Top 10 Selenium Java Tips for Beginners

Automation testing has become the modern standard of application development as all the modern app development practices revolve around it. This is because the complex nature of apps and the integration of multiple elements makes it almost impossible to conduct full manual testing processes. Moreover, in the modern app development market, there are multiple frameworks and tools for initiating and executing automated test cases. Experts also believe that automation testing will continue to gain more popularity in the future app development markets. While using automation testing, the developers have to create the test script which will be utilized by the system for initiating and executing the test cases. The developers can write the test cases in any programming language according to their choice.  Integrating the test scripts with automation frameworks like Selenium is very critical for the success of the test case.

Java is one of the most popular programming languages that are currently available. On the other hand, Selenium is one of the most popular names in the world of automation testing frameworks. So, in this article, we will analyze a few of the best practices that can help developers efficiently integrate Java automation test cases with the Selenium framework. We will also discuss some of the best tools that can help the developers during this testing process.

The base of Automation Testing

It is very easy to interpret the meaning of automation testing by just understanding and analyzing its name. In simple terms, we can define it to be the advanced process of initiating and executing the test cases automatically without any human involvement. For this process, the system will use text files that will consist of all the necessary parameters. These parameters will also include a set of random datasets that are often useful for understanding the user interaction capabilities of a modern application. In this segment, we would like to mention that the developers have complete freedom of changing all the data to customize the test case according to their requirements. Automation test cases are reusable. This means that the developers can store and reuse the test files in future app projects.

However, like anything in this world, automation testing is also not devoid of drawbacks. The major drawback of using automation testing is its initial cost. This is because app development companies have to put in a lot of time and effort in configuring the test bench for the transition. Moreover, the developers also have to use additional softwares and tools for the seamless execution of automation test cases. We also have to mention the learning curves that come with automation testing where the developers and testers must get themselves integrated to all the modern automation testing trends.

Understanding The Base of Selenium

As we already mentioned earlier, Selenium is a part of the most popular names in the world of automation testing. Many developers often misunderstand Selenium as an automation testing tool. In reality, Selenium is a test suite that consists of multiple different tools. One of the most unique features of this test suite is that all the tools in the Selenium suite help the developers in different stages of the automation testing process. We will discuss the role of various tools in the later part of this article. An interesting fact about Selenium is that it was initially known as the JavaScriptTestRunner as it was developed with this well-known programming language.

Since its initial introduction in 2004, Selenium has gone through four major updates. Before the arrival of popular alternatives like Playwright and Cypress, Selenium had a monopoly in the automation testing segment for almost a decade. While we are on the topic of Selenium automation testing, it is worth mentioning that a major disadvantage of the test suite is that the developers can use it for only verifying the proper performance of web applications. Considering the diversity of the modern industry that consists of multiple apps like native apps, hybrid apps, and cross-platform apps, this restriction can massively hamper the company’s development capabilities. Now let us take a quick look at some of the features of all the tools present in the Selenium test suite:

• The Selenium Client API: The Selenium client API plays a major role in diversifying the automation test case creation process. This is because, before the introduction of this tool, the developers had to write the test files in the native Selenese language. However, now the developers can create the test cases in their preferred language and import them into Selenium.
• Selenium WebDriver: The Selenium WebDriver is probably the most vital part of the test suite. This is because it has the responsibility of starting and completing the test cases. After the Selenium 4 update, the role of Selenium WebDriver has further improved. The Selenium WebDriver is a superior version of the remote controller as it can natively communicate with all the elements of a web application.
• The Selenium Grid: This tool is responsible for initiating and executing the test case in a parallel format. We can define the parallel test configuration as the process of running multiple different test configurations at the same time. This is a highly efficient process and can complete all the test cases within a few days.
• Selenium IDE: The word Selenium IDE signifies Selenium integrated development environment. With this tool, the developers can create the Selenium automation test cases uniquely. This is because the developers only have to use the web application like a regular user and the interface will automatically generate the test cases based on the interactions.

Tips to Integrate Selenium with Java

From a beginner’s point of view, there are multiple factors that the developers must keep in mind while using Java test cases with Selenium. To simplify this process, we have gone ahead and analyzed some of the most important requirements for the proper execution of this process. Based on our analysis, the developers must keep the following factors in mind. This process will help them to avoid some of the most unwanted obstacles in the automation testing process. They are as follows:

1. While using Java for creating Selenium-based automation test cases, the developers must have access to proper automation testing tools and platforms. We will analyze the role of these integrations in the later part of this article.
2. The developers must conduct the test cases in a data-driven format. Data-driven testing is highly essential to ensure that the web application can handle user interactions.
3. It is very important to gather adequate knowledge regarding the requirements of a target audience. This will help the developers to customize the Selenium test cases accordingly.
4. The testing team should try to gather adequate information regarding the intent of the application. This idea will help them to test the web application in an appropriate format that can ensure that it is ready to be released to the open world. The application development company should also try to improve the coordination between the testing, development, and business teams.
5. The testing team should have basic knowledge regarding creating test cases with the Java programming language.
6. The developers must have access to real device testing for ensuring the proper performance of the application.
7. It is very important to create a test strategy before beginning the testing process. This is because our testing strategy will help the developers prepare themselves for any obstacles in the process.
8. While conducting Selenium-based automation testing with Java, the developers must take screenshots during the testing process. It can help to create and maintain an activity log.
9. It is very important to get the HTML source of the web element to ensure that it can work properly on all leading web browsers.
10. The developers should try and execute the test cases in a headless manner while working with Selenium. This is because Headless testing helps to improve the efficiency of the testing process.

The Best Platforms and Tools for Selenium Automation Testing

As we already discussed earlier, the process of Selenium-based automation testing with Java can be overwhelming for new developers. However, the developers can easily use multiple platforms and tools that are available in the market. These tools not only help the developers to simplify their testing process but also add more features for improving the testing process. For instance, with these tools, the developers can initiate advanced testing processes like cloud testing. Cloud testing is the process of eliminating the need for local devices for physical app testing. This is because with these tools the developers can conduct the test cases on physical devices over the web. We can learn more about the benefits of cloud testing by moving our attention toward the popular cloud-based platform known as LambdaTest.

To complete the introduction, we can say that LambdaTest is a secure cloud-based platform to initiate modern cross-browser compatibility test cases on web apps. Cross-browser testing is the modern standard of ensuring that you’re providing the best web apps to your customers. This is because, with the help of cross-browser test cases, the developers can ensure that the app continues to perform efficiently irrespective of changes in the device hardware, operating system, or browser version. This platform has multiple features like parallel test execution for improving the efficiency of the automation test cases. While using LambdaTest, the developers can import the automation test files from various reputed frameworks like Selenium, Playwright and Cypress. It is worth mentioning that while working with Selenium test cases, the developers can introduce the testing process on more than three thousand on browsers.

Moreover, the integration of real device testing with already existing thousands of emulators and simulators plays a critical role in improving the dependability of the testing process. LambdaTest can also help the developers to verify the proper functioning of local web applications for internal functioning.

The Final verdict

Understanding all the factors mentioned in this article, we can safely predict that automation testing is a part of the vital parts of the modern application development market. However, our survey data shows that only 60% of app development companies have adopted automation testing trends. So, we highly recommend remaining companies start considering this transition at the earliest to maintain their company’s position in the app market. It is also very important for automation testers and developers to keep their knowledge updated with all the modern practices. This knowledge will help them to utilize the full potential of an automation test bench. Factors such as the integration of automation testing frameworks like Selenium and programming languages like Java play a critical role in this process.