(Last Updated On: March 3, 2023)

Automation testing is one of the modern trends that every new developer must be accustomed to. This is because, considering the current state of the market, it is almost impossible for developers to create a stable modern app without the involvement of automation test cases. Currently, there are multiple automation testing tools like Selenium that helps developers to initiate automation test cases. While using these tools, the developers and testers can use multiple programming languages like Python, JavaScript, and Ruby to write the test cases.

In this article, we’ll analyze all the details you need to know about writing Selenium automation test cases with Python. We will also discuss some of the best ways that can assist the testers in improving the overall quality of their Selenium test cases.

The Base of Test Automation

To put it simply, we can define test automation as the technique of automatically executing the testing files with the help of predetermined test files. These files are in text data formats containing all the necessary parameters for conducting the testing files. These parameters also consist of multiple sets of random sets of data that can help the developers understand a web application’s data analysis and user interaction abilities.

The automation testers also have the freedom to change the data with respect to the needs of the development project. This is a very important part as various test cases require customized data forms to ensure the test result’s accuracy. Automation testing also helps developers to reuse test codes. This means the developers can easily store and use the data for future development projects as well.

While using test customization, the developers must remember that the initial charges of introducing automation testing are a bit high. So, it is one of the best practices to first have a detailed analysis of your business perspective and possible returns on investment before diving into the world of automation testing.

It is also important for application developers to understand the synchronization between automation testing and manual testing. This is a crucial parameter as the developers must understand the right areas that can benefit from automation. For instance, certain test cases like exploratory and visual testing depend entirely on a human developer’s knowledge and experience. Therefore, it is very important for the development and testing team first to analyze all the test cases that can benefit from automation testing.

Understanding Selenium

Selenium is one of the oldest names in the world of automation testing. This is because this open-source test automation suite has managed to maintain the top position for almost a decade now. Since it is open source, the application developers and testers can access all the features of Selenium without paying any license fee. This is a very useful feature considering various individual creators and small companies cannot afford to pay thousands of dollars for licensing.

Since Selenium is a test suite, it consists of different tools meant to serve specific purposes during the application development lifecycle. We will discuss the tools’ specific purpose in the latter part of this article. A fascinating fact about Selenium is that its initial name was JavaScriptTestRunner. The parent company decided on this name as it is developed with this programming language.

One of the major drawbacks of Selenium is that it can only perform automation test cases or web applications. Considering the variety of the modern app development market, this restriction can massively pull back the development capabilities of a modern app development company.

Now that we’re finished developing a proper idea of Selenium, it is time to take a detailed look at all the components of the Selenium test suite:

1.   Selenium WebDriver

It is probably the most important component of the entire test suite. This is because the Selenium WebDriver is not only responsible for initiating the test cases but also for ensuring the proper execution of these test cases on the target elements. The Selenium WebDriver is much better compared to Selenium remote controller. This is because it does not require a native engine to function properly. The Selenium WebDriver can directly communicate with all the components present in the native application and web browser.

2.   Selenium Grid

It helps the developers to initiate parallel testing on the web application. It uses the principle of a hub connected to several nodes for executing this process. This means whenever the hub will receive a test case; it will analyze it and understand the requirements. Then the hub will forward the test case to the respective node for the execution process. The system will repeat this process until all the test cases are completed.

3.   Selenium IDE (Integrated Development Environment)

It is responsible for creating the automation test cases. It takes a unique approach for completing this process. To complete this process, the developers have to use the application like a normal user, and the IDE will continue to generate the test cases in real time. Since all the test cases are based on real user interaction, it is a very accurate testing process.

Selenium Automation with Python

The integration of Selenium automation testing with Python is quite simple to create and execute. For this process, the developers simply have to follow the simple steps given below to create their first automation test case with this integration. The steps are as follows:

• The first step is to create a class that can handle URLs and different forms of call functions. This process will help the developers to eliminate the hassle of using web drivers for every function in the application testing cycle.
• It is important to understand that Python has different commands dedicated to every function that the developers will be using during the application testing lifecycle. So having a proper idea about all the methods, commands, and their best use case is an important practice.
• Understanding a special method known as looping clicks is very important. This is because the system will require some time before performing a click while using automation testing. If the developers do not time the clicks on every element properly, there will be a high possibility for an error.
• While performing automation testing on modern applications, it is one of the common practices that developers will have to work with multiple arrays. Therefore, the developers need to understand all the arrays and write the specific data into the CSV. The CSV is responsible for storing all the test data and allocating them to the respective elements when and where required.
• The developer should also create proper Python test cases to handle all the popups or iframes that may be present in the application. Pop-up testing is an important practice as it helps to understand the accessibility of the application. It is also important for the developers to understand the proper placement of the popups irrespective of the screen size or the display resolution. The last step in this process is to handle and navigate all the parent elements with the help of XPath.

Influence of Platforms and Tools in Automation Testing with Selenium

Different tools and platforms play a critical role in simplifying the application development and testing processes. Since various new automation testers are unaware of all the capabilities and features available with these modern testing techniques, they can benefit greatly from this integration. Moreover, certain platforms, like cloud-based platforms, help developers initiate additional features to improve testing quality.

For instance, cloud platforms help to eliminate the headache and expenses of maintaining an onsite device testing lab. These labs are usually important for ensuring the stable performance of an application on multiple devices at the same time. However, the developers can achieve this same goal with the help of the devices present on different cloud servers. The benefits of using cloud servers are that the developers can initiate unlimited test cases from around the globe by paying only an upfront license fee. We can learn more about cloud testing and increase our knowledge of cloud-based systems by shifting our focus towards LambdaTest:

To begin the analysis, LambdaTest is a safe and secure cloud-based platform to conduct modern cross-browser test files on web applications. Cross-browser compatibility testing is very important to ensure that you provide your customers with the best performance. This is because, with the help of cross-browser test cases, the developers can ensure the application is usable and functional irrespective of frequent changes in the OS version or the browser edition.

LambdaTest also helps the testers ensure the application’s functioning on legacy browsers that are no longer available in the market. LambdaTest can initiate the test cases from multiple popular frameworks like Cypress, Selenium, and Playwright. While using Selenium test files, the developers can simultaneously execute them on more than 3000+ browsers types.

LambdaTest uses multiple advanced options like parallel testing initiation to improve the speed of the testing process. Lastly, it is worth mentioning that LambdaTest can output dependable test reports by integrating several results from emulators, simulators, and several real cloud-based devices.

Conclusion

We can easily conclude that Selenium automated testing is one of the best ways to ensure the quality of modern applications. Moreover, the integration of Selenium automation testing with Python will help the developers simplify not only the test case creation process but also improve overall testing satisfaction. However, the application developers have to know all the advanced testing techniques to utilize the full potential of this integration.

Regarding this segment, app development companies also have a critical role as they are responsible for spreading all the relevant information. The app developers should also consider the knowledge of automation testing as one of the critical factors for improving their future in this market. Lastly, the developers and testers should use the perfect tool according to the requirements of the development project.