Automating functionality testing with Selenium IDE
Ben Logan - Published: 04th Sep 2009 11:35 GMT
We briefly review the Firefox plugin Selenium IDE and how it can help you in your functionality testing projects on repetitive tasks.
What is Selenium IDE?
Selenium IDE is a Mozilla Firefox extension widely used by web site testers to automate functionality testing.
During manual functionality testing often a lot of time is consumed on repetitive tasks, so we use Selenium IDE to record scenarios that we will use later in other tests.
Automating small tasks can speed up the testing cycle and can allow you to spend more time on reviewing parts of the application which are more important.
How is Selenium IDE used?
You simply browse to the page of the web site you want to test in Firefox. In this example we have used our training course booking form.
You then load up Selenium IDE and press the red 'record' button (if it is not already pre-selected).
Screenshot of Selenium IDE
As soon as you fill in the form values Selenium IDE will save the data you have input and also make a note of the form field IDs. You will need to press the 'record' button again to stop the record mode.
Screenshot of recorded values in Selenium IDE
At this point we usually save off the test case and also if you plan on running a series of test cases, you can save them off as a test suite, which groups them all together.
Screenshot of Selenium IDE save options
You can also export the test cases in a variety of different formats including HTML, Perl, PHP and Ruby, and email these to developers to work with. The great thing with Selenium IDE is that if your developers also have the extension installed in Firefox then they can import the test cases you have created for them to save them time in recreating bugs and running tests.
Screenshot of Selenium IDE export options
In order to run the test you have created you simply open up the test case and press the 'play' button. Selenium IDE will open the hyperlink of the page you were on when you created your test case and then populate the form fields with the values you have saved off. There is a handy information box towards the bottom that will tell you whether your test has run successfully or not.
Screenshot of Selenium IDE after running a test case
Need some more information?
If you would like to learn more about how we can help you run and co-ordinate functionality testing then please call us or email us below and we would be happy to help out where we can.
We are ready to answer your questions right now, so please contact us by telephone on +44 (0) 207 168 7526 or drop us a quick email info@spotlessinteractive.com and we will do our best to help you with any questions you might have.
