Considering the current status of the application development market, we can easily say that it is very important for application developers to efficiently adopt automation testing practices. This is because, with the proper implementation of automation testing processes like Selenium testing, app developers can massively improve the efficiency of the testing process and also expand the quality of the app undergoing the development process. Selenium TestNG automation testing is a very efficient process of verifying the proper performance of modern web applications. Moreover, Selenium is one of the market leaders in the segment of web-based automation testing that has managed to maintain one of the top positions for over a decade.
With this article, we will guide the new application developers and testers through the test case setup process and also how to execute the automation test cases with Selenium TestNG. We will also discuss some of the best practices, tools, and platforms that will help the application developers and testers in this advanced testing process.
The Process of Automation Testing
Before we proceed towards the execution of Selenium-based TestNG automation test cases, the application developers must have a detailed idea about the test automation process as a whole. In simple terms, we can define it as the process of eliminating a human testing team in the application testing process. Instead, the system will use a text file that will consist of various data, parameters, and information that will allow it to emulate human interactions. Based on these communications, the system can analyze whether the application is stable, functional, and responsive to user interactions. After this process, the system will generate a detailed report which will conclude whether the application is ready to be released to the open market.
It is also possible to make significant changes in the application Test file to ensure that the final reports are customized according to the requirements of the application undergoing the development process. On the other hand, app developers can also easily store and reuse the test code in future app development projects. However, the initial investment in test automation is very high. This is because companies need to invest a significant amount in integrating various tools, plugins, and libraries that are critical for the efficiency of test automation. So, it is very important to have enough revenue sources to sustain this investment.
Understanding Selenium and TestNG
Selenium is an open-source test automation suit that consists of multiple tools for verifying the performance of web applications. Since its initial introduction in 2004, Selenium has gone through major updates to add various features and improve its functioning. While using Selenium, the application developers can access all of its features and a massive community of tech enthusiasts without any additional charge. However, the developers must remember that Selenium is only useful when they are working with web applications. So, for other apps like hybrid apps and cross-platform apps, they have to look for an alternative in the market. Some of the tools present in the Selenium suit are:
- The Selenium WebDriver for initiating and executing the automation test cases in the native environment of a web browser.
- The Selenium integrated development environment generates automated test cases based on user interactions in real time.
- The Selenium Client API generates the automation test cases in any of the popular programming languages like JavaScript, Python, Ruby, and many others.
- The Selenium Grid initiates and executes the automation test cases in a parallel configuration on multiple devices and machines at the same time.
We can define TestNG as a modern testing framework that is inspired by JUnit and NUnit. With the help of this framework, the application developers can make the automation test cases more readable, structured, maintainable, and user-friendly. It also provides various powerful features and test reporting capabilities. The high-end annotations like the data provider present in TestNG make it easier to scale up the automation test cases. This is because it allows us to perform cross-browser test cases across multiple browsers and devices and their variations. While integrating TestNG with Selenium, the application developers can execute the test cases based on a particular group.
This means TestNG has a massive role in improving the efficiency of the hundreds of automation test cases that are required to verify the proper performance of a modern web app.
A Detailed Guide to Selenium TestNG Automation Testing
To Efficiently perform Selenium TestNG automation testing, the application developers must be aware of all the prerequisites and relevant steps for the setup and execution process. We have created a list of the most useful steps in chronological order. They are as follows:
- The first prerequisite for this process is the setup of the development environment. For this process, the application developers have to install the Java development kit on their testing machine. It is also important to install an integrated development environment like Eclipse or IntelliJ Idea. It is very important to ensure that the application developers and testers are downloading all these items from the official website to prevent any exposure to malware.
- After this process, the app developers have to create a new Java project in their preferred IDE. For this process, they have to launch the IDE and choose the new Java project option. It is also important to set up the project structure with all the required dependencies.
- After this step, the application developers have to download the Selenium WebDriver Java bindings from the official Selenium website. After finishing the download and installation process, it is time to add the Selenium WebDriver JAR files to the project classpath.
- Now the application developers have to create a new TestNG test class. It is very important to remember to annotate the class with ‘@test’ in the Java project to ensure that the system recognizes it as a TestNG test class. Next, the application developers have to import all the necessary Selenium and TestNG libraries into this class.
- It is now time to set up the WebDriver for the test case execution process. In this step, the app developers have to initiate the WebDriver object of their own choice like the FirefoxDriver, ChromeDriver, and others. After this step, the application developers have to set the system property for the WebDriver executable depending on their target web browser. The final step in this process is to configure any desired options or capabilities that might be required according to the application undergoing the development project.
- Now it is finally time for the application developers to write their first test case using the Selenium TestNG automation testing environment. It is very important to write the test case within the TestNG test class by creating a new test method and annotating it with ‘@test’. This annotation will allow the system to automatically recognize it as a test case. Now the application developers have to implement the test case using the Selenium WebDriver commands like finding elements, performing actions, and asserting the results after the execution of the testing process.
- It is now time to run the test case using the test class or the test method option that will be present in the IDE. TestNG will execute the test cases using the WebDriver and the application developers will be able to view the test results in a TestNG console or the reports option. The app developers need to preserve the test reports as it will be highly efficient when they move on to the debugging step for removing all the bugs and errors that might be present in the core framework of the app.
- The app developers should try exploring additional features of TestNG like test data management, parallel execution, test dependencies, and assertions. It will help them to maximize the efficiency of the testing process.
- The final step in this process is to add more test cases to ensure that the app developers are verifying the proper performance of all the elements present in a web application. After this step, the app developers have to refactor the test cases and maintain the code. It is a very important step as it will ensure that they can reuse the data. Some of the best practices include the use of page object model design patterns or implementing data-driven testing.
Integration of Tools and Platforms with Selenium Testing
Various tools and platforms can massively benefit from the simplicity of Selenium TestNG automation testing. Moreover, multiple platforms integrate additional features for simplicity and ease of testing. For instance, cloud platforms remove the hassle of having an on-site physical device lab. This is because with these platforms the company developers can access hundreds of devices on remote servers through the internet. Cloud platforms also allow the execution of test cases from anywhere in the world. Finally, with these platforms, app developers can access legacy devices that are no longer available in the industry. We can further improve our knowledge about the influence of cloud platforms by considering LambdaTest as our benchmark point:
For the basic introduction, it is a cloud-based automated cross-browser test platform for web apps. Cross-browser testing is a highly efficient way of verifying app stability irrespective of the user’s change in the operating system, device version, or any other browser parameters. LambdaTest uses various advanced features like parallel test execution to improve the efficiency of the test cases by several times. While using LambdaTest, the application developers can run the automation test cases from not only Selenium but also other popular alternatives like Cypress and Playwright. An interesting fact about this platform is that it can execute the Selenium test cases on more than 3000 modern browsers at the same time. It is also a great choice for verifying the proper performance of locally hosted web pages.
Finally, the combination of hundreds of real devices with thousands of emulations and simulation software massively boosts the accuracy of the test reports.
The Conclusion
With this article, we aim to spread basic awareness regarding the proper execution of Selenium TestNG automation testing. This is because automation testing will continue to gain more and more popularity in the future app development market. So, the app developer should adopt this practice and continue updating their knowledge regarding all the recent automation practices like Selenium Testing. It is also important to choose the correct tools that can complement the development needs. Finally, app companies can conduct frequent awareness campaigns and market studies to have a clear idea about the requirements of their target audience. This information will massively benefit customizing the application and increase its target audience base.
