A Complete Guide To Selenium Automation Testing 

With the help of the potent open-source Selenium framework, web applications can be tested automatically across various platforms and browsers. Both software testers and developers can benefit greatly from its extensive set of features and capabilities.

In this article, we’ll cover all the information you need to know to start using Selenium. From setup and installation to essential elements and the reasons, Selenium is the testers’ first choice. We’ll be clear and straightforward as we guide you through each step. This course is made accessible to people of all skill levels, whether you’re an experienced QA expert or a newcomer to the industry.

What Is Selenium?

Selenium is one of the most renowned open-source test automation frameworks. It allows test automation of web apps or websites crosswise different browsers & operating systems. It also offers compatibility with many programming languages such as Java, JavaScript, Python, C#, and more, agreeing testers to automate their website testing in any programming language they are comfortable with.

Using the Selenium framework, testers can deliver test cycles faster by automating repeated test cases. Integrating with CI/CD pipeline can also help with a sturdy, bug-free release deployment pipeline.

Suppose you are a tester or enthusiastic about Selenium. In that case, here in this article, you will learn about easy steps to executing Selenium automation testing for your project and a detailed leader to Selenium, its history, components, and how it works.

Why is Selenium Important for Automation Testing?

Product teams are hesitant to release a product hastily. Usually, when the process is manual, exhaustive testing is a part of the SDLC. Depending on the size of the testing team, the process can take a rare days to several weeks. Companies necessity find a method to afford the inefficiency that comes with dedicating excess time to development. Selenium automation testing is the way to go if you want to supercharge the process. Here are the key profits of using Selenium.

• Faster Cross-Browser Testing: For a seamless user experience, make sure your website is cross-browser compatible. Selenium WebDriver can automate cross-browser testing, a nightmare for manual testers. It facilitates testing for testers by supporting popular browsers like Firefox, Opera, Safari, Chrome, Edge, and Internet Explorer.

You can leverage the true capability of Selenium testing when executed in a cloud-based platform like LambdaTest. Being an AI-powered test orchestration and test execution platform, its online Selenium Grid allows the running of Selenium tests across 3000+ browsers and OS combinations. You can also execute automation Selenium tests on real device cloud that ensure the functionality of the software applications. This also allows you to run multiple tests in parallel, drastically reducing test execution time and accelerating your development cycle.

• Supports Multiple Programming Languages: Selenium is flexible and simple to use for testers because it supports a variety of programming languages. Selenium WebDriver supports a number of programming languages, including Java, JavaScript, C#, Python, PHP, and Ruby, making it simple to test browsers.
• Selenium Python: Running First Script
• Selenium Java: Running First Script
• Selenium JavaScript: Running First Script
• Selenium C#: Running First Script
• Selenium PHP: Running First Script
• Selenium Ruby: Running First Script
• Multiple OS Testing: Selenium supports testing on a variety of operating systems, including Windows, Linux, macOS, and Solaris. That way, you can aggressively test your web application by executing it over combinations of browsers + OS.
• Integration with CI/CD Pipelines: Selenium can be integrated with CI/CD pipelines, eliminating the need for manual cross-browser compatibility testing after each build. This saves time, reduces the risk of human error, and allows for early detection of deployment failures.
• Industrial standard tool: Selenium has become an industry standard testing tool with a strong reputation and widespread usage by multiple enterprises and testing specialists. And because of that, it has huge community support as well As per its GitHub page, it has 7.6k forks, 26.8k stars, and 206k active users.

Prerequisites To Run Selenium Test

To run Selenium tests, you will need the following prerequisites:

• Programming Language: Choose a programming language that Selenium supports. The most popular languages are Java, Python, C#, Ruby, and JavaScript. The required programming language and development environment must be installed on your computer.
• Selenium WebDriver: For the programming language of your choice, download and install the Selenium WebDriver. The WebDriver is a collection of language-specific bindings that let you command a browser through code.
• Web browser: Ensure that the web browser you wish to automate is installed on your computer. Examples include Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, etc. To run your tests, Selenium WebDriver communicates with the browser.
• Browser Driver: Download and install the executable that corresponds to the browser that you want to automate. The WebDriver communicates with these drivers, which are specific to each browser, to manage the browser. For example, for Chrome, you need ChromeDriver; for Firefox, you need GeckoDriver, etc.
• Integrated Development Environment (IDE) or Text Editor: Choose a suitable IDE or text editor to write your Selenium test scripts. Popular choices include Eclipse, IntelliJ IDEA, Visual Studio Code, and PyCharm, depending on your chosen programming language.
• Testing Framework: While not strictly required, using a testing framework can provide structure and additional functionalities to your tests. For Java, TestNG and JUnit are commonly used; for Python, pytest and unit tests are popular choices.
• Test Dependencies: Install any necessary libraries or packages for your chosen programming language and testing framework. You should install the Selenium library and the pytest-selenium plugin if you use Python and pytest.

• Path Configuration: To enable execution of the browser driver executable from any point in the command prompt or terminal, add the executable’s location to your system’s PATH variable.

After completing these requirements, you can create Selenium test scripts and run them using your preferred web browser. Remember to become familiar with the Selenium API and the documentation for your chosen programming language to get the most out of your test automation efforts.

Getting Started With Automation Testing Using Selenium

Check out the guide below to set up automatic Selenium testing.

• Understand basics: To understand the fundamentals of software testing better, it is essential to familiarize oneself with the basic principles of software testing and the concept of test automation. Additionally, it is important to be aware of the different testing approaches, such as end-to-end testing, unit testing, and integration testing.
• Installing the programming environment: Get the programming software and tools for the language of your choice. Writing your automation scripts requires a text editor or an IDE.
• Selenium Webdriver installation: Install the Selenium WebDriver by downloading and configuring it for the programming language of your choice. WebDriver is the main Selenium element that allows programmatic browser management.
• Install Browser Drivers: To install browser drivers, you must install the drivers specific to the web browsers you want to automate. For example, you can install ChromeDriver or GeckoDriver for your web browsers. These drivers act as a middleman between your browsers and your Selenium WebDriver.
• Identify Locators: Identify the Selenium locators such as IDs, Names, Class Names, XPaths, and CSS Selectors. Locators are tools to locate and interact with web content on a page.
• Write Test Cases: Start writing test cases by following Selenium WebDriver’s instructions in whatever programming language you want. Write scripts that go to websites, interact with things, do stuff, and show what you want to see.
• Synchronizing: Ensure your test scripts wait until items are available before interacting with them since web pages can load at different speeds. Use synchronization techniques to make sure everything is running smoothly.
• Manage test data and configurations: Develop strategies to manage test data and configurations effectively. Repeat the same test case across different datasets using data-driven testing techniques.
• Create Test Suites: Combine related test cases to create a test suite. This enables you to run multiple tests and evaluate test coverage and results.
• Selenium online resources: There are various online Selenium tutorials, blogs, and courses available to enhance your Selenium skills. Use these resources to learn more about Selenium and the best Selenium practices for automated testing.

When it comes to Selenium automated testing, it’s important to remember that it’s a crucial skill that gets better with time and practice. Start with simple, easy-to-understand test scenarios and build up to more complex ones. Experimenting and asking questions are important parts of learning and shouldn’t be put off.

Conclusion

Selenium Automation Testing is a widely-used open-source framework that enables software testers and QA professionals to automate web application testing across all platforms and web browsers. Its versatility, programming language compatibility, and community support make it an essential part of any testing toolset.

Selenium’s features enable testing professionals to run tests, expand testing scope, and improve testing performance. For example, Selenium can automate repeatable test scenarios, such as regression testing or cross-browser testing. This allows teams to conduct exploratory tests and find critical vulnerabilities.

Selenium Automation Testing Requires Practice and Continuous Learning. Testers need to be familiar with the basics of programming and the nuances of web features and locators. Another best practice that guarantees scalable and reproducible automation suites is an organized project and testing structure.

Because Selenium is constantly evolving with new features and enhancements, adopting Selenium Automation Testing improves the quality of the web application. It also allows testers to stay up-to-date with the ever-changing requirements in the software development world. With dedication and expertise, testers can maximize Selenium’s ability to power reliable and effective testing processes in the rapidly developing world of web applications.