Sep 04th, 2024 | 
Credo Systemz | 
Career InsightsIntroduction
To automate web browsers and test web applications, Selenium is the leading powerful framework which is widely used across various sectors. It is invaluable for performing various tasks like automated testing, web scraping, and browser automation. Selenium enables developers and testers to simulate user interactions with web applications. This article guides you to understand selenium through the basics of Selenium, from installation to writing your first script.
Selenium
In the automation testing field, Selenium is one of the popular, open-source suite of tools designed to automate web browsers. It supports a wide range of programming languages and browsers, like Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. Selenium is used for testing web applications and execution of test scripts across different browser platforms. The Selenium consists of several components, such as:
- Selenium WebDriver: To interact directly with the browser and mimic user behavior.
- Selenium IDE: An integrated development environment to create tests for Selenium scripts with a record-and-playback tool.
- Selenium Grid: To perform parallel execution of tests across multiple machines and browsers.
- Selenium RC (Remote Control): RC is an older component that has been replaced by WebDriver.
Installation of Selenium
To start using Selenium, the first step is to install the Selenium WebDriver and any one of programming language, like Python, Java, or C#. Python is the more preferred programming language as it is beginner- friendly with easy syntax.
Prerequisites
Python: Ensure the availability of Python IDE in the system. It can be downloaded from the official websites. pip: Python’s package installer is usually included with Python.
Installing Selenium
To install selenium, open a command prompt or terminal and run the following command to install Selenium via pip:
pip install selenium
Setting Up WebDriver Download the appropriate WebDriver for the chosen browser and operating system. To interface with the chosen web browser, selenium requires a WebDriver. Place the Webdriver in the directory included in the system’s PATH environment variable. Each browser has its corresponding WebDriver:
Writing Your First Selenium Script
Now let’s write a simple script to automate a web browser as you have installed selenium and set up WebDriver.
Step 1: Import Selenium and Set Up WebDriver
Step 2: Open the specific URL
Step 3: Interaction with Web Elements
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Step 4: Closing the Browser
Start the process by importing the Selenium WebDriver module and setting up the browser’s WebDriver.
from selenium import webdriver
# Set up the WebDriver
driver = webdriver.Chrome() Next, instruct the browser to open the website using a specific URL.
# Open a website
driver.get("https://www.google.com") To interact with various web elements such as input fields and buttons.
# Find the search box using its name attribute value
search_box = driver.find_element_by_name("q") #
Type a search query
search_box.send_keys("Selenium WebDriver")
# Submit the search search_box.submit() Finally, close the browser once the task is completed.
# Close the browser driver.quit()
</mp></code>
<p>
Complete selenium Script
<br>
Here’s the complete script combining all the steps:
<br>
from selenium import webdriver
</p>
<code><xmp>
# Set up the WebDriver
driver = webdriver.Chrome()
# Open Google driver.get("https://www.google.com")
# Find the search box and type a query
search_box = driver.find_element_by_name("q") search_box.send_keys("Selenium WebDriver")
# Submit the search search_box.submit()
# Close the browser
driver.quit()
Conclusion
To sum up, Selenium is the evergreen, versatile framework for the automation of web browsers, testing web applications and performing repetitive tasks. As a beginner, follow the above instructions for installation and writing basic scripts. To expertise in the Selenium framework, Credo Systemz is the best selenium training institute in Chennai. The professional trainers deliver the practical based training to master the skills of automation testing using selenium. As familiarizing with the basics of Selenium, you can create powerful scripts to suit based on your automation needs.
Join Credo Systemz Software Courses in Chennai at Credo Systemz OMR, Credo Systemz Velachery to kick-start or uplift your career path.