Testing the system is challenging, and you require a tool to assist you in this procedure. One such predominantly utilized tool by automation testers is Selenium. Selenium is an open-source software testing framework used for automating the testing of web applications. Selenium provides the tools and libraries to create and execute tests across multiple browsers and platforms.
Selenium WebDriver is an extension of the Selenium framework and is a core component of the Selenium Suite. It is an API that enables programmatic control of web browsers so developers can create automated tests for web applications. The Selenium WebDriver API provides a range of methods and commands that allow developers to programmatically interact with web browsers to test web applications with greater speed and accuracy.
This blog will provide a complete guide to Selenium WebDriver architecture. We will start by introducing the basic concepts of Selenium WebDriver, including its components and architecture.
So, let’s get started!
Why Use Selenium WebDriver for Web Automation?
Selenium WebDriver is the most preferred automation framework for web application testing as it proffers a vast range of features and capacities. It provides a simple and easy-to-use interface that facilitates testers to write effective and robust automation scripts for web application testing. Here are a few reasons why use Selenium WebDriver for web automation:
1. Dynamic Web Page Automation: Selenium WebDriver can automate dynamic web pages that require validation, user input, and other steps.
2. Cross-Browser Testing: Selenium WebDriver can perform automated cross-browser tests on different web browsers like Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Internet Explorer, etc.
3. Flexible Test Automation: Selenium WebDriver provides an open-source framework for developing test automation scripts. This makes it easy to customize test automation scripts for different web applications.
4. Cost-Effective: Selenium WebDriver is open-source, allowing developers to use the software for free. This makes it an extremely cost-effective solution for automated web testing.
5. Fast Test Execution: With the help of Selenium WebDriver, test scripts can be run on multiple browsers concurrently. This helps in reducing the time taken for the test execution drastically. Also, the same test script can be used for different platforms.
6. Technology Agnostic: Selenium supports a wide variety of programming languages and operating systems, making it an IDE-agnostic tool. It supports development using Java, Python, C#, Ruby, .NET, and JavaScript. It can run tests on platforms like Windows, Linux, and Mac OS.
What is Selenium WebDriver Architecture?
Selenium WebDriver architecture is an effective framework for the automated testing of web applications. It is a robust, open-source automation framework that enables programmers to create automated tests for any web application quickly. The Selenium WebDriver design comprises various segments, including the WebDriver API, the program browser drivers, and the core libraries. The WebDriver API cooperates with the program, while the browser drivers give the interface between WebDriver and the browser. The core libraries are utilized to write automation scripts utilizing the WebDriver API.
Selenium WebDriver architecture is an effective way to guarantee the quality of web applications. It allows testing engineers to rapidly make automated tests that can be run simultaneously on various browsers. Selenium WebDriver architecture ought to be utilized in any testing condition. With Selenium WebDriver, you can simulate user interactions, like clicking a button, selecting an option from a drop-down menu, filling in a text box, and more. It is incorporated with popular development frameworks such as Java, C#, Python, JavaScript, and many more. With the help of Selenium WebDriver, you can create robust and reliable web automation test scripts swiftly and efficiently.
Understanding of Selenium WebDriver Architecture
Selenium WebDriver is not a standalone testing framework. It comprises various elements that are needed to execute tests. These small elements construct the architectural components of Selenium. The Selenium WebDriver comprises four main components. They are:
Selenium WebDriver Client Libraries
Software developers prefer writing scripts in the language that they are comfortable with. Selenium WebDriver Architecture supports a range of languages, such as Java, C#, Ruby, PHP, Python, etc. This enables the software developers to write the script in their preferred language. Anyone with a basic understanding of working with any programming language can get precise language bindings and can start working. In this way, Selenium WebDriver Architecture is a flexible platform for testers to perform automation in their comfort zone.
JSON WIRE PROTOCOL
JSON, (JavaScript Object Notation) facilitates all the communication occurring in Selenium WebDriver between the browser and the code. Known as the heart of Selenium, it transfers data on the web between a server and a client. JSON Wire Protocol provides a medium for the transfer of data using a REST (Representational State Transfer) API. This provides a transport mechanism and defines a REST web service employing JSON over HTTP.
Browser Drivers
Selenium WebDriver supports various browsers, each with its unique implementation of the W3C standard. Browser drivers communicate with their respective browsers without displaying the internal logic of the browser’s functionality. When the browser driver receives any command, it will get executed on the respective browser. After that, the response will be received in the form of an HTTP.
Browsers
Selenium WebDriver runs tests on the browsers only if they are locally installed on the server or the local machine. That is why browser installation is essential.
Why is Selenium WebDriver Popular?
Apart from the above-mentioned abilities, being a part of the Selenium family, WebDriver, also encompassed some unique features, which count to its popularity as a web automation framework. A few of those features are:
- Multi-Browser Compatibility: The Selenium WebDriver architecture offers compatibility with a wide range of browsers such as Firefox, Chrome, IE, Safari, etc. It enables developers to create test scripts that can be executed across multiple browsers simultaneously. This allows for improved test coverage and a more efficient testing process.
- Multi-Language Support: Selenium WebDriver offers multi-language support as it supports different programming languages such as Java, C#, Python, Perl, Ruby, and many more. This makes it easier for testers to write test scripts in their preferred language for the automation process.
- Faster Execution: Selenium WebDriver does not rely on a middleware server to communicate with the browser. It directs communications with browsers utilizing a defined protocol (JSON Wire). This enables the WebDriver to communicate faster than most of the Selenium tools. Additionally, as JSON Wire itself utilizes JSON, which is lightweight, the amount of data transfer per call is very minimal.
- Locating Web Elements: To perform actions such as Click, Drag, Drop, and Type, it is essential to identify on which web element (such as button, drop-down, textarea, checkbox) the action needs to be performed. To enable this, WebDriver provides techniques to identify web elements utilizing various HTML attributes such as id, name, class, tag name, XPath, link text, CSS, etc.
- Handling Waiting for Elements: All the pages do not have the same structure. There are some pages that are lightweight, whereas some pages have a significant amount of data handling. A lot of times, the web elements take a considerable time to load. To handle this, Selenium WebDriver provides numerous waiting mechanisms that can be utilized to pause the script execution for some time based on certain conditions. Once the condition is fulfilled, the script is resumed again.
Disadvantage Of Selenium WebDriver Architecture
Although Selenium WebDriver is the most prevalent open-source test automation framework for web applications, it has a few drawbacks. Let us have a look at some of the disadvantages of Selenium WebDriver Architecture:
- Requires Programming Knowledge: Selenium WebDriver architecture is a powerful tool for automation testing, but it does need a certain degree of programming knowledge and expertise to make the most out of it. It is most suitable for experienced software engineers who are acquainted with object-oriented programming, web technologies, and software test automation.
- No Desktop Applications Support: Selenium WebDriver only supports web applications and does not provide support for desktop applications. It only works with web browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc. The automation of the desktop applications like Notepad or Calculator is outside the scope of Selenium.
- Lack Of Built-In Reporting: One of the main drawbacks of Selenium WebDriver is that it lacks built-in reporting. This means that users are required to create their custom framework to generate reports based on their test results. This can be a time-consuming process and require significant effort to implement and configure properly.
- No Customer Support: Being open source, Selenium has no customer support. So, if you are stuck somewhere, you have to rely on community support. The official website provides some resources and tips that can be used to troubleshoot the issues. However, if you are uncomfortable with troubleshooting, you need to look for a third-party vendor who can provide paid support.
- No Built-In Object Repository: Selenium does not have any built-in object repository like many other automation testing tools. This means that the automation engineer must understand the target application and its HTML elements to configure the Selenium scripts. This can be a challenge for those who are not used to working with HTML and DOM, but it can be a great learning experience for those who are comfortable with HTML.
Tips: To overcome the above-mentioned, the availability of a cloud-based platform is preferred. For example, LambdaTest is a cloud-based cross-browser testing platform that offers Selenium Grid, and you can run parallel tests across 3000+ different browsers, real devices, and OS. With this, you can perform Selenium testing to scale your testing efforts and improve the quality of your web applications.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Selenium WebDriver architecture is an important part of the development process. Its modular design and easy-to-understand components make it an ideal solution for automating web-based tests. Furthermore, with its ability to integrate with other tools, Selenium WebDriver architecture can help teams build reliable and efficient test suites. With the right approach, teams can use Selenium WebDriver architecture to quickly and effectively automate testing and ensure application quality.
