Selenium is one of the household names in the world of automated web application testing. This is because it has been present in this market for over 10 years now and has managed to create a positive reputation with its simplicity and ease of access. This detailed case study blog article focuses on Selenium WebDriver APIs, their differences, various components and more.

Automation testing practices are gaining a lot of popularity as we are slowly moving towards app development that will be completely dominated by high-quality quick application delivery cycles. So, app developers need to try and integrate both of these advanced technologies in their application development process. Some other practices can help modern application developers and testers utilize the most out of their automated Selenium test cycle.

The Selenium WebDriver is one of the most important components in the Selenium test suite. It provides various APIs based on the requirements of the application undergoing the development process. We will understand some of the most useful WebDriver APIs available in Selenium with this article. We will also understand the role of various tools and platforms in the execution of proper Selenium-based automation test cases.

The base of automation testing

To understand the influence of Selenium in the modern automation testing industry, we must have a clear idea about the basic concept of test automation. For the understanding of new developers and testers, we can define this advanced process as a way to eliminate human involvement in the application testing cycle. This is because while using automation testing, the system will utilize a text file consisting of all the important parameters, data sets, and other commands that will facilitate it to communicate with the app like a human.

Based on these interactions, the system will generate a detailed report showing the simplicity, stability, and usability of the application. So, the developers and testers can understand the report and conclude the app is ready to be released to the open market.

As per the requirements of the application undergoing the development project, the developers can also make significant changes in the test file to ensure that the results are customized and accurate. They also have the freedom to easily store, maintain and reuse huge segments of the test code in future app development projects. However, they must be cautious of the initial investment challenges that come with test automation.

This is because app companies need to integrate multiple tools, libraries, and plugins that are critical for the proper execution of automation testing. Therefore, we suggest that the companies must have enough resources to justify this investment.

Selenium and its component tools

Selenium is an open-source project that has multiple tools under its umbrella to assist developers in initiating and executing automation testing on modern web applications. All the tools present in this suite aim to help at different stages of the application development process. Since it is open source, the app developers do not have to worry about any significant charges for using its features. It is worth mentioning that Selenium is based on the universally used well-known programming language JavaScript.

Thus, they will not witness any software constraint issues while working with this tool. Selenium WebDriver APIs has witnessed some major updates that have aimed at adding new tools and features to ensure that it can stand up to the expectations of modern testing standards.

We would like to warn the developers that Selenium will only be useful when they’re working with web applications. For other alternatives like native apps, hybrid apps, and cross-platform apps, the app developers will be forced to look for an alternative. Now let us understand the role of all the tools present in the Selenium suit:

• First, we would like to talk about the Selenium WebDriver as it is the most important component of the entire suite. With this tool, the developers can initiate the test cases and ensure that they are being conducted on the correct target element of the web application. Selenium WebDriver can also run all the test cases in their native environment of the web browser without requiring any dedicated test engine. This is one of the primary reasons why many developers consider the WebDriver as an updated version of the previously present remote controller.
• The Selenium Integrated Development Environment helps the developer to initiate all the automation test cases in a codeless format. This means while using this tool, they only have to interact with the application like a normal user to generate the test cases. Since the test scripts are generated based on real user interaction, they are highly accurate in judging the performance of the application based on real-world parameters.
• Next, the Selenium client API helps the developers to write the test cases in case it is required by the application development project. While using this tool, they aren’t bound by any form of contemporary limitations so they can choose any of their preferred programming languages like JavaScript, Python, and Ruby.
• Finally, the Selenium grid is highly useful considering the thousands of elements that are present in modern applications. This is because while using this tool, they can run and execute multiple test instances at the same time. This tool also allows modern developers to run all the test cases on multiple machines and configurations side-by-side. For performing this feature, it uses the principle of a hub communicating with multiple nodes.

Various Selenium WebDriver APIs

While working with Selenium, the application developers can access multiple WebDriver APIs to interact with multiple web browsers. Using these APIs, the developers can also automate various browser actions and perform tasks like form filling, navigation, and element interaction. Some of the common and most used WebDriver APIs present in Selenium are as follows:

• ChromeDriver: With the help of this API, the developers can automate the test cases on the Google Chrome browser. This API is present in the Selenium project, and it is compatible with all the operational versions of Google Chrome. This means that it can use be used even on the older versions of Google Chrome.
• FirefoxDriver: With the help of this driver, you can automate all the important web-based test cases on Mozilla Firefox. The Selenium project provides the Firefox driver that is compatible with all versions of Mozilla Firefox.
• SafariDriver: Safari is the native web browser that is developed and maintained by Apple. Safari owns a huge segment of the market share on both mobile and desktop platforms. So, with the help of the Safari WebDriver, the developers can easily verify the functioning of web applications on all versions of this web browser. It is also worth mentioning that this WebDriver API is natively provided by Apple as part of the SafariDriver extension.
• EdgeDriver: Microsoft Edge is often considered the updated and revolutionized version of the previously present Internet Explorer. With the Edge WebDriver API, you can easily automate the test cases on the native environment of this web browser.  It is useful on all versions of Microsoft Edge and even on future updates.
• Internet Explorer Driver: It is worth mentioning that even now, a huge segment of the audience base is stuck on Internet Explorer. So, app developers need to guarantee the stability of their web applications on this browser. With the help of this Internet Explorer API, the developers can easily accomplish this goal.
• OperaDriver: With the help of the Opera driver, you can automate the web browser test cases on this browser. It is present in a native environment of the Selenium project and is supported on all versions of the Opera browser. Opera browser is one of the relatively new browsers that is starting to gain a lot of popularity in the modern market.
• RemoteWebDriver: With the help of this WebDriver API, developers can start and execute the automation test cases on a remote machine. It also provides an effective way that allows to connect with multiple remote Selenium servers and control the cross-browser test cases that are being executed on these servers. Remote testing also helps to remove geolocation barriers on the test cycles. Remote testing can also come in handy when the application developers are outsourcing a huge segment of the test code.

Influence of tools and platforms in Selenium based automation testing

Multiple tools and platforms are available in the market that can benefit Selenium WebDriver APIs and automation test cases. These tools can help in terms of test efficiency, test tracking, and overall quality of the app undergoing the development process. For instance, the use of cloud platforms eliminates the requirements of having an onsite device testing lab. These labs were usually used by the app companies for verifying the physical features of an application based on multiple user inputs.

However, with cloud platforms, app developers and testers can achieve similar test results while starting and executing all the important test cases over remote servers. These remote servers provide access to hundreds of real devices including those that are no longer available on the market. Let us learn more about the current status of cloud-based testing with the help of LambdaTest as a reference point:

LambdaTest is a unified digital experience testing platform that allows you to perform automation testing across 3000+ browsers and operating systems. Cross-browser testing verifies the stability of the application in terms of changes in the operating system, browser version, or any other software or hardware parameters.

LambdaTest improves the test efficiency by multiple times with the help of parallel test execution. Other than running the automation test cases from Selenium, you can also import the test files from popular alternatives like Cypress and Playwright. LambdaTest can run Selenium test cases simultaneously on more than 3000 modern browsers. This platform is also an excellent choice for verifying the integrity of locally hosted web pages.

Conclusion

If you came so far, you had gathered a huge information regarding Selenium WebDriver APIs, their differences, use cases and components. It will help the you to properly plan the test cases according to the requirements. Moreover, the modern market survey reveals that only 66% of the app development community has transitioned to complete automation testing practices.

We will recommend the remaining section of the industry start the transition as test automation will continue to dominate the upcoming app market. In this regard, the developers and testers should also learn and update their knowledge about all the trends, innovations, and additions in this segment. Lastly, it is very important for them to correctly choose the automation tools and platforms as it can massively influence the testing capabilities of the app company.