What is selenium
Selenium can be used to verify web applications communicating across multiple browsers and platforms. Scripts can be generated via multiple programming languages (C#, Python and Java), making it extraordinarily versatile.
Selenium’s initial design was the work of a software engineer who was fed up with the repeated and inefficient manual testing on the web application he was developing, and set his mind to designing an automated testing tool that would save time and effort. Accordingly, he designed, in 2004, a JavaScript program he named “JavaScriptTestRunner”. This script automatically controlled browser actions.
What is Selenium automation testing?
Selenium automation testing is simply a testing performed with the selenium testing tool. However, Selenium is not a single tool. Rather it is an entire software suit, each targeting a different selenium QA testing need typically required by an organization.
The Selenium toolkit includes:
- Selenium Remote Control (RC)
- Selenium Grid
- Selenium Integrated Development Environment (IDE)
- WebDriver
Each fulfills a different function, which will be outlined below.
Selenium remote control (RC)
This tool “persuades” browsers that Selenium Core and the web application it is testing both had the same domain origin, thereby sidestepping the “same origin limitation”. To do so, a server is designated to act as an HTTP proxy.
Selenium Grid
Selenium grid, initially titled it Hosted QA, targets test execution times. Its features include browser screenshot capture at key points in the testing process, as well as simultaneously sending selenium commands to various different machines.
Selenium IDE
Selenium IDE, developed in 2006, is a Chrome and Firefox extension capable of increasing test case creation speed. It contains a record and playback feature capable of automating browsers
Webdriver
Finally, as web and browser applications grew in power and restrictiveness, Webdriver was developed in 2006. Webdriver enables you to control the browser from the OS level.
