Selenium

What is selenium?
Selenium is widely used open-source automation testing suite. It was developed by-
Jason Huggins in 2004 as an internal tool at thought works. Selenium supports automation across different browsers and platforms. Selenium supports wide range of languages -Java, python, C#, Ruby, JavaScript.

Components of Selenium

1)Selenium IDE
Selenium IDE -innovative tool kit for web testing, allowing users to record interactions with web applications.
Selenium IDE was created by “Shinya Kasatani” in 2006.
Features of IDE:
• Record
• Playbacks
• Browser check
• Check Elements
• spotting errors
• Exporting Tests
It is a friendly space for testers and developers.

2)Selenium RC
Selenium Remote control allows testers to write automated web application tests in various programming languages like Java, C#.
The Key feature of selenium RC was ability to interact with web browsers using a server which act as intermediary between the testing code and the browser.

3)Selenium WebDriver
Selenium web driver is a robust open-source framework for automating web browsers, is a better choice than RC.
Features of web driver are:
• Direct communication with browsers: -unlike RC WebDriver directly interact with web browser leading to most stable and reliable testing.
• Support of parallel execution-WebDriver allows parallel test execution enabling faster test cycles.
• Rich sets of API-WebDriver provide a comprehensive set of APIs for navigating through web pages, managing windows and handling alerts.

4)Selenium Grid
Selenium Grid is a server that allows tests to user web browsers instances running on remote machines with selenium grid one server act as hub. Tests contact the hub to obtain access to browser instances.
Features of selenium grid are:
• selenium grid allows running tests in parallel on multiple machines.
• Run tests in browser running on different platforms or operating systems.

*Why do we use selenium for automation? *
Selenium is widely used for automation in web applications testing for several reasons:
1)cross -browser compatibility:
Selenium supports multiple browsers such as chrome, Firefox, safari, edge, and internet explorer, enabling comprehensive testing across different environments.
2: Multi language support:
Selenium support various programming languages, including java, C#, python, ruby, JS making it accessible to a wide range of developers and testers

3)Flexibility and Extensibility
Selenium’s design allows for extensive customization and integration with other tools, frameworks, and libraries, enhancing its capabilities for complex testing scenarios.

4)community and ecosystem:
Selenium has a large and active community, providing a wealth of resources, tutorials and third -party plugins. This community supports helps in resolving issues and sharing best practices.

5)open source:
Being open source, selenium is free to use and has no licensing cost, making it an attractive option for both small projects and large projects.

6.Integration with CI/CD pipeline:
Selenium can be easily integrated into continuous integration/continuous deployment (ci\cd) pipelines, allowing automated tests to be run as part of the software development Lifecyle. Ensuring faster feedback and higher quality releases.
7.real browser interaction
Selenium interacts with browser in a way that closely simulates user behavior, providing more accurate test results comparted to other automation tools that do not operate with a real browser.

8.Sacalabilty with selenium grid
Selenium grid allows tests to be distributed across multiple machines and browsers, enabling
Parallel execution and reducing the time required for test suite to complete.

9.support for modern web technologies
Selenium keeps up with web technology advancements, providing support for html5, css3 and java script -bases dynamic web pages.
10.Robust documentation and tools:
Selenium offers comprehensive documentation. A well-defined API and various tools like selenium ide for recording and playback of tests enhancing productivity and ease of use.

This featured make selenium a powerful and popular choice for web application automation.