Selenium 4 Serialize / Deserialization the requests

In Selenium 4, the WebDriver client serializes requests into a standardized format as specified by the W3C WebDriver protocol. This process involves converting WebDriver commands into HTTP requests with a specific structure defined by the protocol. Here's a detailed breakdown of how this serialization process works:

Command Mapping

Each WebDriver command corresponds to a specific HTTP endpoint and method (e.g., GET, POST, DELETE) as defined by the W3C WebDriver specification. The WebDriver client has a mapping of these commands to the appropriate endpoints.

Serialization to JSON

When a WebDriver command is issued, the WebDriver client serializes the command into a JSON object. This JSON object includes:

• Session ID: Identifies the browser session.
• Command: Specifies the action to be performed (e.g., click, navigate, findElement).
• Parameters: Includes any necessary parameters for the command (e.g., locator strategies, element IDs).

HTTP Request Construction

The serialized JSON object is then used to construct an HTTP request. The construction involves:

• HTTP Method: Determined by the type of command (e.g., POST for creating a session, GET for retrieving information).
• URL Endpoint: The URL endpoint is formed based on the command and the session ID. For example, POST /session to create a new session or POST /session/{sessionId}/element to find an element.
• HTTP Headers: Includes headers like Content-Type: application/json.
• Request Body: The serialized JSON object is included in the body of the HTTP request for POST and PUT methods. For GET and DELETE methods, the parameters might be included in the URL.

Example Process

Let's take an example of how the WebDriver client handles a findElement command:

• Command Issued: A findElement command is issued with a locator strategy (e.g., by ID) and a value.
• Serialization:

• HTTP Request Construction:
• Method: POST
• URL: /session/{sessionId}/element
• Headers:

• Body:

Sending the Request

The constructed HTTP request is sent to the browser driver (e.g., chromedriver, geckodriver). The browser driver processes this request, performs the specified action, and sends back an HTTP response.

Deserialization of Response

The WebDriver client receives the HTTP response and deserializes the JSON response to an appropriate WebDriver response object, which is then returned to the user.

Example in Code

Here is a simplified code example showing this process in Python with Selenium

Conclusion

The serialization process in Selenium 4 ensures that WebDriver commands are translated into a standardized JSON format, which is then sent as HTTP requests to the browser driver. This standardization, as specified by the W3C WebDriver protocol, provides a consistent and reliable way to automate browser actions across different browsers.

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