Running a Test Script With Selenium WebDriver and Appium Libraries: Step by Step

Selenium WebDriver and Appium are important libraries for software automation testing. Selenium mobile testing is primarily employed to test web applications across various browsers. On the other hand, Appium is used to test mobile applications on Android and iOS platforms in a streamlined way.

In this article, we will look into how one can run test scripts using Selenium WebDriver and Appium. Upon following the described steps, testers and developers will be capable of automating web and mobile app tests effectively. This is important in improving software quality and development effectiveness.

Understanding Selenium WebDriver

Selenium WebDriver is famous for its open source properties, and it is also known to be a major and one of the most functional parts of the Selenium ecosystem.

Basically, we can consider it as an Application Programming Interface (API) for browser automation. Its primary function is to test web applications, and then you can do minimal tasks requiring browser automation.

Selenium WebDriver has similar capabilities to humans to automate web browsers, and it takes into account the scripts to do the same. It functions on programming languages like Java, Python, and C#. It is widely known that it can seamlessly automate Chrome, Firefox, and Safari browsers.

Selenium WebDriver also offers a set of drivers for a set of browsers, such as ChromeDriver for Google Chrome, and thus supports the same tests to be executed on various browsers without modifying the code. It simplifies testing as it allows one interface to speak to web elements.

Setting Up Selenium WebDriver

To seamlessly install Selenium WebDriver, you should consider installing a very trusted Integrated Development Environment (IDE) like Eclipse or IntelliJ IDEA first, and then do install the Java Development Kit (JDK)

After that do download the Selenium WebDriver library and add it to your project’s dependency section. Download the browser driver for the testing browser, i.e., ChromeDriver. Install your IDE such that it will recognize these drivers and libraries and write and execute tests efficiently.

Understanding Appium

Appium is an open-source tool at no cost to test mobile applications on both Android and iOS Operating Systems (OSs). It is useful for Quality Assurance (QA) teams to test on two platforms using one code.

Appium not only uses major programming languages like Java, Python, but also languages like Ruby. We can say that Appium is different from Selenium because Appium tests the native and hybrid apps and mobile websites. On the other hand, Selenium tests on the web only.

The feature of Appium to test native and hybrid apps helps to leverage various test requirements with the need for just a single person to author the tests and testing on tons of devices. Appium is free to use and has Java, Python, and Ruby support.

Setting Up Appium

Appium can be used by having Node.js installed on your system and leveraging the Node Package Manager (NPM). After installing NPM, you will have the Appium server installed and the required drivers for the appropriate devices, for example, Android Studio for Android or Xcode for iOS. You will then need to start the Appium server and start writing test scripts.

Writing Your First Test Script with Selenium WebDriver

It is extremely simple and fun to write your first test script using the efficient features of Selenium WebDriver. Here is a step-by-step guide for writing your first test script using Selenium WebDriver.

1. Initializing the WebDriver: Initialize the WebDriver, which operates the browser. Use ChromeDriver, FirefoxDriver, or some other driver based on your browser.
2. Navigation to a web page: Navigate to a particular URL in the browser using the get method. For instance, you can navigate to “https://www.example.com” using driver.get().
3. Web element retrieval: Retrieve web elements from the webpage via the medium of XPath or CSS selectors. Both are utilized to identify buttons, text fields, etc.
4. Executing actions: Execute actions on the discovered objects by clicking buttons with clicks, typing text, or performing other actions with methods like click() or sendKeys().
5. Checking results: After you’ve done something, check if the results are as you would like. Say something about results, i.e., check if there is some text on the page.

With these steps, you can now craft your first Selenium test script and automate simple actions efficiently.

Writing Your First Test Script with Appium

To develop your first test script with Appium, simply follow these steps.

1. Initializing the Appium Driver: You can easily start by installing the Appium client for your chosen programming language. For Python, use pip install Appium-Python-Client. This allows your code to communicate with Appium.

2. Launching an Application: Define capabilities in your code. These capabilities tell Appium what device and app to use. For example, specify platformName, deviceName, appPackage, and appActivity.

3. Locating Mobile Elements: After that, swiftly use methods like find_element to locate elements in your app. You can very promptly find elements by their ID, class name, or XPath.

4. Performing Actions: Then don’t forget to use commands to interact with the elements. For instance, you can use, use .click() to tap a button or .send_keys() to enter text.

5. Validating Outcomes: After performing the actions step, do check if the expected results occur. After that, you can use the assertions feature to verify that the app behaves as intended.

Running the Test Scripts

Test scripts are like recipes for testing software. They have steps to check if the software works correctly. These scripts help find problems in the software. Testers use these scripts to make sure everything works as it should.

Good test scripts are clear and easy to follow. They make testing faster and more accurate. Test scripts can be used again and again. This saves time and effort in the long run.

There are different ways to write test scripts. You can record actions or write code. Using test scripts makes software testing better and more reliable. They are very important for making sure software is high quality. They also help in meeting the needs of the users.

Execution of Selenium Test Scripts

Here are the steps to execute Selenium WebDriver-based test scripts:

1. Write Selenium Test Scripts: To create scripts in languages like Python or Java, you should instruct the browser actions like clicking buttons and entering text. The easy scripts automate interactions with web browsers to test websites.
2. Set Up Selenium WebDriver: You also need a Selenium WebDriver to quickly and effectively control the browser you wish to test on. The WebDriver sends commands from your script to the browser driver.
3. Configure the Browser: Also, choose and configure the browser you want to use for testing, such as Chrome or Firefox. After that, make sure that the website works correctly on different browsers.
4. Run Scripts Locally: To run scripts locally, ensure you have the necessary software and drivers installed beforehand. Executing scripts locally helps in quick testing and debugging.
5. Implement Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) Pipelines: After that do integrate your Selenium tests into a CI/CD pipeline for automated testing when code changes occur. After that, set up the pipeline to run tests in different environments to ensure proper configuration for each.
6. Execute the Script: Run the test script using a test executor like JUnit or TestNG, or directly through your IDE. The WebDriver automates the browser as per the instructions in your script.
7. Verify Actions and Information: Use assertions in your script to confirm that expected results match actual outcomes. Request element information to validate text, values, or other attributes.
8. Close the WebDriver: After the tests are complete, close the browser instance to end the session. This terminates the driver process and cleans up resources.

Execution of Appium Test Scripts

Here are the steps to execute Appium test scripts:

1. Install Appium: Ensure that Appium is installed on your system.
2. Set up SDKs: You need the Android SDK or Xcode for iOS to run the scripts
3. Write Test Scripts: Write the automation script containing the steps for executing automated tests on the app. The scripts tell the app what actions to perform, like tapping buttons or entering text.
4. Configure Capabilities: Create a list of “Capabilities” (parameters) to pass to the Appium server so Appium understands what type of thing you want to automate.
5. Start Appium Server: Ensure that you have an Appium server running on another terminal window before you execute the test. The server gets instructions from the test script and interprets them as automation operations.
6. Execute Scripts: Appium scripts can be executed on real phones or emulators. Real devices are more accurate, but emulators are best for rapid testing. To execute using real devices, plug the phone into your computer and enable USB debugging if prompted. For emulators, create an emulator in Android Studio.
7. Verify Results: Assertions should be used to verify that the expected results match the actual outcomes.
8. Debugging: Debug the script if there are any errors. Provide clear error messages when issues arise during script execution.
9. Test on Several Devices: Testing scripts both on actual devices and emulators catches various issues and makes the app perform optimally on all devices.
10. Parallel Testing: Cloud testing using platforms also supports parallel testing, which means you can execute numerous tests simultaneously, accelerating the test process.

Role of Cloud in Running a Test Script

Cloud technology proves to be an excellent aid in executing test scripts, particularly using tools such as Selenium WebDriver and Appium. Appium is a spinoff of Selenium but supports testing on Android and iOS mobile applications.

Rather than your own devices and machines, the cloud offers you access to a lot of different browsers, OSs, and even actual mobile phones in emulator form. Use of cloud to test makes it easier to know if your website or application operates well on lots of different devices and browsers.

LambdaTest is one such very efficient platform that offers you access to 5000 plus real devices and browsers to execute your tests on, ensuring a mobile-friendly test. LambdaTest is an Ai-native cloud testing feature that also supports parallel testing that helps you to execute several tests simultaneously, accelerating the testing process.

LambdaTest can also benefit teams in making their testing process more efficient and delivering sound mobile-friendly tests. It also offers additional features such as geolocation testing that can help you to test your app or site from many locations around the globe in just one click.

Best Practices for Writing Test Scripts

The following are the best practices for writing test scripts:

• Keep Code Simple and Clear

Write short and easy-to-understand sentences. Avoid unnecessary complexity to ensure readability for everyone involved.

• Use Comments to Explain

Add comments to clarify tricky or important parts of the script. This helps others understand your code easily when they review or maintain it later.

• Use Assertions

Verify that the expected results match the actual outcomes. This practice helps catch mistakes early in the testing process, ensuring higher quality.

• Handle Errors Properly

Provide clear error messages when issues arise during script execution. This makes debugging faster and more efficient, saving time and resources.

• Focus on Readability and Efficiency

Write clean, organized scripts that save time and improve test quality. This approach results in better testing outcomes and easier maintenance.

Conclusion

To conclude, Selenium WebDriver and Appium are important tools for automation testing. They help testers check if software works correctly. Selenium is great for web applications, while Appium is used for mobile apps. Using these tools saves time and makes testing easier. They allow testers to run many tests quickly. This helps find problems early in the development process.

Learning to use Selenium and Appium can improve your testing skills. It is encouraged that testers explore these tools more. Also, try creating complex test scenarios to see how powerful they can be. Automation testing is a valuable skill in today’s tech world.