in the URL mode script has a separate request.
- Mapping Effort: The HTML mode script requires less work to map the dynamic value than the URL mode script.
- Download resources: When playing in HTML format, resources are downloaded. However, in URL mode, each resource is subject to a separate request, so there is no need to download it.
- Execution time: Due to code processing, HTML mode scripts run slower than URL-style scripts.
- Script Maintenance: In HTML mode, script maintenance is limited. The URL mode script, on the other hand, needs more maintenance and revisions due to changes in the program.
- Explicit link support: HTML mode supports explicit links, while URL mode does not.
- Used For URL mode is used for non-browser (thick client) applications, while HTML mode is used for browser-based applications.
- Functions: in URL mode, web_submit_data, web_image, etc. are used instead of web_submit_form in HTML mode.
