Modern web apps have an intelligent infrastructure that helps users quickly navigate through the basic structure, interact with the elements, and complete their basic goals. In this process, all the web elements present in the application have a critical role. This is because these elements should not only be functional independently but also should maintain their stability when combined. Using advanced testing processes like Selenium automation testing, the application developers can properly verify the functioning of all these elements. With this process, it is also possible to perform the development and testing processes at the same time. This will help to abolish any bug as soon as it appears in the app infrastructure.
Every element is unique and needs to be handled properly. So, with this article, we are going to explore how app developers can handle different types of web elements while working with Selenium Testing. We will also discuss some of the best practices and tips that can improve the efficiency of these test cases.
Exploring Selenium Automation Testing
Automation testing is the process of conducting all the important test cases automatically using a series of statistical inputs and predetermined test parameters. This data is present in text files that are popularly known as automation test scripts. The system can analyze these parameters and emulate human interactions while communicating with the app undergoing the development process. The testers can adjust the test parameters and add new data to customize the test requirements according to the project’s needs.
With the proper implementation of automation testing, the developers can boost the testing efficiency and productivity in the following ways:
- Automation testing conducts all the repetitive test cases that include both regression testing and unit testing. So, the app developers can transfer their focus towards the creative areas of the project like developing new features for a future update.
- Since automation testing does not require the involvement of human developers, it generates highly accurate test results. Moreover, the system can continuously run the test cases automatically which is well above the capabilities of a human tester.
- While using automation testing, the developers can integrate automated testing tools, plugins, and libraries to boost the test quality and efficiency.
- This process also has a role in improving the company resources and saving a lot of time. For instance, in the long run, automation testing will eliminate the requirements of having a manual testing team consisting of human testers.
Selenium is an open-source umbrella project for executing automation testing on web apps. The code infrastructure of Selenium works on the JavaScript programming language. So, all the developers and testers can easily migrate to Selenium without any extensive learning curves. This test should consist of different tools that assist the developers at different stages of the app testing cycle. Moreover, using the open source infrastructure, the developers can access all of its features without any additional charges.
Based on the requirements of the app testing cycle, the testers can utilize the Selenium tools in the following ways:
- While developing the test cases, the automation testers can implement a codeless testing approach using the Selenium integrated development environment. This tool can analyze user interactions and automatically generate test cases in real time. These test cases are highly accurate as they are based on real-world user statistics.
- In case the developers prefer to create their automation test cases, they can use the Selenium client API to manually create the test scripts using any of their preferred programming languages which include JavaScript, Python, Ruby, and many others. This tool also simplifies the process of importing the test cases in the native environment of Selenium.
- After creating the automation test cases, the app developers can initiate the test case execution process using the Selenium WebDriver. This tool analyzes the test parameters and relocates the test cases according to the target elements. It also does not require any dedicated test engine for running the test cases in the native environment of a web browser.
- Finally, Selenium also helps to improve the efficiency of the test cases which consist of thousands of different testing instances. Using the Selenium Grid, the app developers can execute multiple testing configurations on different machines at the same time.
However, we would like to caution the developers that Selenium is only useful for executing automation testing on web apps. For other apps like native apps, cross-platform apps, or hybrid apps, the testers will be forced to find an alternative testing tool or framework.
Handling Different Web Elements in Selenium
By integrating LambdaTest with Selenium Testing, app developers can access various native features for handling multiple web elements. To further simplify the understanding process, we have created a list of some of the most common elements present in modern web apps:
- Prerequisites for the Testing Process:
- Firstly, the developers must ensure that they have access to Selenium WebDriver and their desired programming language. It is also important to ensure that this programming language is supported by both Selenium and LambdaTest. Some of the most popular options include Java, Python, and C#.
- Now, the application developers have to create a new account in LambdaTest in case they are first-time users. It is a very simple process as it only involves navigating to the official websites and following a few simple steps. After purchasing the enterprise license, the developers will receive their username and access key for running the test cases on the LambdaTest real device testing cloud.
- Setting Up the Selenium Project:
- Now, the developers have to initialize the Selenium WebDriver using their target browser and LambdaTest’s Selenium Grid. The following code will help the developers in the initialization process:
import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;
import org.openqa.selenium.remote.DesiredCapabilities;
import org.openqa.selenium.remote.RemoteWebDriver;
import java.net.URL;
public class LambdaTestExample {
public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
String username = “YOUR_LAMBDATEST_USERNAME”;
String accessKey = “YOUR_LAMBDATEST_ACCESS_KEY”;
String gridURL = “https://” + username + “:” + accessKey + “@hub.lambdatest.com/wd/hub”;
DesiredCapabilities caps = new DesiredCapabilities();
caps.setCapability(“browserName”, “Chrome”);
caps.setCapability(“version”, “latest”);
caps.setCapability(“platform”, “Windows 10”);
WebDriver driver = new RemoteWebDriver(new URL(gridURL), caps);
// Your test code goes here
driver.quit();
}
}
- Interacting with Different Web Elements:
Based on the type of the web element, we have mentioned the steps for interacting with them on Selenium using LambdaTest:
- Text Input Field:
LambdaTest has a dedicated method to interact with the text field on modern web apps. The following code snippet will allow the terminal window to set up this process:
import org.openqa.selenium.By;
import org.openqa.selenium.WebElement;
// Locate the text field by its name attribute
WebElement textField = driver.findElement(By.name(“username”));
// Enter text into the text field
textField.sendKeys(“YourUsername”);
- Selecting Elements from Dropdowns:
Modern applications have drop-downs in the user interface to allow the end users to access various elements. A great example would be the menu on restaurants or online ordering apps. The ‘select’ class in Selenium will allow the developers to interact with all the elements present in this menu. The following code snippet will allow the setup process:
import org.openqa.selenium.By;
import org.openqa.selenium.WebElement;
import org.openqa.selenium.support.ui.Select;
// Locate the dropdown by its id attribute
WebElement dropdown = driver.findElement(By.id(“select-element”));
// Create a Select object
Select select = new Select(dropdown);
// Select an option by visible text
select.selectByVisibleText(“Option 1”);
- Interacting with Checkboxes and Radio Buttons:
The ‘click’ method will allow the application developers to interact with checkboxes and radio buttons while using Selenium. To simplify this process, we have mentioned the code snippet for configuring and executing the test cases for all the checkboxes and radio buttons:
import org.openqa.selenium.By;
import org.openqa.selenium.WebElement;
// Locate the checkbox by its id attribute
WebElement checkbox = driver.findElement(By.id(“checkbox-element”));
// Check the checkbox (if it’s not already checked)
if (!checkbox.isSelected()) {
checkbox.click();
}
// Locate the radio button by its name attribute
WebElement radioButton = driver.findElement(By.name(“radio-button”));
// Select the radio button
radioButton.click();
Additionally, we would advise the application developers to go through the official documentation of LambdaTest and Selenium. This is because it will provide information about many more methods and functions to interact with diverse elements that might be useful according to the requirements of the app development project. The official website also has information regarding the most common errors in this step and the troubleshooting steps.
LambdaTest and its Influence Over Selenium Testing
Using LambdaTest, the developers can massively boost the efficiency and quality of Selenium test cases. This is because using this cloud platform, the developers can execute the Selenium test cases on more than 3000 browser instances at the same time. Using LambdaTest the app testers can also perform Selenium Testing on more than 1000 different real devices. These devices are present on the LambdaTest real device testing cloud that can be accessed through different remote servers. LambdaTest also provides an artificial intelligence-integrated platform for configuring and executing the automation test cases.
Let us now understand how LambdaTest real device testing cloud and LambdaTest API boost Selenium Testing:
- The LambdaTest real device cloud has thousands of devices, browsers, and operating systems to execute the test cases. Moreover, it provides access to legacy devices and older browser versions to boost app compatibility. This platform also provides access to parallel test execution which improves the efficiency of the test cases by several times.
- While executing the Selenium test cases using LambdaTest, the app Testers can maintain a real-time activity log to keep track of all the currently running, successful, and even failed test cases. The developers can use this data as a reference to avoid previously known errors in the app infrastructure.
- After executing the Selenium test cases, LambdaTest generates an extensive test report consisting of videos, screenshots, and test logs. This data will help the developers to perform the debugging and troubleshooting process.
- LambdaTest has an extensive support system consisting of over-the-call support, live chat, and even a male feature. Using these features, the app testers can gain adequate information about all the tools and features available with this platform. It also has a community for the developers and testers to discuss among themselves.
The Conclusive Views
We discussed some of the most important elements present in modern web apps and how the developers can handle them while implementing Selenium automation testing. We also took a general look at the importance of test automation in a modern app development cycle. To further boost the efficiency of the automation testing process, the developers can improve their information about all the recent trends and innovations in this segment. It is also important to constantly gain adequate information about the changing requirements of the target audience. Using these factors, the developers can boost their target audience, create a positive brand image, and improve the overall test environment productivity.
