Your First Selenium WebDriver Test Case: Automating Web Browser Interactions

Learn the fundamentals of Selenium WebDriver by creating your first automated web test using Java and ChromeDriver. This tutorial provides a step-by-step guide, demonstrating how to set up your environment, write a basic test script, and execute it to automate browser actions.

Your First Selenium WebDriver Test Case

Setting up Your Environment

This tutorial guides you through creating a basic Selenium test using Java and ChromeDriver to automate interactions with a web page. Before you begin, ensure you have the following:

  • Java Development Kit (JDK): Version 8 or higher.
  • An IDE (Integrated Development Environment): Such as Eclipse.
  • ChromeDriver: Download the ChromeDriver executable matching your Chrome browser version from https://chromedriver.chromium.org/downloads. Extract it to a location you'll remember (e.g., `C:\chromedriver`).

Steps to Create Your First Test Case

  1. Create a Project: In Eclipse, create a new Java project (e.g., "SeleniumTest").
  2. Add Selenium JARs: Add the Selenium JAR files to your project's build path (similar to the WebDriver installation instructions).
  3. Create a Java Class: Create a new Java class (e.g., "FirstTest").
  4. Locate Web Elements: Inspect the target webpage's HTML to find unique identifiers for the elements you want to interact with (e.g., search box, search button). We'll use the `id` and `name` attributes for this example.

Writing the Selenium Test Script (Java)

The code below shows a basic test case (adjust the path to your ChromeDriver if needed):


import org.openqa.selenium.By;
import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver;

public class FirstTest {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        // Set the path to your ChromeDriver executable
        System.setProperty("webdriver.chrome.driver", "C:\\chromedriver\\chromedriver.exe"); 

        // Instantiate ChromeDriver
        WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();

        // Navigate to Google
        driver.get("https://www.google.com");

        // Find and interact with the search box and button (replace locators if needed)
        driver.findElement(By.name("q")).sendKeys("Selenium Tutorial"); //Find element by name attribute
        driver.findElement(By.name("btnK")).click(); //Find element by name attribute

        // Close the browser
        driver.quit();
    }
}
      

(The Chrome browser will open, navigate to Google, enter "Selenium Tutorial" in the search box, click the search button, and then close.  There is no direct console output from this example.)

Running Your Test

In Eclipse (or your IDE), right-click on your Java class and select "Run As > Java Application". This will execute the Selenium script, launching the Chrome browser, performing the specified actions, and then closing the browser.

Explanation of the Code

  • Import Statements: Include necessary Selenium libraries.
  • Setting ChromeDriver Path: Sets the system property to locate the ChromeDriver executable.
  • Instantiating the WebDriver: Creates a new instance of the ChromeDriver.
  • Navigation: The `driver.get()` method opens a URL.
  • Locating Elements: The `driver.findElement()` method locates elements using specified locators (in this case, by name).
  • User Interactions: `sendKeys()` enters text, and `click()` simulates a click.
  • Closing the Browser: The `driver.quit()` method closes the browser and shuts down the WebDriver.