Selenium With Java To Run Automated Tests

Introduction

Selenium is a technology that stands out when it comes to testing web programs. Because of its incredible characteristics, it is well-known and widely utilised in the DevOps community. But it’s important to employ the correct programming language with it, and Java fits the bill for that. Everything you need to know about utilising Selenium Automation Testing with Java will be covered in this post. Whether or not you’ve never used automation testing before or are used to doing it manually, Selenium WebDriver is a great tool to start because it comes with all the necessary tools that are needed alongside. Selenium has gained a lot of popularity in past few years, thanks to its open-source nature and strong community support. In addition to being free, it supports a variety of programming languages, such as Java, C#, Ruby, and Python. According to a poll, Java is particularly favoured and ranked as the sixth most popular backend technology. Your testing procedure can be sped up, made more effective, and less expensive by utilising Selenium with Java. So let’s get started and discover how to use Java and Selenium to create top-notch web application testing.

What is Selenium Automation Testing?

Developers and testers can automate web browser actions using Selenium, an open-source, cross-platform automation testing tool. It was first created by Jason Huggins in 2004 and has since become one of the most popular test automation solutions in the market. Java, Python, C#, Ruby, and other programming languages are among those supported by Selenium. Because of its ease of use, adaptability, and community support, Selenium with Java is a popular choice among automation engineers, and that is what this essay will concentrate on.

Compared to performing tests manually, automated testing has a tonne of great advantages. In addition to increasing test execution speed and accuracy, it also makes it exceedingly simple to run tests on multiple setups. Testers may build reliable, manageable, and scalable test suites that guarantee the operation of the application is completely validated across various browsers and operating systems by combining Selenium with Java.

Why is Java Preferred with Selenium?

Running automated testing on different web browsers is made possible by the combination of Selenium and Java. Professionals who frequently use Selenium tend to favour Java as their primary programming language. Java is preferred for Selenium for a variety of reasons, including:

• A substantial and lively community of Java programmers contributes to the creation of test cases. This aids Selenium testers as well as the Java community.
• Java is renowned for being quicker than many other programming languages when it comes to running program.
• Because Java is a widely used language across many industries, integrating Selenium testing with Java is a breeze.

Setting Up the Selenium Environment with Java

Let’s build up the Selenium environment with Java before we start developing automated tests. To get started, take these actions:

1. Install Java Development Kit (JDK): Ensure you have the latest version of the Java Development Kit (JDK) installed on your system. You can download it from the official Oracle website or adopt openJDK, a free and open-source alternative. Once installed, set up the environment variables to point to the JDK installation directory.
2. Set Up Integrated Development Environment (IDE): An Integrated Development Environment (IDE) is required for authoring and maintaining Java code. Popular options that offer top-notch assistance for Java development include Eclipse and IntelliJ IDEA. Select the one that best meets your needs, then install it on your machine accordingly.
3. Download Selenium WebDriver: Download the Selenium WebDriver Java bindings from the official Selenium website. Extract the downloaded archive, then add the Selenium JAR files to the build path of your project.
4. Download Browser Drivers: Web browser-specific drivers are used by Selenium WebDriver to communicate with web browsers. To execute tests, various browsers need their specific drivers. For instance, Chrome and Firefox both require the GeckoDriver plug-in. Make sure the browser drivers are downloaded and located in your system’s PATH.
5. Create a New Java Project: Launch your IDE and create a new Java project for your test automation efforts. Configure the project to use the JDK and include the Selenium WebDriver JAR files.

Your Selenium with Java setup will be prepared for test automation once you have finished these procedures.

Writing your First Selenium Test with Java

Now that the Selenium environment is configured, let’s create a straightforward test using Selenium and Java. We’ll utilise the Google search page in this illustration to demonstrate how to use the search feature.
The essential Selenium classes are first imported. The executable path for Chrome Driver is then set as the system property, indicating the browser we wish to automate. The Chrome browser is then launched once we create an instance of Chrome Driver. We access the Google search page and use its “name” attribute to locate the search bar element. We enter our search term, hit “submit,” and then check to see if it appears in the title of the search results page.

Locating Web Elements

To interact with web elements in Selenium with Java, you need to locate them first. Selenium offers several ways to locate components on a web page. The locators that are most often utilised are:

1. ID: The HTML “id” attribute uniquely identifies an element on the page.
2. Name: Elements can also have a “name” attribute.
3. XPath: XPath is a powerful way to locate elements based on their positions in the HTML structure.
4. CSS Selector: CSS selectors are another efficient way to locate elements based on CSS properties.
5. Class Name: If elements share the same class attribute.
6. Tag Name: To find elements by their HTML tag name.

The uniqueness and stability of the element’s properties influence the selection of the best locator approach. In order to prevent test failures brought on by changes in the structure of the web page, it is advised to utilise IDs or unique characteristics whenever possible.

Using Web Elements to Interact

Once you’ve located a web element, you may interact with it by using a number of methods that the WebDriver interface offers. These methods can be used to perform tasks including sending keys (entering text), clicking on elements, getting text content, retrieving attribute values, determining whether a selection is active, and determining whether a feature is enabled.

Handling Web Page Alerts and Pop-ups

Web applications frequently engage with users or display crucial notifications via alerts and pop-up windows. You can manage these alerts and pop-ups in your automated tests using Selenium’s methods.
To handle alerts, use the following methods:

1. accept: To accept the alert.
2. dismiss: To dismiss the alert.
3. getText: To retrieve the text of the alert.
4. sendKeys: To enter text into the alert.

Best Practices for Selenium Test Automation with Java

To ensure successful and maintainable test automation with Selenium and Java, consider the following best practices:

1. Modular Test Design: Divide your test cases into smaller, modular functions that can be reused and combined to form larger test scenarios.
2. Explicit Waits: Use explicit waits to ensure that the test waits for the expected conditions to be met before proceeding with the next step.
3. Data-Driven Testing: Implement data-driven testing by separating test data from test scripts to facilitate easier test maintenance.
4. Page Object Model (POM): Embrace the Page Object Model design pattern to create a clear separation between test code and web elements’ locators.
5. Version Control: Utilize version control systems (e.g., Git) to manage your test code, making it easier to collaborate and track changes.
6. Parallel Test Execution: Implement parallel test execution to save time and improve overall test suite efficiency.
7. Continuous Integration: Integrate your automated tests with a Continuous Integration (CI) system, such as Jenkins, for automated test execution on code changes.
8. Error Handling: Implement robust error handling and logging mechanisms to capture and report failures effectively.
9. Test Data Management: Manage test data effectively to ensure consistency and repeatability of test runs.
10. Regular Maintenance: Regularly review and update test scripts and locators to adapt to changes in the application’s UI.

Conclusion

In basic terms, whatever we discussed shows how straightforward it is to automate web application testing using Selenium with Java. You may easily interact with web elements and get exact results with just a few lines of code, saving a lot of time in the process. The building of reliable and scalable test suites is made possible by the potent union of Selenium’s adaptability and Java’s dependability. This guarantees that your online applications work smoothly across all the platforms and browsers provided, thereby delivering a wonderful user experience. Selenium’s excellent integration with Java opens up a world of possibilities for effective and efficient online testing, making it a must-have tool for any modern testing organisation. Java and Selenium work well together to automate web application testing. You can build trustworthy, scalable, and effective automated test suites by configuring the Selenium environment with Java and according to recommended practises. By combining Selenium’s extensive feature set and Java’s robustness, you can streamline your testing efforts and ensure the calibre of your web apps throughout the development process. As you delve deeper into the Selenium with Java cosmos, you’ll discover how Selenium has the endless ability to optimise testing procedures and provide high-quality software to end users.

LambdaTest, an AI-powered test orchestration and test execution platform, complements Selenium with Java automation testing approach seamlessly. Testers may do real-time and automation testing across a variety of browsers and operating systems with LambdaTest, doing away with the need to maintain a sizable device lab. The platform provides services on a wide variety of browsers, including beta releases and out-of-date versions, enabling thorough test coverage overall. Faster feedback on test results is made possible by LambdaTest’s interaction with Selenium Grid, which guarantees simple scaling and concurrent test execution. Organisations can create a strong testing ecosystem, ensuring high-quality web applications that are adaptable to various user settings, by integrating Selenium with Java and LambdaTest.

Also Read : Hadoop: Definition, Operation, And Importance In Business