A Simple Guide to Selenium Software Testing

Selenium is an automated testing framework, open-source and widely used by developers to automate mundane and repetitive tests of web applications. It is a collection of tools, each catering to a specific automation testing need. One of the main reasons behind Selenium’s popularity is that it saves a great deal of time and effort for developers.

Selenium was first called Java Script Test Runner, a program designed to automate web app testing. It was designed by Jason Huggins, engineer of Thought works, in 2002. It was renamed Selenium in 2004.

This quick and easy guide covers all you need to know about Selenium software testing at glance.

What is Selenium?

Selenium is a set of tools, or a test automation framework, that automate tests. Users can use different programming languages like Java, C#, perl, PHP, Ruby, Groovy, and Python as Selenium provides a single interface to write test scripts. It can be done using web browsers like Chrome, Firefox, Edge etc and operating systems like Linux and Windows.

The different Selenium testing tools are

●    Selenium WebDriver

●    Selenium IDE

●    Selenium Grid

These tools are chosen according to the testing need at hand, and then combined or used individually. We’ll look at these tools in detail in the coming section.

Advantages of Using Selenium

Selenium can be used with all modern web browsers and OSes such as Windows, Mac OS, UNIX and Linux and is compatible with several programming languages. But that’s not all. Here’s a list of benefits that come from using Selenium.

●    Its high degree of integration lets execute tests in parallel in Selenium Grid to save execution time and effort

●    Large community support and documentation are available online as it is open source and adaptable to different needs.

●    Reusable codes and test scripts which can be used in different browsers and scenarios.

Types of Selenium Tests

There are a couple of different types of tests which can be easily automated using Selenium automation testing. They are:

●    UI Test – It is a type of functional test. It automates web browser interaction. The test scripts are written to perform different user actions on the web app UI.

●    Regression Test – This test is to ensure that when the code changes, or when new features are introduced into the app, there are no secondary effects.

●    Compatibility Test – This test ensures that the web application design is on par with the performance requirement demanded by each operating system and browser.

●    End-to-End Test – It consists of several components which are combined to simulate the path the user will take through an application. Automating this helps find bugs present from beginning to end.

Selenium Testing Tools

Now that we know the different types of Selenium tests, let’s take a closer look at the testing tools available with Selenium.

1. Selenium IDE

Selenium IDE or Selenium Recorder is an integrated development environment for testing used as an extension for Firefox or Chrome. It is used to record, edit and debug tests.

The test scripts are generated in Selenese, a language native to Selenium. Recordings are then created which can be edited with commands and sentences to make the recording playback successful.

2. Selenium Remote Control (RC)

This is a client/server system which can control browsers locally using different programming languages. It was also called Selenium1, as it was the first framework for all Selenium projects for a long time.

3. Selenium WebDriver

This is a widely used Selenium component which allows users to interact with their chosen browser and write code in different programming languages. It is composed of APIs. It allows the tester to control browsers at the OS level, web pages and their HTML elements. Integrating several libraries like Cucumber, JUnit, or TestNG is possible with Selenium WebDriver.

Updates of Selenium WebDriver include Selenium2 and Selenium3. Selenium 3 is the standard in the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). However, its latest version, Selenium 4 is available for Python, Java, .NET, Ruby and JavaScript.

4. Selenium Grid

Selenium Grid allows for parallel execution of several tests simultaneously. It allows multiple browser instances to be used. It consists of a hub and different nodes. The hub controls and communicates with other nodes. The nodes execute test scripts remotely.

How to Select the Right Selenium Tool

Selecting an ideal Selenium Tool is a matter of the need at hand. Each tool is suited to a particular set of requirements and situations. Since there are multiple tools and components, you can read on and find out which tool is suited for which situation.

Selenium IDE

●    Ideal for beginners who have no previous programming or test automation knowledge.

●    Best suited to create simple test cases and test suites.

●    For testing in Chrome and Firefox

●    Execute JavaScript using run Script

●    Export into the programming language of choice.

Selenium WebDriver

●    To generate custom reports and test applications in HTML format

●    To test web apps with dynamic data

●    To use a particular language for the automated test cases.

●    To test apps that have AJAX-based features.

Selenium Grid

●    To execute large test suites as quick as possible

●    To execute test cases on different OSs and browsers simultaneously.

Summing Up

Selenium covers most of the needs of users who are looking for automation. It is a complete testing tool for web applications. These needs are met by a set of tools. These tools are called Selenium IDE, Selenium WebDriver, and Selenium Grid. They are each distinct from the other but can be used in combination or individually.

Selenium also has the advantage of being able to support several programming languages and being compatible with several operating systems and browsers. It is an easy-to-use testing tool, which makes automation easier. With increased automated tests conducted, one can expect a higher quality of web applications.

Web application testing is easily done with a tool like Selenium. However, an expert at the helm of executing the tests is necessary for successful testing. Calidad is a seasoned service provider in testing and automation. Reach out to us today for your software testing needs.