Automation Testing Selenium - A Step by Step Guide for Beginners
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Published: 2024-01-04 11:23:23

Various Tools for Selenium Automation Testing and Their Use

Web developers need to be conversant with Selenium. An open-source, free framework for automated testing is called Selenium. It provides an interface through which developers can create test scripts and supports web browser automation.

Before Selenium, manual web application testing could sometimes take several weeks to finish. You can run an automated test with Selenium to make sure your web application is working properly. Although Selenium appears to be a single testing tool, it is actually a group of several tools.

We have covered the various **[Automation testing with selenium ](https://grotechminds.com/automation-testing-courses/)**tools and their applications in this blog. This course teaches Selenium automation testing techniques. This training will help your career as an automated test engineer progress. You will be trained in the best skills needed by the industry. In this course, students learn how to test web-based applications using the WebDriver 2.0 tool.

What is Automation Testing for Selenium?

Every time a new web application was created, it was manually tested to make sure it worked. The manual testing process had numerous issues. It took a lot of time, was tedious, and wasn't entirely accurate. 

Tools for Automating Testing with Selenium

Now that you understand what Selenium Automation Testing is, let's move on to some testing-related tools. 

IDE for Selenium

The Selenium IDE (Integrated Development Environment), created by Shinya Kasatani in 2006, is a prototype tool. It is essentially a plugin for Firefox and Chrome that records user input and generates code in multiple programming languages. The main objective of IDE was to swiftly write automation scripts. 

Since Firefox was updated, the previous version of the Selenium IDE was rendered obsolete and was replaced with a new version. The updated version boasts a plethora of new features, such as enhanced locator functionality and the ability to reuse and debug test scripts.

Pros

Simple to set up
It suffices to know HTML and DOM to use the Selenium IDE.
Accepts extensions
To utilize additional Selenium testing tools, tests can be exported.

Cons

only functions with Firefox and Chrome
only able to produce test prototypes
Compared to other testing tools, speed is slower.

Remote Control (RC) for Selenium
Selenium abides by the Same Origin Policy because it is a JavaScript program. JavaScript code can only access programs that share the same domain as its launch domain thanks to this policy. This presented a challenge for Selenium users since in order to run the test, they needed to make sure that the web application and Selenium Core were on the same domain. 

Paul Hammant developed Selenium Remote Control, which tricks the browser into thinking that the web application being tested and the Selenium core are on the same domain, in order to solve this issue. Although Selenium RC is written in Java, it supports a number of other languages. Java, P HP, Python, Ruby, Perl, and C# are all supported.

Pros

accommodates a new browser
more rapid than IDE
Testing based on data can be done.
Inter-browser
Multiplatform

Cons

It's difficult to install.
Not as quick as WebDriver
Understanding programming is crucial.
The commands in API are unclear.
can produce erratic outcomes.

Grid of Selenium
Originally known as Hosted QA, Selenium Grid was created by Patrick Lightbody. The goal of developing the Selenium Grid was to reduce test execution time. Its ability to support parallel execution is one of its best features. It can save time by enabling tests on multiple browsers and environments at the same time. 


Pros
accommodates multiple browsers
Adapt to various operating systems
Quick action
accommodate several languages

Cons

needs engineers with the necessary qualifications.
Possibly expensive
inadequate scalability

WebDriver for Selenium
The first framework that enabled cross-platform testing by configuring the browsers at the OS level was Selenium WebDriver, developed by Simon Stewart. It engaged with the browser directly to accomplish this. WebDriver is a more advanced testing tool than Selenium IDE and Selenium RC because of its more modern methodology.

Pros
Installing is not as difficult as Selenium RC.
Native interaction with the browser
quicker execution compared to the Selenium IDE and RC
not as dependent on a separate component as Selenium RC
accommodates a variety of programming languages
Simple incorporation 

Cons 
Compared to IDE, the installation process is more difficult.
Knowledge of programming is a must.
unable to quickly support new browsers

Testing Manual Using Various Instruments

There are various Selenium testing tools, as was previously mentioned. Let's talk about how to use each of these instruments.

How to use the Selenium IDE for automated testing
Three steps make up the Selenium IDE. Playback, recording, and saving are a few of these. These are the procedures to use for testing.

Step 1: Set up the Selenium IDE
Open Firefox and install Selenium IDE. Click on the menu after opening the browser to accomplish this. After selecting add-ons, look for more add-ons. Develop the Selenium IDE and include it in the browser. 

Step 2: Design a test.
Make the initial test. You can generate a fictitious Facebook ID and password to practice. 

Step 3: Taking notes

In your web browser, launch the Selenium IDE and select "Record a test." Include the project name and the website link. The link will direct Selenium IDE to that page. The test recording starts the moment you add the link. Make any use of the web application. 

The recording can be stopped at any time. The interactions you record are turned into a script by Selenium IDE once you stop recording. 

Step 4: Maintain your work
On the upper right corner of the Selenium IDE, you will see a save option. The file is kept in a.side format. 

Step 5: Listen in
To check whether the online application is operating correctly, you can play the recording. To view the recording, select "play" from the menu bar. Additionally, you can view the commands that were correctly executed as well as any potential errors.

Procedures for Selenium Remote Control (RC) automation testing
Selenium server and client libraries are the two parts of Selenium RC. You can use these instructions to run an RC client. 

Step 1: To start Selenium RC, open the command prompt.

Step 2: In Eclipse, start a "new project." Include the project name. 

Step 3: Click "Finish" after checking the remaining information. 

Step 4: Right-click on the project and choose "new" and "package" to create a new package in your project.

Step 5: Right-click on the package you created in the previous step, choose "new," and then "class" to create a new class in your package. 

Step 6: Add your code and hit "run" to put it into action.

How to automate tests with Selenium Grid

Follow these steps to use Selenium Grid for testing.

Installing Selenium Grid is step one. Java should be installed as well. 

Step 2: Configure the Selenium Hub using the command prompt. JSON commands are routed to the nodes by the hub. 

Step 3: To start nodes, use the command prompt. Additionally, you can set them up to meet your needs. 

Step 4: You can run your test by using the RemoteWebDriver and DesiredCapabilities objects.

Selenium Grid allows a tester to run tests in parallel across several operating systems and browsers. A node that satisfies the test requirements receives the test command from the hub. The node carries out the instructions after getting the information. 

Procedures to automate tests with Selenium WebDriver

The following makes up the architecture of Selenium WebDriver.

Test script for Selenium
JSON Wire Protocol
Web browsers
drivers for browsers

In order to use Selenium WebDriver, follow these steps:

Step 1: Set up the most recent Java version.

Step 2: Set up a workspace and configure Eclipse.

Step 3: Download the Selenium WebDriver Java Client from the official Selenium website.

Step 4: Use the Eclipse IDE to configure WebDriver after downloading the browser driver. 

Step 5: Include a task 

Sixth step: Write a test script and hit "run."

That's all there is to it. You will see the results of Selenium's execution of the script. 

Selecting an appropriate testing instrument

It can be difficult to decide which of the four Selenium automation testing tools will best meet your needs. 

Use of Selenium IDE: Why?
When you don't know much about programming
When testing a web application in Chrome or Firefox
When you wish to write straightforward test scripts
Should you desire to export test cases in various formats?

Why utilize RC Selenium?
When utilizing language that is expressive
When you wish to execute tests across various environments and browsers
When attempting to run your web application through a different browser
A Selenium Grid: Why Use One?
When multiple browsers and operating systems need to be tested simultaneously
When you are running out of time to complete the test

Use of Selenium WebDriver: Why?
When you desire personalized test findings
When a particular programming language is desired to be used

One innovative testing technology is **[Selenium Courses](https://grotechminds.com/automation-testing-courses/)**. It changed the way web applications are tested and improved the accuracy and efficiency of the procedure. All four Selenium tools have advantages and disadvantages. To run a test with each of them, just follow the previously mentioned procedures.