A Comprehensive Guide to Essential Selenium WebDriver Commands

Selenium WebDriver is a popular test automation framework that enables testers to automate web applications and perform end-to-end testing. It offers a wide range of commands that allow testers to interact with web elements, handle different scenarios, and validate application functionality. In this article, we will explore the top Selenium WebDriver commands, as well as a list of 25 more popular commands, with detailed explanations and examples.

Top 7 Selenium WebDriver Commands with Details:

#1) get() Method

The get() method is the starting point for test automation. It launches a new browser and opens the specified URL in that browser instance. This command is commonly used to navigate to the initial page of the application under test.

Example:

driver.get("https://www.example.com");         

#2) Locating links by linkText() and partialLinkText()

Selenium provides two methods, linkText() and partialLinkText(), to locate and interact with links on a web page. linkText() matches the exact text of the link, while partialLinkText() matches a partial text of the link.

Example:

WebElement link = driver.findElement(By.linkText("Click here")); link.click();         

#3) Selecting multiple items in a dropdown

The Select class in Selenium allows testers to work with dropdown elements. To select multiple items in a multi-select dropdown, we need to use the Select class and the selectByVisibleText() or selectByValue() methods.

Example:

Select dropdown = new Select(driver.findElement(By.id("multi-select-dropdown"))); dropdown.selectByVisibleText("Option 1"); dropdown.selectByValue("value2");         

#4) Submitting a form

The submit() method is used to submit a form in Selenium. It is applicable to web elements like text fields and buttons that are inside a form element.

Example:

WebElement searchField = driver.findElement(By.id("search-field")); searchField.sendKeys("Selenium commands"); searchField.submit();         

#5) Handling iframes

An iframe is an HTML element that allows embedding another HTML document within the current document. To interact with elements inside an iframe, we need to switch to it using the switchTo() method.

Example:

driver.switchTo().frame("iframeName"); WebElement iframeElement = driver.findElement(By.id("elementInsideIframe"));         

#6) close() and quit() methods

The close() method is used to close the current browser window, while the quit() method is used to quit the WebDriver and close all browser windows opened by it.

Example:

driver.close(); // Close the current window driver.quit(); // Close all windows and quit WebDriver         

#7) Exception Handling

Selenium may encounter various exceptions during test execution. Handling these exceptions using try-catch blocks is crucial for graceful execution and better error reporting.

Example:

try { WebElement element = driver.findElement(By.id("nonExistentElement")); element.click(); } catch (NoSuchElementException e) { System.out.println("Element not found: " + e.getMessage()); }         

List of 25 More Popular WebDriver Commands & Examples:

The following is a list of 25 more popular WebDriver commands with brief explanations:

#1) get(): Navigates to the specified URL in the browser.

#2) getCurrentUrl(): Retrieves the current URL of the web page.

#3) findElement(By, by) and click(): Locates and clicks the specified web element.

#4) isEnabled(): Checks if a web element is enabled.

#5) findElement(By, by) with sendKeys(): Locates an input element and sends keys to it.

#6) findElement(By, by) with getText(): Retrieves the inner text of a web element.

#7) submit(): Submits a form element.

#8) findElements(By, by): Returns a list of web elements that match the given locator.

#9) findElements(By, by) with size(): Retrieves the number of elements in the list.

#10) pageLoadTimeout(time, unit): Sets the page load timeout.

#11) implicitlyWait(): Sets the implicit wait time.

#12) until() and visibilityOfElementLocated(): Waits for an element to be visible.

#13) until() and alertIsPresent(): Waits for an alert to be present.

#14) getTitle(): Retrieves the title of the web page.

#15) Select: Handles dropdowns and multi-selects.

#16) navigate(): Allows navigation backward, forward, and page refresh.

#17) getScreenshotAs(): Takes a screenshot of the current page.

#18) moveToElement(): Moves the mouse pointer to a specified element.

#19) dragAndDrop(): Drags and drops an element from one location to another.

#20) switchTo() and accept(), dismiss(), and sendKeys(): Handles alerts and pop-up windows.

#21) getWindowHandle() and getWindowHandles(): Manages multiple windows.

#22) getConnection(): Gets the database connection.

#23) POI: Interacts with Microsoft Excel files.

#24) assertEquals(), assertNotEquals(), assertTrue(), and assertFalse(): Performs assertions for test validation.

#25) close() and quit(): Closes the current window or terminates WebDriver completely.

Selenium WebDriver offers a diverse set of commands to automate web applications effectively. In this article, we explored the top 7 Selenium commands and 25 additional popular commands, along with examples and detailed explanations of their usage. By mastering these commands, testers can create robust test scripts and ensure the reliability and functionality of web applications. As you continue your journey with Selenium WebDriver, these essential commands will serve as valuable tools to achieve successful test automation and deliver high-quality software products. Happy testing!