Through this section of the Selenium tutorial, you will learn about the key Selenium features, such as how it combines various tools, uses a robust language for tests, shortens test execution time, and requires fewer resources. You will also learn about its drawbacks, such as the incompleteness of its solutions and the demand for highly qualified personnel.
What is Selenium?
To assess web applications across various browsers and platforms, Selenium is a free (open-source) automated testing framework. You may write Selenium Test Scripts in a variety of programming languages, including Java, C#, and Python. Selenium testing is the name given to testing carried out with the Selenium testing tool.
In addition to being a single tool, Selenium Software is a group of related programs, each of which serves a distinct purpose in an organization’s Selenium QA testing needs.
Selenium Features
Let’s go over each of Selenium’s attributes individually.
1. Multi-Browser Support
Selenium can interact with web apps and web elements in a browser in the same way that a real user would. Selenium accomplishes this by employing a native support built into the browser that performs direct calls without the use of any intermediary hardware or software. Chrome, Safari, IE, Opera, Edge, and Firefox are just a few of the browsers that Selenium supports.
2. Performance and Speed
For the automation of web app testing, Selenium includes a specific component known as WebDriver. This tool can run test cases more quickly than other tools. There is no need for intermediaries like the server as it is capable of talking directly with the browser.
3. Multi-Language Compatibility
PHP, Java, Python, JavaScript, Perl, Ruby, and many other programming languages are supported by Selenium. You can create automation test scripts in any programming language that you are familiar with. In addition, you can improve your automation test script by using switch statements, conditional statements, or decision-making statements. Your test script will be able to manage any condition after completing this stage.
4. Easy Identification and Use of Web Elements
With the aid of its many locators, Selenium makes it simple to recognize web components on web apps. As a result, the test automation suite’s implementation of the elements is much facilitated. There are numerous Selenium IDE extensions that you can add to your website.
5. Reusability and Extras
In order to allow browser compatibility testing, Selenium was used to create all of the scripts. Due to their customizability, the additional plugins aid in extending the scope of application testing.
6. Selenium WebDrivers – Classes and Methods
One crucial tool provided by Selenium is the WebDriver. Several potential issues with automation testing are addressed in great detail. By employing dynamic locators, it also aids testers in navigating through complicated web components like radio buttons, dropdowns, alarms, etc.
7. Dynamic Web Elements
Dynamic web elements can be easily handled by Selenium. To do that, it makes use of some of the techniques listed below:
- With the Contains() method, you can locate an element in a partial string.
- Absolute XPath(): This XPath can handle dynamic web components without difficulty. It includes a full set of pathways for web UI automation starting from the root node.
- By matching or locating the starting text, the function StartsWith() aids in locating a connected attribute to a dynamic web element.
8. Combination of Tool and DSL
When it comes to doing various types of tests, Selenium is an unbeatable mix of tools and DSL (Domain Specific Language). You are able to record the tests you run through the browser. Internet Explorer, Safari, Firefox, Chrome, and other popular web browsers are supported.
9. Portability (Ability to work with different Operating Systems)
Portable software is Selenium. Various operating systems, including Linux, Mac, UNIX, and Windows, are compatible with it.
10. Uses a rich language for tests
For web application testing, Selenium employs DSL. 200 commands are available in this language, which is simple to learn.
11. Open Source
The software Selenium is open-source. The official Selenium website makes it simple to download.
12. Take less time to execute a test
The test execution time is shortened with Selenium. This facilitates a quicker and more reliable execution.
Conclusion
You discovered that Selenium is brimming with features that support testers in executing more effective and trustworthy tests in this blog post on Selenium Features. It can accommodate various systems and browsers. Selenium doesn’t even need a server to be supported for installation. It can communicate directly with the browser.
