What is selenium? Selenium is a set of free (open source) automated tests for web applications on different browsers and platforms. It's quite similar to HP Quick Test Pro (QTP now UFT) only that Selenium focuses on web-based application automation. The test performed with the Selenium tool is usually called the selenium test. Selenium is not just a unique tool, but a set of software, each of which satisfies the different testing needs of an organization. It has four components. • Selenium Integrated Development Environment (IDE) • Selenium Remote Control (RC) • WebDriver • Selenium grid
Selenium Integrated Development Environment (IDE) Selenium IDE is an integrated development environment for Selenium scripts. It is implemented as an extension of Firefox and allows you to record, edit and debug tests. Selenium IDE includes the entire Selenium Core, allowing you to quickly record and replay the tests in the real environment in which they will run. Selenium Remote Control (RC) Selenium Remote Control (RC) was the main Selenium project that was maintained for a long time before the appearance of Selenium WebDriver (Selenium 2.0). Selenium RC is not in use now, as WebDriver offers more powerful features, but users can continue to develop scripts with RC. Selenium WebDriver WebDriver is a web automation framework that allows you to run your tests in different browsers, not only Firefox, Chrome (unlike the Selenium IDE) .WebDriver also allows you to use a programming language when creating your test scripts (not Selenium IDE). Selenium Grid Selenium Grid is part of the Selenium Suite, which specializes in performing various tests on different browsers, operating systems and parallel machines. Selenium Advantages Open source, free software Easy installation Easy recording and playback Supports multiple operating systems Supports multiple browser tests You can convert scripts into other languages (Java, C #, Python, Pearl, etc.)
Selenium Disadvantages Selenium IDE plays recordings as JavaScript within the browser. JavaScript within the browser is subject to the following restrictions. JavaScript cannot read or write to files on the client machine, JavaScript cannot close a window if you don't open it JavaScript cannot access pages hosted on another domain, Selenium IDE is only available in the Firefox browser.