Writing Test Automation Scripts Using Selenium 

Cloud automated testing with selenium

Testing Cloud applications before go-live is essential for successful implementations. Testing Cloud applications can be tedious and repetitive and requires a large amount of coding skills. For this reason, many companies are turning to automation for their application testing needs. Testing automation requires less man hours, less redundancy, and allows evaluation at a faster rate. Increasing volumes in testing can lead to increased costs, time, and effort. Automation in application testing cuts back on unnecessary expenses and saves companies time on assessing new applications. In the realm of application testing, Selenium is the simplest and most affordable web-based form. Selenium’s simple utilization and resource-heavy user base enables coders to fully test new applications without wasting time and money. In a survey conducted in 2018, 80% of people who were asked utilized Selenium for their software testing needs. Selenium WebDriver, Selenium IDE, and Selenium Grid are all testing functions offered within the framework and meet different testing requirements. To read more about technical applications and Selenium WebDriver, IDE, and Grid, visit the Test Automation Resources website.  

Free use for all, Selenium automation testing framework evaluates web applications on varying browsers and operating systems. Many large corporations are already taking advantage automated test scripts like Selenium; however, many smaller scale organizations still rely on manual testing due to not understanding how to fully utilize automated testing tools within their core business functions. Selenium scripts can be written in a variety of computer languages, a key component that makes Selenium currently one of the best and most cost-efficient options for testing applications. Selenium’s automated, browser-based structure simulates user interaction to test application quality and stability. Software testing through Selenium can be applied on a wide range of browsers, including Safari, Firefox, Chrome, Opera, and Internet Explorer. Not only can the framework be utilized across browsers but across devices as well. Selenium testing works for multiple mobile web apps like iPhone, Android, and Blackberry. Open-source access and an array of testing tools make Selenium one of the most prominent application testing assets in the IT industry.  

Basics of Automation Testing Using Selenium 

Selenium is an open-source framework that provides a set of tools, libraries, and methods for controlling a web driver for web automation. Selenium undertakes actions and behaviors instructed by a programmer or driver to execute steps against an application during the playback of a script. Selenium is an open-source tool with an Apache License 2.0 license. The majority of its features are free and available to anyone. Selenium is utilized for testing purposes, and scripting is an essential step in that testing process. Selenium is necessary for countless applications due to the fact that PeopleSoft has its own testing, but any other application requires it for test scripts and checking stability prelaunch.  

The first step in writing a test automation script with Selenium involves a programmer writing the code or using Python code. The programmer can either develop the script themselves or leverage coding tools offered to help with script build, but coding is a necessary part of writing test automation scripts. Once the script is developed, Selenium can simply apply it to an application for testing. Many software users and corporations prefer to use languages already established within their company, and for this reason Selenium is a great choice. Selenium is a multi-language system that grants coders and companies the privilege of maintaining established languages or picking whichever one suits them best. Languages like Java, PHP, Pearl, and Python are only some of the options available for use in Selenium code. The option to choose a language best fit for the user is vital in Selenium’s success and their easy-to-use automated testing style. 

Advantages of Utilizing Selenium for Writing Test Scripts

The main advantage of using Selenium testing is that it is an open-source asset. Simply put, Selenium is free for use. Not only is Selenium free, but it also is a widely used asset with many different resources that can help users and developers as they begin to build their test scripts. To assist with coding, programmers can find code samples on the internet and use them to their advantage during the oftentimes complex coding process. Websites like YouTube, Selenium’s site, Stack Overflow, and selenium blog posts are very helpful and allow users with less experience to utilize it for testing applications. Selenium has a very large and supportive community of users, offers upgrades immediately when available, and does not require any special training.  

Selenium scripts can be saved and rerun repeatedly. In addition, Selenium allows for many different reporting tools and build systems within their testing framework. Selenium requires less hardware tools compared to other vendor tools like RFT and SilkTest. TestingXperts blog post on Selenium Testing – An Introduction to Selenium Automation touches on the basic knowledge needed for application. Selenium is widely used and the ability to leverage resources to help write code or answer script questions makes it simple and easily learnable.  

Roles Automation Scripts Play in Software Testing

Test automation scripts are continuously adapting to different applications, making testing simpler and more efficient. These scripts are developed to minimize repetitive testing and increase automation. Automation scripts allow for consistent step-based applications like account payment and processing systems to be automated and tested quickly and easily. Automation scripts and platforms like Selenium are necessary for testing applications and checking for possible issues before launching.  

Writing test automation script using Selenium is an efficient and free way to test applications before go-live. Selenium test automation offers many benefits for corporations looking to save time and manpower. Implementing test automation tools does require time and effort, but the payoff is exponential. Selenium’s browser and mobile app compatibility is a crucial benefit and essential for scaling test script automation across many platforms. For more information on test automation scripts, check out Elire’s blog on The Best Cloud-Based Automation Testing Tools. To stay up to date on changes in the cloud testing, follow Elire on LinkedIn and Twitter.  

  • Valentin Todorow

    Valentin Todorow

    Valentin Todorow has 12 years of PeopleSoft Technical and Functional experience and has completed over 80 Implementations of PTF in FSCM and HCM. He has built various integrations with other Test Management tools, Designed and Developed bolt-ons for PTF reporting, and headless execution.

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  • Jordan Hutchcraft

    Ms. Hutchcraft serves as Elire’s Marketing Associate, working to develop and optimize marketing brand assets. Jordan collaborates with the Elire Marketing Team to produce blog and social media content, strategize for social media expansion, and maintain Elire’s internal and external branding.

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