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A Detailed Guide on Selenium Test Automation

When Jason Huggins built Selenium, you could say he knew the woes of the testing community too well. When working at ThoughtWorks, Jason was working on a web application that required frequent testing. Tired of repetitive and inefficiency of manual testing required, he developed a preliminary version of Selenium, the “JavaScriptTestRunner”. Ancient and knotted testing methods of the past mostly antagonized testers who presumed their primary task was to identify the shortcomings of the application. Instead, all they got was testing codes that found flaws in their codes, rather than real-life deliverability of application. There was ‘Astra Quick Test’ just before Selenium, and that did soothe the testers initially, but not completely. It was only after Selenium entered the Test Scene that testers knew what they were missing. More than a decade later, Selenium continues to hold its ground and is highly relevant. The testing process has evolved at an enormous rate with Agile, DevOps, Codeless, and yet Selenium is the go-to for automated testing. What exactly is Selenium? How does it stay relevant despite the evolution and revolution in testing? Lastly, is it really immaculate and irreplaceable? In this blog, we will look at Selenium and its benefits and challenges, the aspects that make it probably the most popular test automation tool ever. What is Selenium? Selenium is basically an open-source test automation framework. It assists in validating web applications across a host of browsers, devices, and platforms. Probably the most beautiful thing about Selenium is its language compatibility. Java, C#, Ruby, Python, and literally every widely used language is readily supported in Selenium. Selenium is an amalgamation of several components that assist web application testing in peculiar ways. Let’s take a look at them: a. Selenium IDE: Selenium IDE is a complete integrated development environment (IDE) for Selenium tests. It allows recording, editing, and debugging of functional tests and is used as a Chrome Extension and as a Firefox Add-On. It was previously known as Selenium Recorder. b. Selenium Remote Control: Selenium RC enables writing automated tests for a web application in any programming language. This, in turn, allows for better integration of Selenium in existing unit test frameworks. c. Selenium WebDriver: A successor to Selenium RC, Selenium WebDriver accepts commands (sent in Selenium language, or via a Client API) and pushes them to a browser. It can be implemented through a browser-specific browser driver, which recovers results by sending commands to the browser. d. Selenium client API: Tests in Selenium are generally written in Selenese, its domain-specific language. However, tests can also be written in other programming languages- which then communicate with the framework through Selenium client API. e. Selenium Grid: Selenium grid enlists a server as a hub – which can be accessed by tests to connect with browser instances. Pros and Cons of Selenium Now that we know what Selenium is, let us take a look at what are the benefits and challenges that you could encounter when working with Selenium. Pros 1. Open Source Selenium started as an open source tool- and that has been one the reasons of its popularity. It’s wide availability encouraged testers to participate and make Selenium their own, and transform it into the robust framework that it is. The widely available automation testing framework also allows you to modify code to enhance existing functionality and for better code management. Thanks to the smooth process of generating test scripts, Selenium is one of the most reliable web automation tools. 2. Programming Language Flexibility Learning a new language from scratch is not always a feasible option for testers and programmers- instead, it is always preferred to use a framework that supports their choice of language. Selenium, with its extensive language support functionality, ensures that programmers don’t have to worry about language. You can write your codes in your language of choice, and Selenium converts into Selenium compatible language. As simple as that! 3. Faster Go-to-Market The selenium universe has been following DevOps and Agile concepts much before they were coined. The ease of use and flexibility of Selenium ensures that testers are hands-on without any deliberation. You can just as easily integrate other existing frameworks like SauceLabs, Jenkins, Maven, TestNG with Selenium, without halting the development process. Developers can receive instant feedback through parallel testing in Selenium Grid, which means that they can ensure continuous delivery. All these mechanisms, in a larger picture, means that the Selenium paces product testing and delivery and reduces the development cycle to a significant degree. 4. Selenium Community The Selenium open source community is nothing short of fans who absolutely love this product they have created. While there are tools with similar features, Selenium’s open source characteristic makes it stand out. Being open source, it is constantly evolving and releasing upgrades. As with any open source community, the updates are readily available and you don’t have to undergo intensive training to make use of them. The very flexible framework and its dynamic community have attracted the likes of tech giants like ThoughtWorks, Google, Mozilla, LinkedIn, Hubspot, Inuit, Fitbit, and Yammer among many others to use and participate in its advancement. Cons 1. Need pre-existing expertise Some dependent frameworks of Selenium like Protractor need significant technical knowledge and skills to operate. While using Selenium is easy, the teams must be experienced in Selenium framework architecture for its optimum usage. 2. Lack of reporting Software testing thrives on the capacity to assess, report and implement vital information and remedies. As Selenium does not support reporting out of the box, other tools must be leveraged to accommodate reporting. 3. Lack of technical support As an open source framework, Selenium lacks technical support. While the community can support your queries with custom solutions, it is often by contributors and not product creators. Conclusion In a recent report, Gartner predicted that by 2022, 90% of enterprises will be expending open source test automation tools for agile and DevOps—however, 50% of them will struggle with the skills, efficiency, and culture required to succeed with them. Even though open source test tools are “free”, the failure to stabilize then in a predefined quality approach can be overreached. As Gartner mentions, “Ad hoc adoption without adequate planning may lead to a lack of success, higher maintenance costs and a fragmented toolset.” If yours is one of those organizations that wish to adopt Selenium but are apprehensive about repercussions, we can help. Our testing and QA prowess makes us of the most stable and reliable Testing and QA Automation partner for many of our clients. Talk to our QA Automation Architects today.

Aziro Marketing

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Codeless Automation Testing- What, How, and Why

The software development engine is set to grow more aggressive than Alfa-X. Software development companies experience tremendous pressure to pick speed- to assess market needs, shorten release cycles, introduce updated features, and respond to changing trends. While the Development teams answered these demands with agile and DevOps processes, the Test teams fell behind. Automated testing did resolve these issues – by eliminating mundane manual testing activities. However, it was not always practical to automate large test suites. The time and effort needed to automate large test suites failed to keep up the Test teams’ pace. Also, as most tools are code-reliant to automate tests, automation became impractical for manual testers. The age-old attitude that testers must know to code is giving way to the gradual acceptance that testers are not programmers. This acceptance resulted in Codeless Automation. Codeless Automation Testing was the coming of age for the Testing engine- where we abhorred time-consuming, and code-based processes in favor of easy-to-use and interactive tools to enhance the testing process. What is Codeless Automation Codeless Automation means to automate your tests without having to write codes. Testers can avail drag and drop features to create tests. One can run them simultaneously as they can operate in multiple browsers and environments. So does Codeless automation eliminate the need to code? Not really. Codeless testing tools provide a user-friendly GUI to the users and let them record the test steps. While you work on your test steps, the tool records it and creates the automation script that you can later run at large. In short, the tool minimizes your efforts to write massive chunks of code and breaks it down into simple activities instead. How does Codeless Automation work Testers can create test cases by choosing objects and adding operations to them. Codeless automation tools function very similar to the apps we interact daily: drag and drop, button selection, action recorder, playback. A host of tools offer varied functionalities that you can customize per requirements. Careful tool selection is a primary criterion for making Codeless Automation a success in your Product Testing cycle. Modern codeless automation tools leverage interactive UI to create a less-daunting interface for testers. These tools are equipped with machine learning and analytics frameworks that detect changes in the app, enable self-healing, modify elements on the fly, and adapt the process accordingly. This makes the ‘record and play’ feature of these tools self-reliant, giving them the edge over legacy automation tools. Why you need to consider Codeless Automation Testing for your team Here are 5 reasons how Codeless Testing Automation tools augment productivity levels of your existing test teams: 1. Stay at par with Dev team Traditional QA tools require days to weeks of a timeline to create automated test scenarios. The visual UI workflows, on the other hand, make automation easy to implement. Testers can avoid complex codes and frameworks and start automating cases without wasting much time. 2. Scale Automation testing Codeless Automation allows testers to capitalize on continuous testing opportunities instead of running time-consuming manual tests. Because of automating most of the testing cycle, there is a considerable reduction in feedback cycles and the overall testing process. 3. Lower Maintenance The best way to reduce the cost of automated testing is to make the process faster and more accessible. ‘Codeless’ dramatically reduces the need for code-based debugging making test maintenance easier. 4. Increased testers’ effectiveness Codeless Automation allows testers to undertake more research-based testing, instead of being bogged down by never-ending code. It lets testers focus their efforts on testing functionality and evaluating the user experience rather than struggling with test creation. 5. User-friendly Code-based testing can be exhaustive and frustrating. The visual and interactive appeal of Codeless Automation greatly enhances test creation. The ease of use even enables manual testers to carry out automation, as Codeless reduces the skills disparity. How To Implement Codeless Automation In Your Team Before you finalize on moving to codeless, you ought to know that you can’t do away with manual testing altogether. Some tests still require to be monitored manually. a. Start small: Before completely migrating to the codeless process, it is advisable first to define and run trivial tests and ensure they meet the requirements. Gradually you can move the more significant test flows to codeless automation. Identify time-consuming and repetitive tests and move them to codeless. b. Reuse your tests: It is essential to build smart scripts to minimize bugs. These scripts will need minimum iterations in case of a change in app or testing scenarios. c. Hybrid Testing: The best way to approach codeless would be to adopt a hybrid approach. A right mix of manual, automation and codeless can prove to be easier to migrate, apply and reap faster RoI for your investments. Conclusion Codeless Automation Testing has a number of benefits for the testing process- be it agile or waterfall methods. Its adaptability and ease of use make it a perfect fit for agile projects even in cases of tight deadlines and limited scope. The elimination of code creation and interactive GUI creates a fair playing field for all members- developers, manual and automation testers alike – to synchronize and collaborate throughout the process. As mentioned earlier, you need to ease into Codeless Automation with deliberate strategizing to create a solid foundation to scale and expand your future testing strategies. Teams adopting the right approach will ultimately profit with higher visibility, collaboration, and enhanced test automation analysis. Not sure where to start with codeless? We can help you visualize the best Test Automation solutions for your team.

Aziro Marketing

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How to introduce Codeless Automation to your existing QA team

When one of our clients sought a ramp up in their product development, we hit a plateau. We had successfully implemented a DevOps culture and development was at optimum. Our automation and manual test teams were also at their peak- what then, we wondered, could be done to make this team better? After a few weeks of sprints and research, we decided that the test team was great, but wasn’t at par with our Dev Team- and that was the leak. We decided to fix the weak link by talking to our QA teams and working out a possible solution. It was then that one of our members proposed seeking a codeless alternative to backbreaking code-based scripts of automation. Manual testers couldn’t possibly keep up with automation if they had to construct pages and pages of codes every time. A few weeks later, we assembled codeless testing for our teams- both manual and automation, as a litmus. While it took us a couple of weeks to iron out the different approaches, we found a mid-way that kept our test teams happy, without bothering our developers. And of course, our team “ramp up” drastically affected our client’s output. Weaving Codeless in your Existing Testing Fabric New age tools and especially automation tools, tend to bring a sense of apprehension among users. We had our fair share of critique in our brainstorming sessions- is it necessary? Does it really reduce the cycle? Will it replace manual testing? However, like any organization in the throes of Digital Transformation, we knew the criticality of being an early adopter. Codeless automation is here to stay- and we needed to capitalize on its benefits and address the fears, systematically, to make it work for our client. The Right Approach The right approach forms a mix of good leadership, clear strategy, and thorough need analysis. Treading into relatively unknown territory, forgoing traditional processes needs a reliable team with rock-solid leadership. Your team will have to adjust workflows, rewrite maintenance and execution to make room for codeless. Choose Elements of the Test Plan To Migrate As suggested in a previous blog, migrating to codeless is not an all-in approach. You need to identify the elements from your testing process that needs to be moved to codeless and choose which ones stay back. There are many cases where codeless may not be the best fit for your team. While a framework like Selenium has some limitations, we encountered situations where it was best suited to our process. Selenium was more compatible than other tools when it came to improving test maintenance code and reducing duplication. The Polarity Between Codeless And Code-based Testing Codeless testing increased the team efficiency and reduced our testing cycles, but not from the onset. Once we decided to adopt codeless in our existing code-based fabric, we had to be considerate of the existing differences in the two models. It took the team some careful analysis to navigate through the changes and reach a point of unanimity. Some of the upfront parallels are- 1. Test Authoring Unlike code based scripting, codeless test creation is done via a record and playback feature- making it easier for the team. The speed of test authoring is remarkably faster, thanks to record-and-playback smart solutions backed by AI and machine learning algorithms. The only caution here would be to ensure the automated scripting does not scramble with existing triggers. 2. Test Maintenance Codeless automation is a great way to boost test maintenance. Self-healing, auto-correction, and object scoring are some of the rich features that aid in less manual involvement in the test maintenance. You can generate a process to monitor and update the tool scripts manually proactively. 3. Test Execution Executing tests in a framework like Selenium can cause frustration among QA teams. Scalability is a significant hindrance when running extensive tests. Besides, testers have to develop entire frameworks from scratch. Instead of the usual approach of integrating IDE’s or other third-party tools, teams can choose to integrate the codeless framework instead. Codeless tools can manage test execution through in-built features and allows direct test execution without any third party involvement. 4. App Support The codeless testing process has only begun emerging in the market, while code-based has been around much, much longer. Keeping in mind the diversity of devices being used today, testing on a plethora of platforms is a natural expectation- and this may fall short in codeless automation. While the code-based process is tedious, they do provide all-round support. Undoubtedly, codeless will get these sooner or later, but for the time being, teams need to remember this. Conclusion While we did get over the hunches after a while, we realized that there isn’t one solution that is better than the other. Like ours, every team needs to carefully sieve through the set of requirements before choosing one over the other- or keep both. In critical cases like these, what also helps most QA teams is the aid of a professional or a trailblazer who has had the relevant experience in drafting a favorable process. Consulting a trusted and experienced product-engineering expert can accelerate the adoption of codeless automation in your existing process. Are you considering about making a move to codeless? Take a beat and contact us. We can assist.

Aziro Marketing

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