Common Challenges and Pitfalls that can arise while working with Selenium Python

Selenium has dominated the automation testing industry for almost a decade now. Automation testing has become the market standard for ensuring that you provide the most stable application to your end users. Automation testing also indirectly contributes to maintaining the final app’s quality. The current application development industry has become so complex that it has passed the stage when the developers can complete the testing processes by using only manual test cases.

Currently, app developers can write automation test cases in multiple programming languages like JavaScript, Python, and Ruby. The diversity of programming languages helps developers to create test cases in their preferred programming language. Many developers prefer to write the Selenium automation test cases using the Python programming language. However, there are certain factors that the developers must keep in mind while creating test cases using Python.

So, in this article, we will discuss some of the most common challenges and pitfalls that can arise while using Python with Selenium automation testing. We will also discuss the most common solution to help developers overcome these obstacles.

Introduction to Selenium

Selenium is an open-source umbrella project that helps developers verify the web application’s proper functioning. The primary function of the Selenium test suite is to initiate cross-browser compatibility test cases on web apps. The open-source nature of Selenium makes all of its features accessible to the common people without the need to pay any license fee. Selenium also helps app developers write test cases in multiple programming languages.

Since its initial launch in 2004, Selenium has managed to withhold the top position in the automation testing industry for almost a decade. A fascinating fact about the Selenium automation test suite is that its initial name was JavaScriptTestRunner. The parent company of Selenium came up with this name because it was developed using the JavaScript programming language.

One thing that the new automation testers must be aware of is that Selenium can only be used to perform testing of web applications. Considering the variety of the modern app development market, these restrictions can massively cripple the development capabilities of almost all app development companies. This is a significant factor that all developers must consider before integrating Selenium into their test bench.

Components of Selenium Test Suite

Now that we have finished creating a basic image of the Selenium test suit, it is time to look at all its components. It is worth noting that all the tools present in the Selenium test suite are meant to serve a specific purpose during the application development process. They are as follows:

1. Selenium WebDriver

It is the most important component of the entire test suite. This is because the Selenium WebDriver is not only responsible for initiating the testing processes but also executing them on the target elements of a web application. Selenium WebDriver is a better version compared to the Selenium remote controller. This is because, it does not require a native engine for proper functioning. This tool has the capability of directly communicating with all the elements present within a web browser. This can also maintain an activity log for all the active test cases.

2. Selenium Grid

It is responsible for initiating parallel testing on web applications. Parallel testing is a modern testing practice that helps developers initiate multiple testing configurations simultaneously. Many experts believe that parallel testing further helps to improve the efficiency of automation test cases and complete the entire testing process within a few days. Selenium Grid uses the principle of a hub connected to several nodes for its functioning. In this process, the hub will receive the test case, analyze it and forward it to the respective node for the execution process.

3. Selenium IDE (Integrated Development Environment)

Selenium IDE is responsible for creating the test cases for initiating the automation testing processes. It takes a unique approach to ensure that the test cases are relevant to modern real-world standards. This is because to use this process; the developers have to access the web application like a normal user. The system will then continue to analyze the interaction and create the test cases accordingly. So, this process uses the real-time approach, the developer can witness the test case generation process in front of their eyes.

Common Challenges and Pitfalls while Using Selenium with Python

Python is one of the most common programming languages that is used in the present development environment. So, it is one of the most common practices for app developers to try and integrate Python with the Selenium automation test bench. Before this integration, the app developers need to have a proper idea about all the obstacles that might come their way. They should also have a definite idea about how to solve these obstacles.

So, some of the common obstacles to Selenium integration with Python and their solutions are as follows:

1.   Python is mostly useful for creating regression test cases while using Selenium automation testing. While performing these test cases, the developers might need to download certain files to verify the interaction of the web application. However, this section might be tricky as Selenium does not have direct access to web browsers and will require some form of human intervention. To bypass this process, the developers can authorize the web browser to download files before beginning the testing process. It is also important for the app developers to set a default download location where the system will store the files.

2.    The next pitfall or obstacle that the developers can encounter while using Python is the ability to upload files on the web application. Similar to downloading files, uploading a file is also an important parameter to verify the proper functioning of modern web applications. To bypass this process, the developers have to use the send_keys() command in the terminal window while using the Python test file.

3.     The developers might face issues while opening multiple tabs on the Selenium WebDriver at the time using Python test cases. Multiple tabs are an important feature as it helps web developers to verify the functioning of different elements of an application at the same time. One of the best things in this segment is that Selenium has various integrated dependencies that help the developers to access multiple tabs at the same time. To make it simple, Selenium has two methods and two attributes dedicated to this purpose.

4.     Another major drawback while using Python test cases with Selenium automation testing is that certain elements of a web application can result in being unreachable. The system will automatically return an error when the developers are trying to test one of these elements. The easiest way to solve this problem is to use the specific container that has the element inside it in the terminal window.

Role of Tools and Platforms While Using Selenium Automation Testing

Various tools and platforms play a critical role in improving the simplicity of the Selenium testing process. This is because the concept of automation testing integrated with continuous development and continuous integration can be challenging to new developers and testers. However, there are hundreds of tools and platforms easily available in the market to help developers grasp this concept.

Moreover, these platforms have various third-party plugins to further improve the quality of the testing process. For instance, cloud platforms help to save a lot of money in the development process by eliminating the hassle of maintaining a physical device testing lab. It provides a better solution by allowing the developers to execute the testing processes on real devices present on multiple servers.

The developers can access this server from anywhere in the world by paying only a minimum license fee. We can understand a lot more about cloud platforms and cloud testing if we consider LambdaTest as an example:

We can introduce LambdaTest to the new developers as a cloud-based platform that helps the developers to execute safe cross-browser compatibility test cases on web apps. Cross-browser testing has become a mandatory industry standard to ensure that web applications stand up to the needs of modern users. This is because, with the help of this testing process, the developers can provide stable performance in spite of shifts in the OS version or browser version.

LambdaTest also has multiple modern features to improve the efficiency of the automation testing processes. For instance, it allows the developers to integrate parallel testing of different test configurations. LambdaTest can initiate the automation test files from multiple frameworks like Selenium, Cypress, and Playwright.

Since we’re on the topic of Selenium automation testing, it is worth mentioning that LambdaTest can execute the Selenium automation test cases on 3000+ different browser versions. LambdaTest generates highly accurate test results by combining all the reports from not only simulators and emulators but also hundreds of real devices present on cloud servers.

Wrapping Up!

So, we can conclude that the integration of Selenium and automation testing can help developers massively improve the quality of their development process. Moreover, app developers can write all of their test cases using Python programming language. This article will help app developers to avoid the most common obstacles that arise in the path of Python-based Selenium automation testing.

It is also important for application development companies to spread proper awareness regarding the best practices related to Selenium automation testing. The app developers should also start considering the knowledge of automated testing as one of the most practical ways of elevating their profile. Lastly, it is very important to choose the right automation tool or platform according to your development requirements.