Numino Training Web Application Test Automation using Selenium ROBOT

Overview

In the fast-evolving landscape of web application development, ensuring the reliability and performance of applications is critical. Manual testing, while effective in certain scenarios, often falls short when it comes to handling repetitive tasks, large test suites, and quick release cycles. This is where test automation becomes invaluable.

When it comes to automation, there are a variety of options available. Choosing the right tool depends on several factors—support for multiple programming languages, ease of use, an active community, and continuous evolution to keep up with modern development needs.

Selenium ROBOT emerges as a strong contender. Selenium stands out as a widely adopted automation framework that supports multiple languages such as Java, Python, and C#. It is open-source, making it cost-effective, and boasts a strong community that continuously enhances its features. Additionally, Selenium provides robust support for cross-browser testing, allowing testers to validate applications across different environments efficiently. Further, It integrates with other tools for comprehensive automation without licensing fees, bolstered by a rich community with hundreds of 3rd party libraries making it an ideal choice for automation testing.

This case study explores the development of a Selenium-based robot designed to automate the testing of a web application. The primary goal was to enhance the efficiency, accuracy, and consistency of the testing process while reducing the manual effort required. By leveraging Selenium’s powerful automation capabilities, the project aimed to streamline regression testing, improve test coverage, and accelerate the overall software release cycle.

Project Info

Category

Test Automation

Tags

  • Selenium
  • ROBOT
  • Python

Problem Statement

Manual testing of web applications is time-consuming, error-prone, and inefficient, especially for large applications with frequent updates. Automating the testing process can significantly reduce the time and effort required for testing, ensure consistency, and improve the overall quality of the software. The objective of this project is to develop a Selenium-based robot that can automate the testing process for a web application, ensuring that all functionalities are tested thoroughly and accurately.

Features

Automated Test Execution
Automated Test Execution
Run test scripts automatically without human intervention.
Cross-Browser Testing
Cross-Browser Testing
Support for multiple web browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc.).
Data-Driven Testing
Data-Driven Testing
Ability to run tests with different sets of data inputs.
Reporting
Reporting
Generate detailed test reports, including pass/fail status, screenshots of failures, and logs.
Integration with CI/CD
Integration with CI/CD
Seamless integration with Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipelines.
Scalability
Scalability
Support for parallel test execution to reduce overall test execution time.
Error Handling
Error Handling
Error handling and recovery mechanisms.

Technology Stack

Programming Languages

DevOps and Containerization

Test Automation Tools

Test Runner

Reporting Tools

Browsers

Architecture

Key Components​

<span class="mil-accent">Test Scripts</span>
Test Scripts
Contains the automated test cases written in Python using Selenium WebDriver.

<span class="mil-accent">Reporting Layer </span>
Reporting Layer
Allure Report or HTML Test Runner to generate detailed and visually appealing test reports.
<span class="mil-accent">Test Runner </span>
Test Runner
PyTest is used to execute the test scripts, handle test setups and teardowns, and generate test results.
<span class="mil-accent">CI/CD Integration </span>
CI/CD Integration
Jenkins or GitHub Actions to automate the execution of tests as part of the CI/CD pipeline.
<span class="mil-accent">Data Layer </span>
Data Layer
CSV or Excel files used for data-driven testing, providing different sets of input data for the test cases.
<span class="mil-accent">Browsers </span>
Browsers
Selenium WebDriver instances for different browsers to support cross-browser testing.

Implementation

<h5 data-elementor-setting-key="title" data-pen-placeholder="Type Here..." style="text-transform: none;">Setup Selenium WebDriver<span style="font-size: 22px; text-transform: unset;"></span></h5>
Setup Selenium WebDriver
  • Install Selenium WebDriver and the required browser drivers (e.g., ChromeDriver, GeckoDriver).
  • Write initialization scripts to launch and configure browser instances.
    • <h5 data-elementor-setting-key="title" data-pen-placeholder="Type Here..." style="text-transform: none;">Write Test Cases<span style="font-size: 22px; text-transform: unset;"></span></h5>
    Write Test Cases
  • Identify the functionalities to be tested and write corresponding test cases using Selenium WebDriver and Python.
  • Use PyTest fixtures for setup and teardown processes.
    • <h5 data-elementor-setting-key="title" data-pen-placeholder="Type Here..." style="text-transform: none;">Data-Driven Testing <span style="font-size: 22px; text-transform: unset;"></span></h5>
    Data-Driven Testing
  • Use CSV or Excel files to provide different sets of input data.
  • Implement data-driven tests that read input data and execute test cases for each data set.
    • <h5 class="elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default elementor-inline-editing pen" data-elementor-setting-key="title" data-pen-placeholder="Type Here..." style="text-transform: none;">Reporting</h5>
    Reporting
  • Integrate Allure Report or HTML Test Runner to generate detailed test reports.
  • Capture screenshots on test failures for better debugging.
    • <h5 data-elementor-setting-key="title" data-pen-placeholder="Type Here..." style="text-transform: none;">CI/CD Integration<span style="font-size: 22px; text-transform: unset;"></span></h5>
    CI/CD Integration
  • Configure Jenkins or GitHub Actions to trigger test execution automatically on code changes or at scheduled intervals.
  • Ensure test results are published and accessible through the CI/CD pipeline.
    • <h5 data-elementor-setting-key="title" data-pen-placeholder="Type Here..." style="text-transform: none;">Error Handling and Logging<span style="font-size: 22px; text-transform: unset;"></span></h5>
    Error Handling and Logging
  • Implement robust error handling to manage unexpected issues during test execution.
  • Log detailed information to assist in debugging and identifying the root cause of failures.

    • Results

    Test Coverage
    Test Coverage

    Successfully automated all features of the application, demonstrating the robustness of the framework and its powerful capabilities.




    Execution Time
    Execution Time

    Achieved an average test case execution time of 25 seconds, ensuring efficient and timely test completion.





    Reporting Insights
    Reporting Insights
    Standardized reports capture execution time for each test, providing insights into test case outcomes—whether passed, failed, or skipped—while also including comprehensive logs and screenshots to facilitate failure analysis.

    Reporting screenshots​