In the application development process automation testing is an essential part of the application’s success. It ensures that the application is of high quality and up to mark as per the testing requirement. Automation testing comes in to increase efficiency, reduce manual errors, and deliver high-quality products.
Selenium is a popular open-source tool for automating testing and is innovative for web-based test automation. It supports various scripting languages including Java, a programming language that is widely used to deliver robust framework support for creating reliable and scalable automated test suites. Selenium Java for web automation testing leverages the robustness of both the tool and the programming language to build effective test scenarios.
Selenium Java makes a powerful combination that is widely used among testers globally for web automation testing. Because of its flexibility and reliability, Selenium Java enables testers to create test scripts in several programming languages and frameworks. As an open-source framework, it provides lots of benefits from the efforts of a large group of programmers who work to refine and enhance it over time.
Although using Selenium Java might be difficult for beginners, Testers with the required knowledge and experience can utilize Selenium, and Java together to build robust and reliable test suites.
This article will give a brief description of leveraging Selenium with Java for web automation testing that delivers excellent applications to the end users. While discussing that we will see what Selenium and Java are, and what are its benefits and why developers prefer using Selenium Java. Lastly, we will explore some best practices for using Selenium Java to create a high-quality application that meets the user’s needs.
What is Selenium
Selenium is one of the most powerful open-source frameworks widely used to test web applications across multiple browsers. It lets developers and testers create and run test cases against web applications in almost all programming languages, like Java, JavaScript, Python, Ruby, and C#. Additionally, Selenium can be integrated with many tools and frameworks like TestNG, JUnit, Cucumber, etc
It enables testers to test their websites working on different browsers and to execute Cross-browsing testing to verify that the website works continuously on various web browsers. Selenium also provides an integrated development environment (IDE) that helps its testers record and playback their test scripts. It also supports several reporting tools that enable testers to analyze test results and identify issues.
What is Java
Java is a class and object-oriented programming language used in distributed environments on the internet. It is created to let the developers write reusable scripts that are created once and run anywhere. In short, the compiled Java code can be executed on multiple platforms that support Java without needing recompilation.
Java is used for developing applications for desktop, website, and mobile devices. It is a popular choice for high-level applications because of its simplicity, robustness, and security features. Java is a high-level language that can be understood and read easily.
Benefits of using Selenium with Java
In the world of technical advancement, there are many instances in which additional benefit comes out of it. Implementing multiple technologies together results in a new set of outstanding benefits. Combining technologies is the best way to increase productivity and efficiency and come up with new concepts. When Selenium is used with Java, the same thing happens.
The combination of Selenium with Java for web automation testing enables the creation of well-organized and reliable test scripts for web-based applications. Below we have discussed the benefits of choosing Selenium with Java for testing the application.
Creativity: Java is one of the most commonly used languages for web automation testing. It also holds a huge importance for libraries and programs under Selenium.
Compatibility and Stability: Selenium has excellent service Java making it a significantly compatible and robust integration.
No difficulty in learning and use: Java is famous for its ease of learning, and readability making it convenient for trainees and developed testers.
Huge community: Java holds a large group of testers and supervisors using Selenium and Java which provide valuable data, maintenance, CE, and resolutions to almost all issues and struggles encountered by Selenium testers.
Due to its popularity, Java offers huge benefits for developers and testers to write Selenium test scripts. Java has been there for a long time and is used by many developers who may find it easier to start writing automated UI test scripts with Selenium and Java than they thought.
Despite the above benefits, Selenium has some limitations as well, which include setup complexity, limited non-web technology support, test flakiness, and maintenance requirements. By understanding its strengths and shortcomings, using best practices testers can leverage Selenium with Java productively to reach their testing goals and provide outstanding user experiences.
Why do developers use Selenium with Java?
When it comes to web automation testing, tools are abundant, and the combination of Selenium and Java is a popular choice which is used for various reasons including web development, machine learning, data processing, and much more. Leveraging Selenium and Java provides various benefits that set them apart from other combinations.
Java is a computer language used to write multiple server applications and conduct millions of requests. It allows programmers to write code much faster, which leads to faster processing and provides better results in Selenium automation testing. Since Java IDEs are statically typed, they can easily detect a mistake in the code, which is very helpful. resulting in Testers and QA mostly using Selenium with Java as their preferred language.
Here’s why Java is a perfect choice for Selenium automation.
Powerful object-oriented model: Java’s object-oriented nature promotes the creation of modular, test scripts that are easily maintainable, its object-oriented programming qualities align seamlessly with web elements. Web pages are composed of various components like buttons, text fields, and images. Using Java, testers can represent these components as objects, which makes it intuitive to associate with and control them during tests, and easier to manage complex test suites.
Plenty of libraries and frameworks: Java possesses a rich ecosystem of libraries and frameworks that accompany Selenium, such as JUnit, and TestNG that promote seamless integration and advanced test management with Selenium and strengthen its testing process.
Platform freedom: Java’s “write once, run anywhere” technique ensures that test Java applications (including test scripts) are platform-agnostic which means that the scripts created for one platform can be run on various platforms and browsers with a Java Virtual Machine (JVM) without significant modifications, which enhances portability and scalability.
Selenium Java makes an amazing combination as it comes with many libraries and frameworks, like Hybrid, and data that are very parallel to templates. They help testers make changes to meet their requirements without changing the whole code.
Steps to use Selenium with Java?
These steps need to be followed to use Selenium with Java.
- Download and install Java Development Kit (JDK) on the device.
- The Selenium Java Client Driver needs to be Downloaded from the official Selenium website.
- Construct an Integrated Development Environment (IDE)
- Create a Java project in IDE.
- The Selenium Java Client Driver needs to be added to the task classpath.
- Write the Selenium test code using Java.
- Run the test code.
Best practices for using Selenium with Java
Below are some of the best practices that help developers fully utilize the power of Selenium and Java for web automation testing.
Use Page Object Model (POM)
The Page Object Model (POM) technique aids in creating lots of maintainable and reusable code. This process isolates the test logic from the page object, which makes the code well-organized and easier to understand.
Employ data contributor
Data Providers help in handling test data to test methods. This testing process is more efficient and effective as testers can run several data combinations in a single test.
Avoid using Thread sleep
Avoid using Thread.sleep() as much as possible as it can lead to flaky tests. Instead of Thread.sleep() explicit waits can be used.
Apply the suited locator
In the Selenium script locator is a critical part, and choosing a proper locator is one of the essential things for the test’s reliability. It can make the script more efficient. The most reliable locators are ID and name which deliver quicker execution than CSS and XPath locators.
Use the correct wait time
It is important to give a distinctive wait time to the script to avoid failure as Web elements or pages may take some time to load. Generally, Selenium provides two types of waits which are Implicit and Explicit waits. The implicit wait is used for the whole script and sometimes causes unnecessary delays, which can perform tests slowly. At the same time, the explicit wait can only be applied to specific web elements. It helps avoid unnecessary delays.
Integrate the test-driven script
Selenium tests need to be data-driven, and various data points should drive all tests. Writing Selenium tests is about testing the application on various data permutations and combinations. Therefore, A data-driven framework allows for achieving this and helps tests to be easily maintained.
Avoid creating scripts specific to a browser
Cross-browser testing is a critical factor of automation testing. Depending upon the requirement, tests can be executed on various browsers. Selenium frameworks provide annotations like @Parameters, and JUnit provides annotations like @RunWith, which allows running tests on multiple browsers and corresponding drivers.
Take screenshots for reporting
For a tester, it is crucial to provide proof of testing for failures with supportive screenshots. The same stands for Selenium testing. In case of a testing failure, it is important to have corresponding screenshots. This helps to clarify the bug to the developer, who can debug it instantly. Similarly, from a reporting perspective, it is useful to share reports with the stakeholders to establish the stability of the product.
Authenticate tests using assertions
It is important to validate the test while writing a test. Selenium tests should be authenticated using assertions provided in frameworks. The testing process is incomplete and does not validate the test build’s correctness without assertions.
Utilize cloud platform to run Selenium Java tests
One of the biggest advantages a tester can get by using a cloud-based platform is access to real devices for automating Selenium Java tests across various platforms.
LambdaTest is a scalable cloud-based AI-powered test orchestration and execution platform to run manual and automated tests at scale and it is designed to offer all website or web application testing needs to cloud infrastructure.
The platform allows testers to perform both real-time and automation testing by providing access to a cloud of more than 3000 environments, different browsers, and real mobile device combinations. It is a leading test execution and orchestration platform that provides faster, reliable, scalable, and secure resolutions. Using LambdaTest, developers can ensure quicker feedback and achieve faster go-to-market
QAs and testers should adhere to the above-discussed best practices for Selenium with Java to avoid failure and make automation testing reliable, efficient, and easily maintainable and avoid failure.
Conclusion
Leveraging Selenium with Java for automation testing has made testing easier and faster for developers and testers to enhance its productivity. Selenium provides features like multi-language support, cross-browser testing, extensibility, parallel test execution, and strong community backing. It is an open-source tool that permits execution more rapidly and eliminates manual repetition and errors.
Moreover, Leveraging Selenium with Java enhances the testing process, significantly in regression and cross-browser testing. With additional Selenium plugins testing becomes more accessible, and time-saving emerges as the preferred option for web automation testing due to its robust abilities and versatility.
