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Selenium Tutorial

Table of Contents​

  1. Introduction to Selenium
  2. History of Selenium
  3. What is Selenium?
  4. How to Use Selenium
    • Setting up Selenium
    • Writing Your First Selenium Test
    • Locators in Selenium
  5. When to Use Selenium
  6. Why Use Selenium
  7. Requirements for Selenium
  8. Types of Selenium Tools
  9. Advantages of Using Selenium
  10. Disadvantages of Selenium
  11. Popular Tools for Selenium
  12. Examples of Selenium in Real Scenarios

1. Introduction to Selenium​

Selenium is an open-source automated testing framework primarily used for web applications. It allows users to automate browsers to carry out functional testing on various web applications across different browsers and platforms.

2. History of Selenium​

Selenium was originally developed by Jason Huggins in 2004 as an internal tool at ThoughtWorks. It was later open-sourced in 2008 as Selenium WebDriver by a group of developers known as the Selenium Team.

3. What is Selenium?​

Definition

Selenium is a suite of tools that supports automated testing of web applications across different browsers and platforms. It comprises various components, including Selenium IDE, Selenium WebDriver, Selenium Grid, etc.

4. How to Use Selenium​

Setting up Selenium​

To start using Selenium, you need to download the necessary drivers for the browsers you intend to automate (e.g., ChromeDriver, GeckoDriver). Install the Selenium WebDriver library using a package manager like pip or Maven.

Writing First Selenium Test​

Writing first Selenium test is an exciting step towards automating web application testing. Here's a simple guide- get started:

Step 1: Set Up Your Development Environment​

Ensure you have the necessary components installed:

  • Programming Language: Choose a language supported by Selenium (Java, Python, C#, etc.).
  • Selenium WebDriver: Download the WebDriver compatible with your browser (e.g., ChromeDriver, GeckoDriver).
  • Integrated Development Environment (IDE): Use an IDE like IntelliJ IDEA, Eclipse, or Visual Studio Code.

Step 2: Create a New Project​

Open your IDE and create a new project. Set up the necessary configurations and include the Selenium WebDriver libraries in your project.

Step 3: Write Your Test Script​

Use the following basic steps to write your first Selenium test script:

  1. Import Selenium Libraries: In your code, import the required Selenium WebDriver libraries.

  2. Instantiate WebDriver: Create an instance of the WebDriver for your chosen browser.

    WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver(); // For Chrome

  3. Navigate to a Web Page: Use the get() method to navigate to a URL.

    driver.get("https://www.testkarts.com");

  4. Interact with Web Elements: Locate elements on the web page using locators (ID, XPath, CSS selectors) and perform actions such as click, input, etc.

    WebElement element = driver.findElement(By.id("elementID"));
    element.sendKeys("Hello, Selenium!");

  5. Perform Assertions (Optional): Verify the expected behavior using assertions.

    String pageTitle = driver.getTitle();
    Assert.assertEquals(pageTitle, "Expected Page Title");

  6. Close the Browser: Ensure to close the browser session after the test execution.

    driver.quit();

Step 4: Run Your Test​

Execute your test script in the IDE. Observe the browser automation as the script performs the specified actions on the web page.

Step 5: Analyze Results​

Check the test results for any errors or failures. Refactor and modify the script as needed to improve it.

Locators in Selenium​

Locators are essential in Selenium to identify and interact with elements on a web page. They act as a roadmap for Selenium to find and manipulate specific elements.

There are several types of locators supported by Selenium: like ID, XPath, CSS selectors etc to identify and interact with elements on a web page.

5. When to Use Selenium​

Selenium is best suited for automating web application testing, especially for regression testing, compatibility testing across multiple browsers, and scenarios requiring repeated execution of test cases.

6. Why Use Selenium​

  • Enables cross-browser compatibility testing
  • Supports multiple programming languages
  • Open-source and extensive community support
  • Allows parallel test execution

7. Requirements for Selenium​

  • Basic knowledge of programming languages like Java, Python, etc.
  • Understanding of HTML and DOM structure
  • Installation of browsers and their respective drivers

8. Types of Selenium Tools​

  • Selenium IDE: A record-and-playback tool for creating test cases.
  • Selenium WebDriver: A programming interface for creating and executing test cases.
  • Selenium Grid: Allows simultaneous execution of tests on multiple browsers and platforms.

9. Advantages of Using Selenium​

  • Supports multiple languages and frameworks.
  • Compatible with various browsers.
  • Parallel execution of test scripts.
  • Provides robust reporting features.

10. Disadvantages of Selenium​

  • Cannot test desktop applications.
  • Steep learning curve for beginners.
  • Limited support for handling CAPTCHA and OTP.
  • TestNG
  • JUnit
  • Cucumber
  • Jenkins
  • Docker

12. Examples of Selenium in Real Scenarios​

  • Automated testing of e-commerce websites for functionality, UI/UX, and transactions.
  • Regression testing of banking applications for form validations and transactions.
  • Testing social media platforms for user interactions and content sharing.