Cross-browser testing in Selenium assures that web applications work and appear the same no matter what browser is used to access them. Using Selenium, you may develop test scripts in various computer languages, including Java, Python, PHP, etc. You may test your web applications on several browsers, such as Google Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Internet Explorer, Edge, and Opera.
Why is Cross Browser Testing Important?
Although they adhere to Open Web Standards, browser companies have their interpretations of these standards. Thoroughly debugging a website’s source code does not guarantee that the site will appear and function as intended on various browsers (or versions of a single browser), as they all display HTML, CSS, and JavaScript differently.
Web developers are, therefore, responsible for abstracting browser differences. Cross-browser testing aids in this by identifying browser-specific compatibility issues so they may be swiftly debugged. It ensures that a website isn’t alienating a sizable portion of its target audience just because it doesn’t function properly on its browser OS.
What is Cross Browser Testing in Selenium?
Cross-browser testing evaluates a website’s performance across several browsers, such as IE, Chrome, and Firefox. The capacity of a website or online application to operate across several operating systems and browsers is known as cross-browser compatibility.
However, manually checking a webpage with many browsers is quite time-consuming. Think of a scenario where 100 test cases need to be manually executed. Now picture having to conduct the same tests on five different browsers. The amount of time required increases dramatically. These tests may be run simultaneously and much more quickly if they are automated using Selenium. Additionally, it will stop any problems brought on by human mistakes.
Selenium is a well-liked framework for automated testing that is mostly employed for cross-browser testing. It is an open-source framework mostly used for automation testing websites and online applications across various browsers, including Microsoft Edge, Firefox, Chrome, Internet Explorer, and others.
The most recent version of the Selenium framework, Selenium 4, has undoubtedly been checked out by Selenium enthusiasts. Selenium 4 has been under development for the past three years, and we’ve been experimenting with it since it was in the Alpha stage.
Introduction to Selenium
Selenium is an open-source framework that facilitates browser automation. Its primary objective is to replicate user actions within an application, enabling the execution of test cases. By analyzing these test results, you can identify any bugs present in your application. Selenium is not just a standalone software program; it is a comprehensive suite that offers various options, including:
Selenium WebDriver: This component provides browser-operating bindings for multiple programming languages. It offers an interface where you can declare and apply numerous methods for end-to-end testing.
Selenium IDE: This is an add-on that simplifies the process of recording and replaying script interactions with browsers, making test script creation more convenient.
Selenium Grid: Designed as a suite of software programs, Selenium Grid allows you to execute numerous test cases simultaneously across a diverse range of browsers, operating systems, and hardware configurations. This facilitates efficient testing and provides scalability for expanding test suites.
By offering these different components, Selenium proves to be an excellent choice for cross-browser testing, catering to the diverse needs of developers and testers.
Selenium WebDriver Architecture
Before delving into Cross browser testing in Selenium, let’s briefly overview the essential components of the Selenium Suite. Besides Selenium Grid, the Selenium IDE and Selenium WebDriver are the primary components of the suite. Selenium RC (Remote Control), part of the Selenium suite until version 2, has been officially deprecated in Selenium v3.
The core essence of Selenium lies in Selenium WebDriver, which facilitates communication with the web browser through its respective browser driver. In Selenium 4, the JSON Wire protocol, previously used for communication between Selenium Client Libraries and Browser Drivers, has been replaced with the W3C WebDriver protocol. With this upgrade, there is no longer a need for encoding and decoding test requests. As a result, you can expect enhanced test stability when utilizing the Selenium 4 framework.
How to Perform Cross-Browser Testing?
Running the same set of test cases on several browsers many times is the essence of cross-browser testing. The ideal solution for this kind of repetitive activity is automation. As a result, employing a cross-browser testing tool to do this testing is more efficient in terms of time and money. Let’s now see how it is accomplished using the Selenium WebDriver.
Step 1: If Selenium WebDriver is being used, Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, and Safari browsers can be used to automate test cases.
Step 2: We may combine the TestNG framework and Selenium WebDriver to test cases simultaneously in many browsers on the same computer.
Step 3: You’re done after writing the test cases and running the code.
Best Practices to do Cross Browser Testing in Selenium
Here are some best practices to adhere to while performing Selenium cross-browser testing:
Be careful when selecting libraries and frameworks: Not all browsers may support the latest modern CSS or JS frameworks. Because different browsers utilize different rendering engines, keeping this in mind while developing online applications is crucial. Check browser recommendations to see if certain libraries or frameworks are supported before using them.
Employ relevant JavaScript libraries and task runners: Given the importance of JavaScript in creating online applications, it is essential to use JavaScript resources that meet site requirements and provide constant browser compatibility.
Identify and analyze your browser’s OS configuration: You must know the operating systems and browser versions to effectively do cross-browser testing with Selenium. Prioritizing combinations most likely employed by the biggest audience segments is advised.
Optimize for Internet Explorer: Internet Explorer does not support advanced CSS styles and frameworks, which might distort design components. Create a special stylesheet for IE and modify the doctype to fix this issue.
By adhering to these recommended practices, testers may ensure that your web application acts consistently across various browsers and operating systems.
Conclusion
You can test the compatibility of a website across many browsers. One such automated cross-browser testing tool that accomplishes this is Selenium. The developers are responsible for providing a consistently enjoyable end-user experience across a wide range of browsers and devices.
Many fully-managed test automation systems like pCloudy come with all the essential components of the open-source platform and don’t require any special infrastructure. In addition, it provides full test lab, project, and review management, strong reporting capabilities, and better security. To have a hassle-free and thorough testing procedure, especially for cross-browser testing, organizations might thus think about adopting pCloudy. This concludes our article on Cross browser testing in selenium technique.
