Selenium is one of the well-known open-source test automation frameworks. It enables automated testing of websites or web apps across various browsers and operating systems. Additionally, it works with a wide range of programming languages, including Python, Java, C#, and JavaScript, among others.
Because of this, testers can automate website testing using the programming language they are most comfortable with.
When testing experts automate routine test cases with the frameworks like Selenium or Appium, test cycles can be delivered more quickly. It can help create a stable release deployment process without problems when coupled with CI/CD workflows.
Why is Selenium Important for Automated Testing?
Product teams are reluctant to hasten the launching of a product. Extensive testing is often a phase of the software development life cycle (SDLC) when the process is manual. Depending on the size of the testing crew, the process can take a few days to several weeks.
No organization can afford the inefficiency that results from spending excessive time on development. Selenium’s automated testing is the way to go if you want to dramatically speed up the process.
Also Read: Five Steps to Set up and Configure Selenium Automation Testing Environment
Selenium Makes Testing in Multiple Browsers Faster and Easier
Your consumers can use any web browser to view the web application you have designed. It is crucial to ensure that a website is compatible with various browsers.
Regardless of the user’s browser, you can ensure that your users always have a faultless user interface. Testing your online application across many web browsers is known as cross-browser testing.
This process can be a nightmare for manual testers because they may need to test their web application on hundreds of different browsers each time a change is made. On the other side, Selenium enables automated browser testing.
You can automate browsers like Internet Explorer, Opera, Safari, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Edge with the help of Selenium WebDriver.
Web testers worldwide are discovering that using Selenium for browser testing greatly simplifies their jobs.
Support for Various Programming Languages in Selenium
Selenium enables any tester to rapidly and easily gain proficiency in the framework for test automation because it is compatible with a wide range of programming languages. The official Selenium project supports Python, PHP, Ruby, Java, JavaScript, C#, and other programming languages.
Selenium supports numerous operating systems too:
Selenium supports various operating systems, including Linux, Windows, macOS, and Solaris. Using this technique, you may rigorously test your web application by running it on various operating systems and browsers.
Selenium Allows Integration With CI/CD Pipelines
The timely and routine delivery of a build’s new releases is necessary for Continuous Delivery and Continuous Integration. For a moment, imagine that you are in charge of manually checking your web application’s compatibility with various browsers following the completion of each build through your continuous Integration and continuous delivery pipelines.
We don’t have to let you know about the potential bandwidth fees. Making a mistake while doing so is always possible owing to human error. Using Selenium is one of the best ways to seek these procedures out.
The team uses the Selenium tool to automate browser testing so they don’t have to wait for iterations to finish. The setup, the infrastructure, any modifications to the code, and any errors made by the CI engines are all maintained up to date for every team member. The team will be able to use this technique to detect deployment failures earlier, if there are any.
Selenium is by far the most popular test framework package for use in automation testing on web browsers.
Access to a sizable library of open-source software that is widely available is made possible by the internet. However, we must consider the framework’s validity before integrating it into any of our open-source projects.
Selenium is one of the most popular open-source test automation frameworks available today. The Selenium Project has been actively run since 2004, and its developers have been enhancing the Selenium application since then.
A sizable user community is accessible to help you if you experience any issues using the Selenium testing tool. You won’t have any trouble resolving the issue with the help of the Selenium community and tutorials, blogs, and discussion forums.
A superb tool for web developers and testers, LambdaTest is a web-based Selenium Grid platform offering customers various functions. With LambdaTest, users can run automated tests on more than 3,000 distinct operating systems, browsers, and resolutions.
Because the platform is scalable and offers good performance (up to 70% quicker than traditional Selenium Grid), users may run tests quickly and effectively.
The user-friendly platform has over 120 distinct integrations with top technology stacks. The users can visit the platform and login into their account to access the tools and tutorials they desire.
7 Common Mistakes to Avoid in Selenium automation testing
If you are looking forward to improving your product quality and delivering a perfect one, then Selenium automation testing is a perfect tool to explore. Testing is vital to ensure that the delivered end product is reliable and performs in compliance with the stated specifications.
The scope of the testing performed greatly impacts the final product’s quality. Effective and proper test coverage considers even the smallest particulars commonly neglected.
Test coverage must include cases that assess latency, security, performance, and usability. Thus, many organizations constantly look for test analysts to interpret testing precisely and effectively.
1. Determining which jobs can be automated and which cannot be:
The first and most crucial step toward achieving successful test automation from a tester’s perspective is understanding what testing process components should be automated and how doing so would benefit the organization.
Paying a tester to automate a process would be a waste of money if the tester didn’t understand the main reason for doing so and the advantages it would have for the organization.
It may not be easy to decide which tasks should be automated and which should be done manually if you have never used automation before. But not having a plan before you start is also a bad idea. You must thoroughly understand Selenium automation and how it will affect daily operations, expenses, and implementation time.
2. Not providing enough training to the team members
Organizations frequently fail to see that while implementing change is straightforward, getting people to accept it and learn to live with it is tremendously difficult. The majority of companies struggle in this area. They don’t involve their team in the automation implementation process and fail to see that their employees determine whether the task is successful.
You must ensure that your team is on board with what you are doing during two key phases:
- Training and implementation
- Testing and execution
The group members who will be using any new tool should first obtain proper training on it before introducing it. It shouldn’t be introduced to the organization and put through a trial-and-error process. The tools should be taught to a set of people first, and once they have mastered them, those people should teach others how to utilize the instruments.
The most efficient way to achieve this is via providing training. You should create a training manual and organize several meetings and workshops before implementing your automation plan. Additionally, it is vital to conduct a testing session to ensure all your staff members fully comprehend the automated processes.
3. No supervision
The extent of supervision extends beyond simply managing your employees’ roles and responsibilities inside a project. Additionally, managing the entire project and automating jobs are both parts of supervision.
Sales will suffer if you cannot adequately manage your automated processes since you will lose control of the project.
Supervisors should constantly be keeping an eye on automated processes to make sure that all steps are done effectively. When something goes wrong, they ought to be the first to know about it and be in charge of fixing it.
4. Automating extensive work
The idea that harder tasks should be automated first is a common misunderstanding. However, automating less important tasks first and turning your attention to more important ones later is usually always preferable.
If the biggest tasks are automated initially, completing the automation process will be difficult and time-consuming. You run the risk of making mistakes that could seriously jeopardize the operation. It can consequently result in a loss of cash resources.
What happens if you end up being overburdened with important projects? You should restructure and prioritize these tasks into smaller pieces since automation is your last alternative if there is no other way to do them. While automating some areas that you feel are repetitious, try to work alone on some of the activity’s components.
5. Using the Playback and Record to script
Tools for recording and replaying create complex and challenging scripts that are difficult to understand. A program’s record and playback features should only be viewed as a way to create skeletal scripts. Using it as the last step in creating automated scripts is not advised.
When automation is first adopted in an organization, many testers are constrained to utilize record and playback to create test scripts because they are inexperienced with the automation process and methodology.
A thorough grasp of the system is necessary for effective and efficient automation testing, in addition to the creation of simple scripts. When testing scripts are kept simple and easy to understand, everyone on the team can understand them. Such scripts are easy to create and keep up to date for testers who thoroughly understand the module.
6. Choosing a tool just because it is open-source:
Open-source applications are currently enjoying a lot of market support. Although it will save money, choosing an open-source tool shouldn’t be the only factor considered when choosing a tool.
It’s necessary to have a solid technological foundation to use open-source software and tools. If you run into any issues when using the tool, you won’t be able to contact the seller by phone or mail for assistance.
Because there are no license fees involved in utilizing open-source tools, users are lured to them, yet, these tools have some limitations. You need to be very clear about what you need and how the tool will help you automate fulfilling the requirement.
Many organizations use open-source and commercial solutions together because they can frequently provide value on top of open-source tools and fill any functional gaps. This is because commercial solutions can fill in whatever capability that open-source tools lack.
7. Other typical Selenium automated testing automation mistakes
Some of the most typical test automation mistakes that organizations make when they first start automating their tests include the following:
- No knowledge of Selenium automation
- Not setting automation-related goals
- The automation of more important occupations as opposed to less important, quicker jobs
After implementing your strategy, learn from these test automation errors so you won’t repeat them.
Conclusion:
Selenium automation testing helps if implemented wisely, in a market where customers demand high-quality goods with quick delivery. Before automating any process, thoroughly understand the demand, learn the constraints and make a list of all requirements that can be automated.
The crucial step of selecting the right instrument follows once the needs have been correctly defined. Always consider the return on investment, time savings during the process, cost savings, and overall advantages it offers businesses when choosing the appropriate test automation technology.
Automation should not be blindly followed in the hope that it will work its magic and speed up product delivery. Determine the areas that can be automated carefully, and have a defined test strategy and plan. To avoid the typical test automation mistakes we will likely make, start automating smaller modules and daily repetitive tasks and concentrate on larger modules later.
