The 10 Best Practices for Writing Maintainable Selenium WebDriver Tests

When it comes to web application automation testing, one of the first names that comes to mind is Selenium. This is because Selenium has been the preferred automation testing and development tool for almost a decade. Because Selenium is a test suite, it includes a variety of tools designed to assist application developers at various stages of the project. The Selenium WebDriver is the most crucial tool in this test suite because it is required for the automation testing process to be initiated and executed. However, in order to fully exploit the automation test bench, application developers must keep track of some pre-requisites or practices while using the Selenium WebDriver.

With this article, we are going to discuss some of the best practices for writing maintainable Selenium WebDriver test cases. We will also understand the crucial role of multiple platforms and tools in improving the efficiency and quality of the Selenium-based automation testing process.

Understanding Automation Testing

To understand the influence of Selenium over modern automation testing practices, application developers must have a clear conception of automation testing. For ease of understanding, we can define it to be a modern effort for the removal of human involvement in the application testing process. Instead, the system will use a pre-determined text file consisting of all the required parameters and data sets that can enable it to emulate human interactions. Based on these communications and interactions, the system will automatically generate test reports showing the usability, stability, and functionality of the app. The application testers and developers can later go through this report to understand whether the app is fit for the end users.

The testers also have the freedom to make significant changes in the predetermined data for customizing the test cases according to the requirements of the project. It is also easy to store and maintain the existing test data for reusing in future app development projects. However, automation testing has a significantly high initial investment. It will cover all the expenses for multiple tools, plugins, and libraries that are critical for the stability of the test cases. So, it is very important to assemble enough resources and returns on investment to justify this transition to automation testing practices.

Exploring Selenium

Selenium is an open-source test suite consisting of multiple automation testing tools for verifying the performance of web applications. Since Selenium is open source, app developers can access all of its features without any expenses. The core infrastructure of the Selenium test suite is based on the popular programming language JavaScript. While using Selenium, app testers can also access additional plugins and libraries for elevating the efficiency of the automation test cases. However, similar to test automation, Selenium also has a massive drawback. This is because the application developers can only use Selenium for verifying the performance of web applications.

So, for other alternative apps like cross-platform, hybrid apps, and native apps, web developers will have to look for an alternative in the app development market. Now, let us develop a clear idea about all the component tools present in the Selenium test suite:

• First and foremost, we want to expose the Selenium WebDriver to application developers and testers. This is due to the WebDriver being a critical component of the Selenium test suite. Application developers can use WebDriver to ensure that all automated test cases are run on the correct piece of the online application. This solution also enables the automation test cases to be initiated and executed in the local environment of a web browser without the use of a dedicated best engine. This feature was previously absent from the Selenium remote controller included with this suit.
• Following that, the Selenium Integrated Development Environment is in charge of initiating and executing the codeless testing automation test cases. The advantage of this procedure is that application developers can complete all of the processes without having to manually write the test cases. They simply interact with the program as if they were a normal user, and the system will continue to generate test cases in real-time based on these interactions.
• The Selenium client API comes in handy when the app developers are forced to write the automation test cases manually. With the help of this tool, it is possible to write test instances in any of the popular programming languages like JavaScript, Python, Ruby, and many others. After this, the app developers can easily import the test cases into their native environment of Selenium.
• Finally, the Selenium Grid aims to improve the efficiency of the automation test cases that are executed with Selenium. This is because, with the help of the Grid, it is possible to parallelly execute multiple test instances on different test servers and machines at the same time. While using this process, the system will act as a hub that communicates with multiple nodes for transferring the test data.

Best Practices for Writing Maintainable Selenium WebDriver Tests

Based on our research and understanding, we have created a list containing some of the best practices for writing maintainable Selenium WebDriver test cases. They are as follows:

1. Application developers need to adopt a proper naming scheme. This naming scheme should be maintained while naming the tests, projects, variables, and methods that will be used for testing the entire application. This is because modern apps consist of thousands of different elements, and a proper naming scheme helps the developers to keep track of the test cases.
2. The application developers should adopt the page object pattern. This is because the page object pattern makes it very easy to store, maintain and reuse the automation test cases. While using the page object model, the application developers can store and maintain all the changes to the user interaction with the help of separate classes.
3. The application developers need to maintain all the test cases as independent and isolated. This will ensure that any bad element in the web application would hamper the functioning of other elements present in the app. Moreover, independent test cases will help to ensure that they are testing all the elements present in the app.
4. It is very important to identify the common functionalities in the application and test them with reusable code. This process will allow the app developers to avoid any code duplication during the application testing process.
5. Data-driven testing can significantly enhance test case maintainability. This is because application developers can utilize this way to make significant changes to the testing process without having to rewrite the actual test code.
6. App developers must create a strong process for verifying and eradicating any flaws or problems that may exist in the online application. This is due to the fact that test cases can be reused throughout time with the help of a competent debugging process.
7. It is one of the most common phenomena for web elements to change. The app developers must review and update the web elements frequently.
8. While working with complex applications, app developers and testers must consider grouping the test cases based on their similarities. This is because, with the help of a grouping mechanism, app developers can not only prioritize the test cases but also keep track of all the test instances.
9. Proper synchronization techniques play a critical role in improving the maintainability of automation test cases. Techniques like implicit and explicit waits help application developers to massively improve the lifespan of the Selenium WebDriver-based automation test cases.
10. It is critical for application developers to evaluate test cases on a frequent basis to ensure that they are continually working on areas for improvement. Examining the test cases also helps to verify that they can withstand the demands of ever-changing testing standards. Refactoring test cases, on the other hand, aids in the elimination of problems such as code smell, boosts readability, and improves test case maintainability.

All of the approaches outlined in the preceding section will assist application developers in creating Selenium WebDriver test cases that are strong, scalable, and readily maintainable.

Integrating Tools and Cloud Platforms with Selenium Testing

While using Selenium for automation testing, the application developers can utilize multiple tools and platforms for further uplifting the quality of the application undergoing the development process. For instance, it is possible to use cloud solutions to eliminate the requirements of having an on-site device testing lab. With the help of cloud platforms, it is possible to run all the important test cases on multiple real devices present on remote servers that can be accessed through the Internet. Cloud platforms also remove geolocation barriers and provide access to legacy devices that are crucial for testing.

We can learn more about the influence of cloud-based solutions in a modern app testing market by using LambdaTest as our benchmark discussion point:

For the basic knowledge, we can introduce LambdaTest as a modern automated cloud-based digital experience testing platform for web applications. LambdaTest uses multiple modern features like parallel test execution to improve the efficiency of the testing process by multiple times. With this platform, the app developers can not only initiate automation test cases from Selenium but also from other alternatives like Cypress and Playwright. While working with Selenium-based automation test cases, it is possible to run them on more than 3000+ environments, including real devices. 

This platform is also useful when app-developing companies are working on web pages that use local host servers. More than 10000+ enterprises rely on LambdaTest for their testing needs, which makes it the most credible and robust test execution platform.

The Conclusion

With this article, we discussed some of the best practices that can elevate the testing standards while using the Selenium WebDriver. In this app development market, we cannot confine our knowledge to automation testing practices. This is because the current app development market is continuously evolving and adding new testing trends and innovations. So, app developers and testers need to update their knowledge regarding all of these new attachments. In this regard, app companies also have a crucial role in spreading required information with the help of seminars and campaigns. Finally, companies must have detailed information about the target audience for customizing their application.