Selenium Background

In the world of automated testing, Selenium WebDriver has emerged as a popular tool for web application testing. It provides a comprehensive set of browser commands that enable testers to interact with web browsers programmatically. In this article, we will explore some essential Selenium Webdriver Browser commands with examples, accompanied by relevant examples using Java.

Introduction

Selenium WebDriver is a powerful open-source framework that allows testers to automate web browser actions. It supports various programming languages, including Java, Python, Perl, etc., and provides a rich set of browser commands to perform different tasks.

WebDriver Setup

Before diving into the Selenium webdriver browser commands with examples, let’s set up Selenium WebDriver in a Java project. Follow these steps:

1. Install the latest version of Java Development Kit (JDK).
2. Download the Selenium WebDriver Java bindings from the official Selenium website.
3. Configure the WebDriver Java bindings in your Java project.

Opening a Webpage

To start interacting with a web page, we first need to open it using WebDriver. The following code demonstrates how to open a webpage using Selenium WebDriver with Java:

Without Webdriver Manager:

import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver;

public class WebDriverExample {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        System.setProperty("webdriver.chrome.driver", "path/to/chromedriver");
        WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();
        driver.get("https://www.example.com");
    }
}

In order to see how to do it with Webdriver Manager, click on this.

Navigation Commands

Once a webpage is loaded, we can use navigation commands to move back and forth or refresh the page. Here are some common navigation commands:

• navigate().to("url"): Loads a new web page.
• navigate().back(): Moves back to the previous page.
• navigate().forward(): Moves forward to the next page.
• navigate().refresh(): Refreshes the current page.

Interacting with Web Elements by using Selenium Webdriver Browser Commands with Examples

Selenium WebDriver allows us to interact with web elements on a page, such as buttons, text fields, dropdowns, etc. Here are some commonly used commands:

• findElement(By locator): Finds a single web element based on the specified locator.
• findElements(By locator): Finds multiple web elements based on the specified locator.
• sendKeys("text"): Enters text into an input field.
• click(): Clicks on a web element.
• getText(): Retrieves the text of a web element.

import org.openqa.selenium.By;
import org.openqa.selenium.WebElement;

// Find a button element and click on it
WebElement button = driver.findElement(By.id("buttonId"));
button.click();

// Find an input field and enter text into it
WebElement inputField = driver.findElement(By.name("inputName"));
inputField.sendKeys("Hello, World!");

// Find a paragraph element and retrieve its text
WebElement paragraph = driver.findElement(By.className("paragraphClass"));
String text = paragraph.getText();

Browser Window Handling

Selenium WebDriver also provides commands to handle multiple browser windows or tabs. Here are some commonly used window handling commands:

• getWindowHandle(): Retrieves the handle of the current window.
• getWindowHandles(): Retrieves the handles of all open windows.
• switchTo().window(handle): Switches to a specific window based on its handle.

// Get the current window handle
String currentWindowHandle = driver.getWindowHandle();

// Get all window handles
Set<String> windowHandles = driver.getWindowHandles();

// Switch to a specific window
driver.switchTo().window(windowHandle);

In Selenium, a window handle refers to a unique identifier assigned to each browser window or tab that is opened by the WebDriver. When multiple windows or tabs are open, each window is assigned a distinct window handle.

The window handle allows the WebDriver to interact with a specific browser window or tab. It serves as an identifier that helps WebDriver differentiate between different windows or tabs when performing actions such as switching between them, closing them, or retrieving information specific to a particular window.

Using the getWindowHandle() the method in Selenium WebDriver, you can obtain the window handle of the currently focused window. This handle is usually a string value.

Additionally, the getWindowHandles() the method returns a set of all the window handles currently open in the browser session. This set allows you to iterate through the handles and perform actions on each window individually.

By utilizing window handles, you can automate scenarios where you need to switch between multiple browser windows or tabs, interact with elements specific to a particular window, or verify information across different windows in your Selenium test automation.

Executing JavaScript

Sometimes, we may need to execute JavaScript code on a web page using Selenium WebDriver. This can be achieved using the executeScript() command. Here’s an example:

// Execute JavaScript code
String script = "document.getElementById('elementId').setAttribute('value', 'New Value')";
driver.executeScript(script);

The below code demonstrates the usage of Selenium WebDriver browser commands with examples in a single class:

import org.openqa.selenium.By;
import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;
import org.openqa.selenium.WebElement;
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver;
import java.util.Set;

public class DoWhileLearn {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        // WebDriver setup
        System.setProperty("webdriver.chrome.driver", "path/to/chromedriver");
        WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();

        // Opening a webpage
        driver.get("https://www.example.com");

        // Navigation commands
        driver.navigate().to("https://www.example.com");
        driver.navigate().back();
        driver.navigate().forward();
        driver.navigate().refresh();

        // Interacting with web elements
        WebElement button = driver.findElement(By.id("buttonId"));
        button.click();
        WebElement inputField = driver.findElement(By.name("inputName"));
        inputField.sendKeys("Hello, World!");
        WebElement paragraph = driver.findElement(By.className("paragraphClass"));
        String text = paragraph.getText();

        // Browser window handling
        String currentWindowHandle = driver.getWindowHandle();
        Set<String> windowHandles = driver.getWindowHandles();
        driver.switchTo().window(windowHandle);

        // Executing JavaScript
        String script = "document.getElementById('elementId').setAttribute('value', 'New Value')";
        driver.executeScript(script);

        // Close the browser
        driver.quit();
    }
}

Conclusion

In this article, we have explored some essential browser commands in Selenium WebDriver using Java examples. These commands enable testers to automate web browser actions and interact with web elements effectively. Selenium WebDriver provides a powerful and flexible platform for web application testing, and mastering these browser commands is crucial for efficient test automation.

FAQs

Q1: Can I use Selenium WebDriver with languages other than Java?

Yes, Selenium WebDriver supports various programming languages, including Python, C#, Ruby, and JavaScript.

Q2: How can I wait for an element to appear on the page before performing an action?

You can use explicit waits in Selenium WebDriver to wait for a specific condition to be satisfied before proceeding with the next steps.

Q3: Are there any limitations to using Selenium WebDriver for browser automation?

Selenium WebDriver relies on the browser’s native support for automation, so it may have some limitations with certain web elements or complex web applications. However, WebDriver provides workarounds for most common scenarios.

Q4: Is it possible to take screenshots of the web page using Selenium WebDriver?

Yes, Selenium WebDriver provides methods to capture screenshots of the web page, which can be useful for debugging or generating reports.

Q5: Can I run Selenium WebDriver tests in parallel?

Yes, Selenium WebDriver supports running tests in parallel by utilizing frameworks like TestNG or JUnit.

In conclusion, Selenium WebDriver browser commands offer a robust set of functionalities for automating web browser actions. By utilizing these commands effectively and with the help of programming languages like Java, testers can build powerful and reliable automated test scripts. Mastering Selenium WebDriver is an essential skill for any professional involved in web application testing. So, start exploring the possibilities and enhance your testing capabilities today!