Selenium Automation Testing and Key Testing Tools

The testing process is crucial in the software development lifecycle. Therefore, many software testing tools and methods are there to run tests on the apps. One such tool is the Selenium testing tool. With the help of this tool, you can test web apps. So, in this blog, we will explore all you need to know about Selenium.

Let us dive deep into this topic for more insights.

Selenium automation testing has been a widely used tool in web development. The reason is it offers many benefits to the testing world. Besides, it is a lifeline to many web developers and testers since it is an open-source tool. It provides a collection of tools that caters to multiple testing needs. So, if you like to know about them, continue to read.

In this article, we will take you into the Selenium test automation world through the following topics:

• What is Selenium test automation?
• Key Selenium testing tools
• Benefits of test automation using Selenium
• Types of Selenium tests

What is Selenium Automation Testing?

Selenium is one of the open source software testing automation tools that help test web apps. It enables the testers to check the web app across multiple browsers, OS, devices, and other platforms. Besides, it offers a wide range of constantly evolving features that cater to many testing needs. 

As a result, it is one of the valuable test automation tools most web developers prefer.

Moreover, using the Selenium tool, you can automate repeated test cases that take time. It also ensures flexibility in multiple programming languages when compared to other frameworks. In other words, you can automate web testing in any language they are comfortable with. 

Hence, selenium automation testing allows developers to design and test their web apps.

Thus, Selenium has come way forward over the years because of its flexibility. It helps remove all sorts of bugs and errors that can cause significant failures in the software app. Besides, when you integrate the app with the CI/CD pipeline following Continuous Integration Best Practices, you can launch a web app that is free of bugs. So, what exactly is Selenium test automation?

Selenium test automation involves testing web apps using Selenium. Remember, it is only ideal for web apps. In other words, you cannot test desktop and mobile apps using the Selenium framework. However, it provides everything that needs for your test automation journey.

So, if you plan to test your web app, you need not worry. You can access skilled Selenium test automation engineers for your app. They will help you with cutting-edge tools and solutions that match your needs and conditions. Besides, they deliver you future-proof apps that are adaptable to changing trends and demands.

Selenium benefits include antioxidant properties, supporting immune function, promoting thyroid health, and aiding in DNA repair.

We will explore more about Selenium and the other test automation tools it offers.

What are the Key Selenium Testing Tools?

As mentioned before, we learned that Selenium encompasses a set of tools to facilitate the testing process. It makes the testing process more simple and easy. In other words, it allows and streamlines the interaction with multiple browsers, automates test procedures, and records actions. There are three components.

Selenium, one of the leading automation testing tools, is widely used in the industry.

They are as follows:

• Selenium WebDriver
• Grid
• Selenium IDE

So, now we will learn the key components of Selenium. We will explain each of these components and help you get more details.

Selenium WebDriver:

Selenium WebDriver is a plug-in for test scripts that allows you to interact with web browsers through Selenium automation testing. Besides, it enables you to write tests that replicate user interactions with the app. Using Selenium WebDriver, you can write automated tests for web apps.

It is available for multiple programming languages like Java, Javascript, C#, PHP, Ruby, Python, and Perl. Moreover, it supports browsers like Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, and Chrome. As for operating systems, it works on Windows, Linux, and Mac OS.

Components: Selenium Client Library, JSON Wire Protocol Over HTTP, Selenium API, Browser Drivers, and Browsers.

Selenium Grid:

Selenium Grid enables testing multiple machines or virtual machines at once. In other words, you can parallel-test different devices and speed up your automation testing. Besides, it has various nodes that communicate with each other for managing and distributing tests across different test environments.

As a result, it is a crucial part of the Selenium automation testing suite that minimizes the test runtime. So, if you need to start automation testing using Selenium Grid, you can connect a server to the various remote devices. After that, you can run the test on different OS and browsers simultaneously.

Components: There are two components for Selenium Grid: Hub and Node. Hub is the server that sends requests. On the other hand, Node is the remote device that receives the request.

Selenium IDE:

Selenium IDE (Integrated Development Environment) is a plug-in for Firefox browser and Chrome that helps in automation tests for web apps. It enables the testers to record and play back the automated tests whenever they need. As a result, the testers can generate detailed reports and track them to improve the testing.

Besides, it has an in-built debugging feature to spot the bugs in the test scripts. You can generate codes in multiple programming languages like C#, Ruby, Java, and Python. Moreover, you can develop Selenium’s scripting language Selenese.

Features: Selenium IDE includes automated record test cases, third-party plug-ins, in-built assertion functionality, and many more.

What are the Benefits of Selenium Automation Testing?

Testing is a time-consuming process in SDLC. However, it is crucial because it removes bugs and prevents the app from further failures. Therefore, the testers look for tools that ease their work. Today, most automation test engineers prefer Selenium as a testing tool.

Why? Read the following benefits to know:

Cross-Browser Test:

Testing on multiple web browsers is a daunting task. However, with the help of the Selenium automation testing tool, you can automate cross-browser tests. In other words, you can run tests on browsers like Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari, Opera, and Internet Explorer. As a result, it makes the testing easier. Besides, it ensures a better user experience.

Support Multiple Languages:

The testers might be skilled in one programming language. So, when they use Selenium, it is easy for the testers to use. It is because Selenium supports different programming languages like Java, JavaScript, Python, C#, Ruby, and PHP.

Strong Community Support:

A Selenium test automation engineer gets support from other testers if there are any doubts or suggestions to ask. It is a framework used widely and has industry-standard features for the testing process.

Multiple Operating Systems:

With the help of Selenium automation testing, the testers can perform tests on different OS. In other words, Selenium supports various operating systems like Windows, Linux, and macOS.

CI/CD Integration:

Using Selenium as a testing tool enables you to integrate with CI/CD pipeline and remove manual testing procedures. As a result, the testers can spot bugs early and save time.

What are the Types of Selenium Tests?

Selenium is an automation testing framework that enables testers to use it for various purposes. As a result, it allows us to meet all the testing needs. The following are tests you can do with Selenium:

Unit Tests:

Unit tests involve testers testing a module of the web apps to check if they have bugs or errors. As a result, they must work over multiple modules to change the code. However, with Selenium automation testing, they can automate the testing and quickly validate the app on different browsers and OS.

Functional Tests:

Functional testing is for checking the functionality of the app. It allows the testers to spot the areas that need improvement. After that, they create test cases to run the testing by using Selenium WebDriver. It enables the testers to see the functionality of the web app.

Integration Tests:

In the integration test, the testers examine whether the modules work together well. As a result, Selenium ensures to identify bugs when the units integrate. Besides, it helps save the bandwidth to create test scenarios since Selenium uses black box testing scripts.

Regression Tests:

Regression testing checks the functionality of the web app whenever a new feature or code change occurs. Therefore, it ensures that the new code will not hamper the existing system. However, it takes a lot of time for the testers. With the Selenium automation testing tool, the testers can save time and ensure the app performs well.

Compatibility Tests:

Selenium is an innovative test automation tool helpful for running compatibility testing. It ensures the web app is compatible with multiple browsers, devices, OS, and other platforms.

Performance Tests:

Selenium test automation engineers run tests to ensure the web app meets the performance standard. They check the performance of the web apps under different conditions to analyze their stability and work capacity.

Conclusion

A wide range of testing tools are available for the software testing process. However, Selenium automation testing has gained popularity since it offers many benefits for the testing world. It supports cross-browsers testing tools, multiple operating systems, and programming languages. 

Thus, making it an industry-standard testing tool with strong community support. So, what are you waiting for? Begin your testing journey with Selenium.

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