This blog will help you get started with automated browser testing by guiding you through a range of languages and frameworks.
Join the DZone community and get the full member experience. If you have a website for consumer products, you must know that some challenges exist only with these websites; one such challenge is ensuring that the functionalities work expectedly across browsers and devices. Browsers interpret things differently; hence you have to ensure consistency in the appearance (UI/UX) and functionalities of the website/web application across different browsers. This makes cross-browser testing extremely important as it lets you compare the functionalities and design of a website on multiple browsers, devices, and platforms (operating systems). To fast-track the process of browser compatibility testing, developers should use automated browser testing. In this article, we deep dive into the critical aspects related to automated browser testing, especially Selenium automation testing. We also look at parallel test execution using different test frameworks as parallel testing is one of the major advantages of automated browser testing. Below is the list of the sub-topics that are covered as a part of this blog that focuses on browser compatibility testing and Selenium test automation: Cross-browser testing is vital for ensuring that the best experience is provided to the users. However, there are various challenges associated with cross-browser testing, especially if you plan to set up a local infrastructure to execute the tests. There is an economic hurdle as the spend will be huge to factor different permutations of browsers, devices, and platforms. Having a local infrastructure is economically viable, but it is not scalable as you would have to practically invest in setting up a ‘cross-browser testing’ farm! Automated browser testing is a potential solution to the problem mentioned above. Automated browser testing uses automation tools to perform cross-browser testing, ensuring efficiency, scalability, re-usability provided by the framework and test platform for accelerated product testing. However, for building an effective test plan, there should be a mix of manual tests and automated tests depending on the type and complexity of the test scenarios. Manual testing of all the features and functionalities of a web apps/website is not a viable solution as it is a time-consuming process. The task of browser compatibility testing can look humongous if a manual execution is performed. Automated browser testing is a much better option as it uses efficient automation tools (or frameworks) to devise test scripts that can be used to validate the application. Selenium automation testing is widely popular as the Selenium test framework supports popular browsers and multiple operating systems. It can be used with popular programming languages like Python, Java, JavaScript, C#, Ruby, etc., to develop automated tests. Below are some of the core advantages of using automated browser testing: This certification is ideal for testing professionals who want to acquire advanced, hands-on knowledge in Selenium automation testing. Here’s a short glimpse of the Selenium Advanced certification from LambdaTest: Manual testing helps you to execute a test case step by step. But, if the test case is complex, it will be a very time-consuming process to execute test cases manually on each browser. This is the reason why many companies try to automate manual test cases. However, you cannot automate all test cases. If you are moving from manual to automated browser testing, you need to consider the following points for a smooth transition: Test cases that are rarely performed can be better left for manual testing, whereas test cases that run frequently involving large amounts of data are suitable for automation. Some of the tests that can be automated include smoke tests, regression tests, etc. Automated tests speed up the test cycle that helps in getting frequent releases without manual intervention. You can also automate a test based on your business priority. For example, you can check whether automating can help you simplify technical complexity or help your business. If yes, you can surely go for automation. Some of the scenarios where you can consider running automation tests: Automated browser testing tools like Selenium have multi-browser support; hence, you can perform browser compatibility testing on popular web browsers like Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, Safari, etc. Another significant advantage of this automated browser testing tool is that it is open-source and facilitates testing using multiple languages and test frameworks. As per Stack Overflow’s 2020 annual Developer Survey, the top 3 popular programming languages are JavaScript (67.7%), Python (44.1%), and Java (40.2%). The Selenium framework supports these programming languages. Each of these languages has its test frameworks, which can be used with Selenium for automated browser testing. Choosing the right framework that suits the requirements is extremely important as it can impact the delivery timelines. Test frameworks are a set of rules used for the creation and execution of test cases. Choosing an appropriate programming language is important for development; selecting the most suitable test framework is equally crucial for automation testing. The test framework should be chosen based on the skills that are available within the team. It should be evaluated based on script quality, ease of use, scalability, and effectiveness to execute complex test cases. Below are some of the top test frameworks for the top three programming languages, i.e., JavaScript, Python, Java. a. Test automation frameworks for JavaScript is not only preferred for programming, but it has also slowly emerged as one of the preferred programming languages in automated browser testing tools like Selenium.
