Automation testing is the new modern standard of ensuring the delivery of the best standards to the end users. With the help of proper automation test cases, the developers can not only improve the efficiency of the application development process but also improve the quality of the application that is undergoing the development process. While we’re on the topic of automation testing, Selenium is one of the most popular names that come to our minds. This is because this popular test automation suite has maintained one of the top positions for almost ten years. There are various practices that the developers must keep in mind for adequately utilizing their automation test bench. Multiple tools and platforms also play a critical role in the healthy execution of automation testing practices.
Let us begin our discussion with the basics of Selenium and automation testing. With this article, we will take a detailed look into some of the best practices that can help developers to utilize the most out of their Selenium automation test cases. We will also discuss integrating various platforms and tools in automation test benches.
Discussing the Basics of Automation Testing
Automation testing is a simple scenario where the developers try to remove the involvement of human testers in the application testing process. For the replacement, the system will use a test file consisting of all the essential parameters and data sets that will help it to communicate with the application like a normal user. Based on these communications, the system will generate a test report explaining the web application’s usefulness, reliability, and user interactivity. The developers and testers can analyze these reports and understand whether the application is ready to be released to the open world. We would also like to include the developers who can make significant changes in the test file to make it customized according to the requirements.
It is also easy to store, maintain and reuse the automation test file for future app development projects. However, all these advantages of test automation must outweigh the massive disadvantage that comes with it. This is because app development companies have to invest a significant amount in initiating automation test cases. These resources will cover the time and expenses for integrating various plugins, libraries, and tools critical for the execution of automated test cases. So, the companies must clearly know their returns on investment and possible business ventures to justify the transition.
Understanding Selenium
Selenium is an open-source solution for initiating advanced automation test cases on modern web applications. Since it is open source, the developers can access all of its features without worrying about any license fee. Selenium was initially released in 2004 and has undergone four major updates. All of these updates were focused on improving the reliability and simplicity of the Selenium test suite. All the different tools in this suit focus on assisting the developers at different stages of the application development process. This test suite runs on the popular programming language JavaScript. The developers can use Selenium only to run the automation test files on web apps. So, they have to look for an alternative while working with other apps like native apps and cross-platform apps.
Now let us take a brief look at the essential functions of all the tools present in this test suite:
- Selenium WebDriver is the most important component of the suit as it not only helps the developers to initiate the test cases but also allows them to relocate the test cases to the target elements of the web app. The Selenium web driver is often considered a replacement for the remote controller as it helps the developers communicate with the web app elements natively. The Selenium WebDriver also allows the developers to initiate the test cases in a native browser environment.
- Selenium Grid is a handy tool that helps in the parallel execution of complex test cases. With the help of parallel test execution, the developers can run multiple test configurations on different machines simultaneously.
- Selenium IDE helps developers to create automation test cases in a real-time environment. For this process, the developers simply have to interact with the web application like a normal user system. Based on the interactions, the system will continue to generate automated test cases using artificial intelligence.
Best Practices to Properly Maintain Selenium Automation Tests
With the help of simple practices, the developers can make huge progress toward properly maintaining the Selenium automation test cases. Based on our research and understanding, we have created a list of such practices for newcomers and veterans. They are as follows:
- The developers must organize the test cases and sort them according to their priority. This will help the app testing companies to maintain a proper activity log about all the test cases that have been completed and those that are currently being executed. It is also important to prioritize the test cases that have a critical role in the core functioning of the application. It is one of the best practices to complete these processes during the test planning phase.
- Application developers need to conduct the test cases in a data-driven format. With the help of data-driven testing, the developers can verify the proper functioning of the application with random data. App development companies use various use cases and environments to analyze the application’s functioning. It is one of the most critical functions to improve the company’s compatibility and audience base.
- Since it is one of the most common practices to store and reuse the automation test cases, the developers must review the automation test cases frequently and update them if required. It is one of the most important practices that ensure that all the test files and commands are according to modern standards and comply with the application’s requirements. Updating the test files also allows the developers to remove any minor bugs or errors that might arise in the code file.
- While using Selenium automation testing, the developers often use the wait command to pause various test cases. It is one of the common practices as it helps the developers to avoid errors like false positives and false negatives. However, it is very important for the app developers to properly utilize these errors to prevent any deadlock in the test execution. For this purpose, the testing team must have a basic understanding of the use case and the application’s intended purpose.
- One of the best practices while working with Selenium-based automation testing is continuous integration tools. Various continuous integration tools like Jenkins can help the developers automatically trigger the app testing process whenever the system detects a code change. It is one of the most important processes that not only help the developers to remove repetitive commands but also benefit the core functioning of the application. So, it is a very beneficial feature when app developers work on applications that are frequently updated.
The Integration of Platforms and Tools with Selenium Automated Tests
As we mentioned earlier, the developers can massively benefit from introducing various tools and platforms in an automation test bench. This is because these resources not only help the developers to simplify the test execution process but also improve the updating life cycle with the help of various additional features. For instance, we can consider the example of cloud platforms that eliminate the headache of having a physical mobile lab. These labs are essential for verifying the performance of various apps on physical devices. However, these platforms help the developers to achieve similar results while executing all the processes on remote servers. The benefit of such a process is that the developers lack location barriers in the application testing process.
These servers also provide access to various legacy devices or software that are no longer available in the market. It is a critical feature as various market analysts have concluded that more than 75% of the users have not upgraded their devices for two years. We can improve our knowledge about the contribution of cloud platforms by moving our focus towards LambdaTest as our benchmark:
For ease of understanding, we can define LambdaTest as a one-stop digital experience testing platform for initiating secure cloud-based cross-browser test cases on web apps. Close browser testing is a new market norm for ensuring the best performance of web apps. This is because, with the help of these test cases, the developers can ensure the stable performance of the application irrespective of the user shift in the operating system, browser version, or the complete device specification.
LambdaTest also offers various advanced features like parallel test execution to improve the efficiency of the automation test cases. The platform enables developers to work with the Selenium test files and files from well-known automation frameworks like Cypress and Playwright. It is noteworthy that LambdaTest can execute Cypress test files on over three thousand unique browsers simultaneously.
The combination of multiple simulation software with hundreds of real devices helps the developers massively improve the test results accuracy. LambdaTest is also an excellent option to integrate testing of web apps locally hosted by the company.
Conclusion
The primary motive of this article was to spread adequate awareness about the proper maintenance of Selenium automation test files. It becomes even more critical as we slowly move towards the app development markets that automation testing practices will ultimately dominate. Besides maintaining the test cases, the developers should try everything they can to improve their knowledge about various integrations and additions in this market.
Consecutively, app companies also have a critical role in maintaining the required awareness about different automation testing practices. Lastly, app testers and developers need to understand the role of using the correct tool according to the development requirements.