Testing is a critical part of software development because it yields a detailed report of the efficacy and quality of the software rendered. This gives time and opportunity for the development team to detect, identify and fix the bugs in the code before the software application is out in the world for people to use. Fixing the bugs after testing ensures releasing software that has security features at par and uncompromised UI and UX. 

Lately, Selenium software has emerged popular as a testing tool in the software development circuit for being an easy and efficient Quality Assurance or QA tool. So if you are a software developer or QA tester, in this blog we shall explain everything that you need to know about the Selenium testing tool.

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What is Selenium Testing?

Selenium is one of the most popular open-source, portable software testing frameworks for automating web browsers today as it allows testers and developers to write and execute automated tests for web applications across different browsers and operating systems.

Selenium in software testing provides a suite of tools to web browsers, including a browser automation framework, a programming interface, and a domain-specific language for writing tests in various mainstream programming languages like Python,Ruby, C#, Java, and JavaScript. In addition to that it supports various web browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Internet Explorer.

Selenium QA tool can be used for functional, regression, and load testing of web applications. It allows testers to simulate user interactions with a web application and perform various actions such as clicking links, filling out forms, and verifying page content. Furthermore, selenium can also be integrated with testing frameworks and tools such as TestNG, JUnit, and Jenkins for continuous integration and testing. Thus it enhances the ongoing testing and development practises, rendering seamless transition.

How does Selenium Work?

Selenium interacts with web browsers using the browser’s native support for automation and providing a set of tools and libraries that allow testers and developers to automate web browsers and simulate user interactions with web applications. Here’s how Selenium works:

• The tester or developer creates a test script using Selenium WebDriver API or any other programming language.
• The Selenium WebDriver API sends commands to the web browser using the browser’s native support for automation, such as ChromeDriver or GeckoDriver.
• The browser receives the commands and performs the corresponding actions, such as clicking on a link, filling out a form, or navigating to a new page.
• The browser sends back the result of the action to Selenium WebDriver.
• Selenium WebDriver stores the results and continues executing the next command in the test script.
• Once the test script is completed, Selenium generates a report with the test results, including any errors or failures.

Selenium can automate web browsers running on different operating systems such as Windows, macOS, and Linux and support varied browsers such as Chrome, Internet Explorer, Safari, and Firefox and can execute tests on multiple browsers in parallel using Selenium Grid. By automating web browsers, Selenium enables testers and developers to run automated tests quickly and efficiently, ensuring the quality and reliability of web applications.

How to get started with Selenium Testing?

To get started with software testing with Selenium, follow these steps:

• Choose a programming language: Selenium supports several programming languages such as Java, Python, C#, Ruby, and JavaScript. Choose a language you are comfortable with and have experience in.
• Install an Integrated Development Environment (IDE): An IDE provides a platform to write, debug, and execute your Selenium test scripts. Some popular IDEs for Selenium include Eclipse, IntelliJ IDEA, and Visual Studio.
• Download Selenium WebDriver: Download the Selenium WebDriver for the browser you want to test. WebDriver is available for Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Internet Explorer.
• Set up the environment: Set up the environment by configuring the Selenium WebDriver with the browser driver executable. The driver executable is specific to the browser and needs to be downloaded and configured with Selenium WebDriver.
• Write a simple test script: Write a simple test script to test a web application. Start with a basic test scenario such as opening a web page and verifying the page title.
• Run the test script: Run the test script and observe the results. If the test script runs successfully, you are ready to start writing more complex test scenarios.
• Use Selenium Grid: If you want to run tests on multiple browsers and operating systems, use Selenium Grid. It allows you to distribute the tests across different machines and run them simultaneously, reducing the overall test execution time.

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In addition to being straightforward and seamlessly integral with the existing tools on varied browsers and operating devices, selenium also provides excellent documentation and tutorials on its official website to help beginners or amateurs get started, thus making it an excellent choice for testers and developers around the world. 

 

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