When it comes to software testing, Selenium is one of the most popular tools. And while there’s no single right way to approach Selenium testing, creating comprehensive test cases is a critical part of the process. In this blog post, we’ll look at some tips for writing effective Selenium test cases. So if you’re new to Selenium or just looking to brush up on your skills, keep reading!
What is Selenium?
Selenium is an open-source framework for automated testing of web applications. Specifically, Selenium tests can be written to simulate how a user would interact with a website and then run those tests in real-time against any supported browser. After that, you can compile the results into a report showing which tests were successful and which were not.
While Selenium is typically used for functional testing, it can also be used for automated cross-browser testing of web apps. That means you can test websites across different browsers and operating systems to identify any compatibility issues during the process. This often comes in handy when your website needs to support multiple devices or users with varying screen sizes and resolutions.
What Makes a Good Test Case?
Writing good Selenium test cases takes time and practice to get right. However, one of the most important things you can do is make sure each test case covers only one specific scenario. You should also try to limit your tests to no more than five steps to keep them focused and streamlined.
Some other best practices for writing Selenium test cases include:
- Avoid writing tests when you don’t have a clear idea of what the expected outcome should be. This will help ensure your tests are mapped to specific functionalities rather than just arbitrary scripts.
- Use descriptive names for all of your test case variables, including your test variables. This makes it easier to read through each of your test cases, but it can also help identify any missing or unnecessary steps pretty quickly.
- Make sure all of the input data for each step comes from some source that’s easy to change. For example, if you’re including static text in a test case, then all of the corresponding input data should come from someplace that’s easy to update, like an Excel spreadsheet.
Now let’s take a closer look at how to write effective Selenium test cases.
Writing Effective Selenium Test Cases
While writing effective Selenium test cases takes a bit of practice, here are a few tips you can try out to get started:
- Start by going through the requirements for your project and listing all of the functions you’ll need your website to support. Then, narrow those down into specific use cases that describe how each function should work.
- Once you’ve got your use cases mapped out, create test cases for each one. Ensure to include the expected results for each step and any input data you’ll need to enter for those steps to work properly.
- Try to keep each of your test case steps limited to no more than five actions. If needed, you can always add more steps, but you should always keep things streamlined and easy to follow.
- The next step is to run each test case through your website’s functionalities in your browser. If anything unexpected pops up during the process, go back and revise individual test cases to be clear and concise. Don’t be afraid to make several revisions; it’s much better to have solid test cases than ones that don’t do their job properly.
- Now you’re ready to compile all of your results and identify areas where your website may not be working as expected in different browsers. This is when good test case writing skills will truly come into play since you’ll need to go back through all of your test cases and add or remove any lines that may be causing problems.
- If you’re using a Selenium IDE, you’ll probably need to do a bit of manual code editing to ensure it’s compatible with each browser. If you find this process too tedious or time-consuming, consider using a dedicated cross-browser testing qa services instead.
Why HikeQA?
As you can see, a lot goes into creating complete and effective Selenium test cases. And while it may seem like an uphill battle at first, the more time and effort you put into your test cases now, the better they will be in helping you avoid any regression issues down the road.
For some help getting started with your Selenium test cases, reach out and talk to one of our QA services company today. In addition, we can connect you with some of the most experienced testers in the industry who will be happy to lend you a hand.
Final thoughts
Finally, it’s also worth mentioning that you should include some documentation for each test case. This can help describe the purpose of that particular test case and why you’ve chosen to use it. And don’t be afraid to check out some guides or sample documentation from other programmers for inspiration or examples of what to include with your tests.
That’s about it! If you follow these tips, you should be well on your way to writing effective Selenium test cases. Just remember, the more organized and streamlined your tests are, the better results you’ll get out of them during testing sessions. Thanks again for reading, and we hope this has been helpful!
