11 Reasons To Use Selenium For Automation Testing

When we talk about automation testing, Selenium always finds its way to the conversation. Being one of the best tools for automation testing, Selenium is well loved by developers and testers across the globe. But the question that remains is that there are many automation testing tools available in the market that delivers almost the same results. So, why only Selenium?

Well, this is something that we are going to discuss in detail in the article. By the end of the article, you will be able to list out all the benefits of performing automation testing using Selenium and why is it preferred over other automation testing tools.

What is Selenium?

Before we dive somewhere down in the advantages of letting us initially comprehend what Selenium is and why it is utilized.

All things considered, Selenium is an open-source mechanization testing instrument which is utilized for robotizing tests did on various internet browsers.

It has a suite of instruments which takes into account distinctive necessities of associations. It essentially has four unique devices:

·         Selenium RC (which is presently deplored)

·         Selenium IDE (Selenium Integrated Development Environment)

·         Selenium Grid

·         Selenium WebDriver

At present, Selenium WebDriver and Grid are converged into one and this is the thing that we'll be discussing in this article.

For what reason is Selenium Used?

Selenium is fundamentally used to mechanize the testing crosswise over different internet browsers. It underpins different programs like Chrome, Mozilla, Firefox, Safari, and IE, and you can all around effectively mechanize program testing over these programs utilizing Selenium WebDriver.

You can see live robotized tests being performed on your PC screen. In any case, the inquiry that we'll be replying in this article still stands as there are numerous instruments accessible for robotization testing.

How about we see what Selenium brings to the table us to win this amusement.

Focal points of Using Selenium for Automated Testing

1. Language and Framework Support

When somebody picks a device the principal thing that rings a bell is: "Does my device underpins the language that I know?"

All things considered, this isn't the situation with Selenium as it underpins every single significant language like Java, Python, JavaScript, C#, Ruby, and Perl programming dialects for programming test robotization.

You can compose your contents in any of these programming dialects and Selenium changes over it into Selenium perfect codes in a matter of moments. Thus, there is no requirement for knowing Selenium just dialects. Likewise, every Selenium bolstered language has devoted structures which help recorded as a hard copy test content for Selenium test computerization. Along these lines, when you go for Selenium as a device for performing computerization testing, you don't need to stress over language and system support as Selenium does that for you!

2. Open Source Availability

One of the numerous things that add to the benefits of Selenium is its open source accessibility. Thus, being an open source device, Selenium is an openly available mechanization structure and is free, with no forthright expenses. Along these lines, you can spare bucks here and use them for other great purposes.

The Selenium people group is persistently helping designers and programming engineers in robotizing the internet browser highlights and functionalities. Selenium being open source additionally encourages you to modify the code for better code the board and upgrade the usefulness of predefined capacities and classes. Selenium has turned into the most solid web mechanization instrument due to the simplicity of creating test contents to approve usefulness.

3. Multi-Browser Support

"One Selenium content for all programs" is the thing that Selenium people group have been chipping away at and extemporizing each day. According to StatCounter, Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Internet Explorer, Opera, and Edge programs are the most utilized programs worldwide and Selenium content is good with all the referenced programs. You don't have to rework contents for each program, only one content for all programs. You can also find the best selenium testing companies UK via various online resources.

4. Backing Across Various Operating Systems

Diverse individuals utilize distinctive working frameworks and it is important that your robotization apparatus bolsters every one of them. Selenium is yet a profoundly compact a device that bolsters and can work crosswise over various working frameworks like Windows, Linux, Mac OS, UNIX, and so forth.

You can make Selenium test suites over any stage like Windows and can execute a similar test suite on another stage, for instance, Mac or Linux. This empowers designers and programming analyzers to effortlessly compose test robotization contents without laying much accentuation on the stage on which it will run.

5. Simplicity Of Implementation

Selenium robotization system is exceptionally simple to-utilize apparatus. Selenium gives an easy to understand interface that makes and execute test contents effectively and adequately. You can likewise watch while tests are running. You can dissect point by point reports of Selenium tests and take follow-up activities.

Lastly, you will never feel alone. An immense Selenium people group is constantly accessible to help you in the event of need. You can ask your inquiries and perform conceptualizing in the network.

6. Reusability and Integrations

As referenced before, Selenium computerization test suites are reusable and can be tried over various programs and working frameworks. Nonetheless, the contort is if that Selenium isn't a comprehensive web mechanization testing instrument. Henceforth, it needs outsider structures and additional items to expand the extent of testing.

For instance, you have to coordinate Selenium with TestNG and JUnit for overseeing experiments and creating reports. For accomplishing ceaseless testing, you'll have to incorporate it with some CI/CD instruments like Jenkins, Maven, and Docker. 

Additionally, for performing picture based testing, you have to incorporate Selenium with devices like Sikuli, and for performing cross-program testing with cloud-matrix, for example, LambdaTest. You can incorporate Selenium with practically all administration instruments.

7. Adaptability

Test the executives is the thing that which is significant in testing lifecycle. It winds up simpler and increasingly productive with Selenium highlights like regrouping and refactoring of experiments. This helps designers and analyzers in brisk changes to the code, diminishing duplication, limiting inconveniences and improving viability. These highlights make Selenium increasingly adaptable and usable when contrasted with other robotization testing devices and consequently encourages Selenium to keep an edge.

8. Parallel Test Execution and Faster Go-to-Market

The primary point of computerized testing is to spare time and endeavors. With the assistance of Selenium Grid, we can execute various tests in parallel, henceforth diminishing the test execution time. With the assistance of cloud-networks for cross-program testing, you can test crosswise over upwards of several programs in parallel utilizing Selenium henceforth sparing you time in products of hundreds.

9. Less Hardware Usage

In the event that you contrast Selenium and other seller centered robotization apparatuses like QTP, UFT, SilkTest, you will find that Selenium requires less equipment when contrasted with other testing devices.

10. Simple to Learn and Use

Selenium contents are not something like composition hundred-page complex calculation. Composing Selenium contents isn't more than composing a couple of bits of codes to mechanize functionalities of your site. Additionally, documentation on the Selenium site is exceptionally useful for engineer and analyzers to begin with Selenium robotization testing. With the fundamentally developing network, Selenium instructional exercises, testing, and advancement support are only a Google seek away.

Additionally with Selenium IDE expansion on Firefox program, you can utilize record and play usefulness to create Selenium contents for future reference.

11. Steady Updates

As Selenium is bolstered by a network and we as a whole realize that a functioning network doesn't prefer to remain stale, the Selenium people group is likewise always discharging consistent updates and overhauls. The best part about having a network is that these overhauls are promptly accessible and straightforward subsequently you needn't bother with a particular preparing. This makes Selenium clever when contrasted with different apparatuses and financially savvy too.

Consummation Note

We as a whole realize we are specific with regards to choosing anything from plenty of alternatives. With regards to choosing an apparatus, we become even significantly more particular, subsequently, you can take your risk here. When you perform robotization testing, you'll discover an assortment of instruments to support you. In any case, why pick Selenium? All things considered, I should state, choose for yourself?

Selenium + JavaScript Best Practices

We all knows that by including unit tests in your web application projects you may lead to several advantages. Mainly, an impressive and measurable method of proving code quality to developers and other project stakeholders. Browser automation takes these concepts even further, and applies the practice to running integration and regression tests live within the presentation layer user interface (UI). From there on, we can codify integration test scripts that do all the work for us – proving that the web app works as expected in the platform in which it will ultimately run.

Today’s technology world, especially in automation testing sector,one of the most known and implemented tools used for web browser automation is Selenium. It is not only intended to be used in automating web applications for testing intent, but also for automation of web-based administration work. In fact, it is a set of different software tools, each with a different approach to supporting test automation. Learning all of its tools will give you many different options for approaching different test automation problems.

JavaScript frameworks

Many software programs are composed as web-based applications that operate in an Internet browser. This is the most important reason that net frameworks are becoming increasingly more popular among other frameworks. Now, JavaScript is a widely used language for web software development, and even back-end developers favor JS rather than every other language. It's easy and flexible, but in exactly the identical time it also allows building complex web options. The advantages of using JavaScript frameworks are as follows:

Performance -- Projects that used to take weeks and hundreds of lines of code, can currently be achieved much quicker with well-structured pre-built patterns and functions.

Security -- Top JavaScript frameworks have company security agreements and are encouraged by large communities where users and members also act as testers.

Price -- Many frameworks are open source and totally free. Since they assist developers to build custom solutions faster, the ultimate price for internet apps will probably be reduced.

Combining Selenium and JavaScript

One of the most popular JavaScript applications menus for creating dynamic web sites and internet applications is MEAN stack (MEAN stands for Mongo DB, Express, Angular and Node.js). Here, I'll utilize Selenium integration with Node.js, because it's simple, nicely organized and quite suitable for use for test automation functions.

Node.js framework and Selenium installation

The code example below generates a very simple validation test for the google web page. To begin writing Selenium tests with Node.js and coffee script, we all need to get a Node.js frame using a Selenium plugin added to it.

If you installed Node.jsthen start a command line and then type these commands to make a new Node.js Project and init the fundamental job structure:

mkdir google_test

cd google_test

npm init

NOTE: in case you haven't previously installed Node.js, download it from its official site .

Next step will be to set up the node browser automation library called"selenium-webdriver". In the console you started previously, use Node's built-in package supervisor (NPM) and type the following command to get the package:

Npm install --rescue selenium-webdriver

The option"--rescue " creates a new bundle that will be saved into the project's package.json file.

Before we can begin to control the browser we will need Selenium WebDriver to your particular browser that we need to automate (IE/FireFox/Chrome/Edage). Here, I'll show an example with gecko driver for Firefox. You can obtain a driver to get a desired operating system from their github project:

When you get into the driver, then unzip it and put in on your own operating system on the default location. You'll Also have to upgrade the environment PATH variable:

 Writing tests using Selenium

Manual site regression testing can take quite some time, as it needs a tester to run each test one at a time across various browsers. Running tests asynchronously across different browsers will conserve a great deal of time, and Selenium WebDriver provides this functionality. Selenium handles asynchronous analyzing by using JavaScript promises.

Now, let us write the first code and make one simple test that assesses if Selenium functions stand alone, without using Mocha. The test will do the next steps to ensure that we actually reach the google webpage:

Open google web page.

Get its title by using promise.

Output it to the console.

NOTE: You can use any editor of your choice, however I advise using Atom that works well with the Node.js frame. You can also set up the atom-ternjs plugin to it, which may add support for Node.js, Angular along with other languages.

Create a new JavaScript file on your job, multiplying: first_test. js.

Add the following code to it

Here's a Brief code explanation:

From the first 2 lines we place example of selenium-webdriver, also assembled our browser using the webdriver and its Firefox plugin.

Then we browse into the google web page and receive its name by applying JavaScript's guarantee

We direct the title to the console and quit our browser.

Let us do this evaluation by using the following Node.js control:

node first_test. js

We'll get the following output:

This means we are on the ideal track, and also Selenium driver is working.

7 Best Practices of Mobile Application Testing You Wish You Knew Earlier

These days use of smart phones, tablets, and other smart devices have increased. Thus development of mobile applications is also growing at a rapid rate. Mobile applications have now become the primary medium of interaction for all customers and businesses. 

Therefore, it has become a challenging task for the developer to develop mobile apps as per the requirement and choice of the customer. Just like the developer, testers are also facing the same challenges in order to test those applications. Mobile app testing is an essential but time-consuming task as it reveals the flaws and challenges of the application. Mobile app testing poses several challenges due to the huge variations in devices, network, and OS.

Let us discuss some of the best practices in mobile app testing that can be followed to deliver a high-quality app.

1. Test Early and Often:  Testing should be started as soon as development reaches a logical stage. It helps to recognize issues early before they become too expensive to fix. It is important to track results of each test cycle.

2. Testing Approach: The right mobile test automation approach helps in organizing certain strategies which are to be followed by all testers. Such strategies bring consistency in the testing process and provide ample test coverage.

3. Set Device and OS Preferences: It is essential to set up Device and OS preferences. It might be impossible to virtual test on all device, network, and OS combinations. Identifying solutions for which devices and OS your app will precisely complete to and perform QA on them.

4. Know Your Customers: One of the most significant challenges in the mobile industry is to match the expectations of the users. It is important to know your target audience and the expectation they have for the application. 

Sometimes it becomes important to offer a client mobile test automation services for their project. A comprehensive understanding of the client helps in concentrating on testing the important feature and functionality from the user point of view.

5. Testing on Real Devices: Use of simulators and emulators can help in testing the mobile apps at early stages of development. Testing mobile applications on real devices enable companies to create accurate test cases.

6. Adequate Performance Testing: There is nothing worse than an app that loads slowly or crashes frequently. Therefore, it is essential for companies to choose a suitable mobile app testing Services Company who provides a seamless user experience.

7. Testing on Several Data Networks: Use of mobile apps has become a necessity these days. Therefore, it is significant to test apps on all data networks. A mobile app needs an Internet connection to fulfill a specific task, and it may come across different data networks. It is imperative that the app works seamlessly with the same level of performance on all data networks.

These practices will help in increasing app performance in an improved manner at the organization level and will also help in bringing better business outputs making the organization develop effectively.