Introduction
The realm of web testing and automation tools can appear intricate and daunting without a firm grasp of essential terms and principles.
Explore the crucial terminology linked to web testing, automation, and quality assurance within the world of Selenium. Elevate your comprehension of Selenium and empower your expertise in web testing tools seamlessly.
Selenium Terms
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Automation Testing: Automated testing involves using specialized tools to run test cases on software applications. Selenium is a popular choice for automating functional and regression tests on web applications, making it a robust tool for ensuring software quality. By leveraging Selenium for automation testing, time and effort are saved during test execution, while the risk of human errors is minimized. In Selenium, the automation testing process includes the following steps:
a. Test Environment Setup: The initial phase involves establishing the test environment, encompassing the installation of necessary tools and software, along with configuring the system for automation testing.
b. Test Planning: Subsequently, the following step involves strategizing the automation of test cases. These test cases can be scripted in a preferred programming language using the Selenium WebDriver API.
c. Test Scripting: Following the planning phase, the next step is to author the test scripts utilizing the Selenium WebDriver. These scripts are written in a programming language and then executed through a test runner.
d. Test Execution: Upon completion of scripting the test cases, the subsequent step involves executing the tests. These test cases can be run using either the Selenium-provided test runner or any other compatible test runner.
e. Test Reporting: Following the execution of test cases, the test results are documented and presented. Test reports are produced using the test runner in diverse formats such as HTML, XML, among others.
f. Test Maintenance: The ultimate phase involves the upkeep of test scripts and cases. It is essential to revise test cases to align with application modifications and adjust test scripts accordingly.
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Locators in Selenium: Selenium utilizes locators to identify and interact with web elements on a page. The framework offers a range of locator options, including ID, name, class name, tag name, link text, partial link text, CSS selector, and XPath. These locators enable actions such as clicking buttons, entering text in input fields, and more. Below are a few instances demonstrating the utilization of locators in Selenium WebDriver:
| Locator Type | Description |
|---|---|
By.id |
Finds an element whose ID attribute matches the specified value |
By.name |
Finds an element whose NAME attribute matches the specified value |
By.className |
Finds element whose CLASS attribute matches the specified value |
By.tagName |
Finds element whose TAGNAME attribute matches the specified value |
By.linkText |
Finds element whose visible text matches the specified value |
By.partialLinkText |
Finds element whose partial visible text matches the specified value |
S
Selenium Grid: Selenium Grid is a tool that enables the execution of multiple tests concurrently across diverse browsers, operating systems, and machines. This functionality helps reduce the overall test execution time by distributing the tests across multiple machines. Selenium Grid employs a hub-node architecture, where the hub serves as the central management point for the tests, while the nodes act as the endpoints responsible for executing the tests.
Selenium IDE: Selenium IDE (Integrated Development Environment) is a Firefox plugin designed for recording, editing, and debugging tests. This user-friendly tool simplifies the test automation process without the need for programming expertise. Recorded tests can be exported to different programming languages such as Java, Python, C#, among others. Primarily utilized for prototyping and Selenium exploration, Selenium IDE streamlines test creation and modification.
Selenium WebElement: WebElement, an interface within Selenium, symbolizes an HTML element present on a webpage. This interface offers functions for engaging with the element, including actions like clicking, inputting text, retrieving text content, and additional functionalities. Locating a WebElement on a webpage involves employing locators like id, name, class name, tag name, link text, and partial link text.
Selenium WebDriver: Selenium WebDriver is a browser automation framework that enables the automation of web applications across diverse browsers and platforms. It offers a straightforward and concise programming interface for interacting with the browser. Selenium WebDriver supports multiple programming languages, including Java, Python, C#, Ruby, and others. By leveraging the browser's native automation capabilities, WebDriver directly communicates with and controls the browser.