How to Start with Selenium WebDriver for SDET

🌟 Day 13 of My 100 Days QA Challenge 🌟 Topic: Setting Up Selenium WebDriver – Step by Step 🧰 Getting your automation environment ready is the first real step toward writing tests. Here's how you can set up Selenium WebDriver in Java the right way: 🛠️ Step-by-Step Setup Guide 1. Add Selenium Dependency Use Maven/Gradle to include Selenium in your project. For Maven (pom.xml): <dependency>  <groupId>org.seleniumhq.selenium</groupId>  <artifactId>selenium-java</artifactId>  <version>4.35.0</version> <!-- latest stable version as of now -->   </dependency> You can check the current version at the Selenium Downloads page. Selenium 2. Manage WebDriver Binaries You need browser-specific drivers (ChromeDriver, GeckoDriver, etc.). Instead of manually downloading them, you can use WebDriverManager (Java library) to handle this for you automatically. import io.github.bonigarcia.wdm.WebDriverManager; import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver; import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver; public class WebDriverSetup {  public static void main(String[] args) {   WebDriverManager.chromedriver().setup(); // Automatically handles driver   WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();   driver.get("https://example.com");   System.out.println("Title: " + driver.getTitle());   driver.quit();  } } Note: With newer Selenium releases, Selenium Manager is being integrated to manage drivers internally. Selenium+1 3. Launching Browser & Running a Test Create WebDriver instance (Chrome, Firefox, etc.) Configure options (window size, headless mode, timeouts) Use driver.get(url) to navigate Perform actions (click, sendKeys, etc.) Assert results Close driver with driver.quit() 4. Best Practices & Tips Always use the latest matching versions of Selenium & WebDriverManager Clean driver cache if version mismatches arise (especially when browser updates) Use explicit waits instead of Thread.sleep() Run tests headlessly in CI environments Organize your setup logic (e.g. in a Base class) for reuse 👉 Tomorrow’s post: Day 14 – Writing First Selenium Script #100DaysQAChallenge #Selenium #AutomationTesting #WebDriverSetup #Java #WebDriverManager #SeleniumManager #TestAutomation #QualityAssurance #SoftwareTesting #TestingJourney #QALearning #ManualToAutomation #TestingTools #TesterLife #CodingForQA

Troubleshooting Selenium Installation Error in a QA Project During one of our automation setups, we faced a critical blocker: Selenium WebDriver would not initialize correctly, and the automation suite kept crashing before tests even started. ⚠️ The Problem Error message: java.lang.IllegalStateException: The path to the driver executable must be set by the webdriver.chrome.driver system property Some team members also got: SessionNotCreatedException: This version of ChromeDriver only supports Chrome version XX Tests failed across multiple machines, making it impossible to proceed. 🔍 Root Cause The issue was caused by mismatched versions of ChromeDriver and Google Chrome, combined with missing environment path variables for WebDriver. 🛠 Fixes Applied Downloaded the correct ChromeDriver version matching the installed Chrome browser. Added the driver path to the code: System.setProperty("webdriver.chrome.driver", "C:\\Drivers\\chromedriver.exe"); For cross-platform use, added ChromeDriver to the system PATH variable so it didn’t need hardcoding. Implemented WebDriverManager (by Boni García) in Maven to handle drivers dynamically: WebDriverManager.chromedriver().setup(); WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver(); Created a driver compatibility check script that runs before the suite to ensure the right driver-browser combo. ✅ The Outcome Eliminated all driver-related crashes across the QA team. Enabled smooth execution in CI/CD pipelines (Jenkins) without manual driver updates. Saved hours of debugging for new team members — automation now works “out of the box.” 💡 Lesson Learned: In Selenium, installation/setup errors are often version mismatches. Using tools like WebDriverManager makes automation projects far more stable and scalable.

💻 "Which Selenium Automation framework should I learn first?" That was the question one of my team member asked me few months back. He was overwhelmed. POM, Data-Driven, TestNG, Cucumber... so many names. So many paths. I smiled and said, "Let me tell you a story from when I started with Java Selenium..." 🔹 At first, I wrote tests without any framework. It was messy. Hard to maintain. Every small change meant rewriting tons of code. Then I discovered TestNG — my first breakthrough. It gave me structure. Annotations like @Test, @BeforeMethod made my life easier. Test reports? Handled beautifully. 🔹 But then came the Data-Driven Framework I needed to test login with 50 different users. Writing 50 test methods? No way. That’s when I learned to feed data from Excel using Apache POI and @DataProvider. 🔹 Next came the Keyword-Driven Framework This one opened doors for collaboration. Non-technical team members could define test steps like: 📄 Click | id=loginBtn 📄 EnterText | name=username | testuser The Java code would interpret and act. It was magic. 🔹 I started combining things. 👉 TestNG + Data-driven + Reusable modules. That's when I unknowingly built a Hybrid Framework. It gave me power and flexibility. I could scale my tests across modules and features. 🔹 Then I hit a wall: maintainability. So I adopted the Page Object Model (POM). Every page got its own class. Elements were managed centrally. Even after UI changes, I only needed to update one place. 🔹 Later, I discovered BDD with Cucumber This one wasn’t just for testers. Now, product owners could write test cases in plain English: Gherkin Given user is on login page When user enters valid credentials Then user should land on homepage Business + Tech finally spoke the same language. 🚀 Today, we use a combination: ✅ TestNG for execution ✅ POM for structure ✅ Data-driven for flexibility ✅ Cucumber for collaboration ✅ Extent Reports for beautiful results ✅ Maven & Jenkins to automate everything 💡 My advice? Don’t rush to learn all frameworks at once. Start with TestNG + POM, then layer others as your needs grow. Because frameworks are not about “coolness” they’re about solving real problems. What framework did you start with? Drop your story. Let’s learn together. #Selenium #Java #AutomationTesting #TestNG #POM #Cucumber #Frameworks #LearningJourney #QACommunity #SoftwareTesting #RanjitAppukutti

💻 "Which Selenium Automation framework should I learn first?" That was the question one of my team member asked me few months back. POM, Data-Driven, TestNG, Cucumber... so many names. So many paths. For the first time when they hear these terminologies, they feel super complex... I smiled and said, "Let me tell you a story from when I started with Java Selenium..." 🔹 At first, I wrote tests without any framework. It was messy. Hard to maintain. Every small change meant rewriting tons of code. Then I discovered TestNG, my first breakthrough. It gave me structure. Annotations like @Test, @BeforeMethod made my life easier. Test reports? Handled beautifully. 🔹 But then came the Data-Driven Framework I needed to test login with 50 different users. Writing 50 test methods? No way. That’s when I learned to feed data from Excel using Apache POI and @DataProvider. 🔹 Next came the Keyword-Driven Framework This one opened doors for collaboration. Non-technical team members could define test steps like: 📄 Click | id=loginBtn 📄 EnterText | name=username | testuser The Java code would interpret and act. It was magic. 🔹 I started combining things. 👉 TestNG + Data-driven + Reusable modules. That's when I unknowingly built a Hybrid Framework. It gave me power and flexibility. I could scale my tests across modules and features. 🔹 Then I hit a wall: maintainability. So I adopted the Page Object Model (POM). Every page got its own class. Elements were managed centrally. Even after UI changes, I only needed to update one place. 🔹 Later, I discovered BDD with Cucumber This one wasn’t just for testers. Now, product owners could write test cases in plain English: Gherkin Given user is on login page When user enters valid credentials Then user should land on homepage Business + Tech finally spoke the same language. 🚀 Today, we use a combination: ✅ TestNG for execution ✅ POM for structure ✅ Data-driven for flexibility ✅ Cucumber for collaboration ✅ Extent Reports for beautiful results ✅ Maven manages builds and dependencies, while Jenkins runs them automatically in your CI/CD pipeline. 💡 My advice? Don’t rush to learn all frameworks at once. Start with TestNG + POM, then layer others as your needs grow. What framework did you start with? Drop your story. Let’s learn together. #Selenium #Java #AutomationTesting #TestNG #POM #Cucumber #Frameworks #LearningJourney #QACommunity #SoftwareTesting #RanjitAppukutti

🚀 **Your Selenium Framework is Broken. Here's Why (And How to Fix It)** Let me guess what your test automation looks like: - 5000+ line test classes that no one wants to touch - Copy-paste code across 50+ test files - One UI change breaks 200 tests - New developers need weeks to understand the framework **There's a better way.** --- **How OOP Principles Revolutionize Selenium Frameworks:** **1️⃣ ENCAPSULATION - Page Object Model (POM)** ❌ BAD: `driver.findElement(By.id("username")).sendKeys("test");` ✅ GOOD: `loginPage.enterUsername("test");` **Result:** Maintenance time drops by 70%. Change one locator, fix it in one place. Done. --- **2️⃣ INHERITANCE - Reusable Base Classes** ```java BasePage → LoginPage, DashboardPage, CheckoutPage ``` Write common methods once (waitForElement, takeScreenshot, handleAlerts), inherit everywhere. **Result:** 60% less duplicate code. Your future self will thank you. --- **3️⃣ POLYMORPHISM - Multiple Browser Support** ```java WebDriverManager → ChromeDriver, FirefoxDriver, EdgeDriver ``` Same test. Different browsers. Zero code changes. **Result:** Cross-browser testing goes from days to minutes. --- **4️⃣ ABSTRACTION - Test Data & Configuration Layers** Tests don't care if data comes from JSON, Excel, or Database - they just consume it. **Result:** Switch data sources in hours, not weeks. Tests remain untouched. --- **💡 THE TRANSFORMATION:** Before OOP: - 2 weeks to add new test coverage - 40% flaky tests - 6 hours debugging per sprint After OOP: - **2 days** for new coverage - **<5%** flaky tests - **30 minutes** debugging time --- **The Truth Nobody Talks About:** Test automation isn't "just scripting." **It's software engineering.** Your test code deserves the same design principles as production code. --- **Advanced Patterns That Level Up Your Framework:** 🔹 **Page Factory** - Cleaner page objects with @FindBy annotations 🔹 **Singleton Pattern** - One WebDriver instance, zero browser conflicts 🔹 **Strategy Pattern** - Flexible test data handling 🔹 **Factory Pattern** - Smart WebDriver initialization 🔹 **Fluent Interfaces** - Readable test chains that flow like English --- #TestAutomation #Selenium #QualityEngineering #SDET #JavaProgramming #OOP #SoftwareTesting #AutomationTesting #QA #QualityAssurance #ContinuousTesting #DevOps #TechCommunity #Programming #SoftwareDevelopment --- **P.S.** If this helped you see test automation differently, hit repost button Help other QA engineers build better frameworks! --- *Follow me for more content on test automation architecture, framework design, and quality engineering practices.*

🚀 **Your Selenium Framework is Broken. Here's Why (And How to Fix It)** Let me guess what your test automation looks like: - 5000+ line test classes that no one wants to touch - Copy-paste code across 50+ test files - One UI change breaks 200 tests - New developers need weeks to understand the framework **There's a better way.** --- **How OOP Principles Revolutionize Selenium Frameworks:** **1️⃣ ENCAPSULATION - Page Object Model (POM)** ❌ BAD: `driver.findElement(By.id("username")).sendKeys("test");` ✅ GOOD: `loginPage.enterUsername("test");` **Result:** Maintenance time drops by 70%. Change one locator, fix it in one place. Done. --- **2️⃣ INHERITANCE - Reusable Base Classes** ```java BasePage → LoginPage, DashboardPage, CheckoutPage ``` Write common methods once (waitForElement, takeScreenshot, handleAlerts), inherit everywhere. **Result:** 60% less duplicate code. Your future self will thank you. --- **3️⃣ POLYMORPHISM - Multiple Browser Support** ```java WebDriverManager → ChromeDriver, FirefoxDriver, EdgeDriver ``` Same test. Different browsers. Zero code changes. **Result:** Cross-browser testing goes from days to minutes. --- **4️⃣ ABSTRACTION - Test Data & Configuration Layers** Tests don't care if data comes from JSON, Excel, or Database - they just consume it. **Result:** Switch data sources in hours, not weeks. Tests remain untouched. --- **💡 THE TRANSFORMATION:** Before OOP: - 2 weeks to add new test coverage - 40% flaky tests - 6 hours debugging per sprint After OOP: - **2 days** for new coverage - **<5%** flaky tests - **30 minutes** debugging time --- **The Truth Nobody Talks About:** Test automation isn't "just scripting." **It's software engineering.** Your test code deserves the same design principles as production code. --- **Advanced Patterns That Level Up Your Framework:** 🔹 **Page Factory** - Cleaner page objects with @FindBy annotations 🔹 **Singleton Pattern** - One WebDriver instance, zero browser conflicts 🔹 **Strategy Pattern** - Flexible test data handling 🔹 **Factory Pattern** - Smart WebDriver initialization 🔹 **Fluent Interfaces** - Readable test chains that flow like English --- #TestAutomation #Selenium #QualityEngineering #SDET #JavaProgramming #OOP #SoftwareTesting #AutomationTesting #QA #QualityAssurance #ContinuousTesting #DevOps #TechCommunity #Programming #SoftwareDevelopment --- **P.S.** If this helped you see test automation differently, hit repost button Help other QA engineers build better frameworks!

- Automated Web Testing using Selenium Java | Art of Testing Sample Site Designed and developed an end-to-end automation testing script using Selenium WebDriver with Java to validate multiple web functionalities on the Art of Testing sample website. The script covers a wide range of UI interactions and verifies user workflows using different Selenium components and classes. ✅ Key Test Cases Covered: 1. Navigation & Link Validation: Verified that the “This is a link” hyperlink redirects to the correct page. 2. Text Field Input: Entered and submitted text using sendKeys() and Keys.ENTER. Button Click Actions: Tested click functionality of standard and double-click buttons. 3. Alert Handling: Validated alert pop-ups for single-click and double-click buttons using Alert.accept(). 4. Radio Button & Checkbox Selection: Verified gender selection and multiple checkbox selections. 5. Dropdown Selection: Tested drop-down functionality using the Select class (selectByIndex()). 6.Alert Confirmation Boxes: Automated handling of confirmation alerts and validated acceptance actions. 7. Drag and Drop Action: Verified element drag-and-drop functionality using the Actions class. - Highlights: 1. Applied Actions Class for advanced interactions like double-click and drag-and-drop. 2. Implemented XPath and locators for precise element identification. 3. Demonstrated practical knowledge of alert handling, synchronization, and form interactions. - Tech Stack: Java | Selenium WebDriver | Actions Class | Alert Handling | Select Class | XPath Locators | Test Automation

Hello connections, Sharing some insights from my experience as an SDET. Selenium automation in Java is powerful—but exceptions are inevitable. Common Selenium Exceptions & Solutions 1. NoSuchElementException – Element not found   Solution: Use explicit waits   Java:   WebDriverWait wait = new WebDriverWait(driver, Duration.ofSeconds(10));   WebElement element = wait.until(ExpectedConditions.visibilityOfElementLocated(By.id("username")));   element.click(); 2. StaleElementReferenceException – Element reference stale   Solution: Retry locating before interacting   Java:   int attempts = 0;   while(attempts < 3){     try {       driver.findElement(By.id("submit")).click();       break;     } catch(StaleElementReferenceException e){       attempts++;     }   } 3. ElementNotInteractableException – Element not ready   Solution: Wait until clickable   Java:   wait.until(ExpectedConditions.elementToBeClickable(By.id("submit"))).click(); 4. TimeoutException – Condition not met   Solution: Increase wait or review condition   Java:   wait.until(ExpectedConditions.visibilityOfElementLocated(By.id("username"))); 5. ElementClickInterceptedException – Click blocked   Solution: Wait or use JavaScript click   Java:   WebElement button = driver.findElement(By.id("submit"));   ((JavascriptExecutor) driver).executeScript("arguments[0].click();", button); 6. NoSuchFrameException – Frame unavailable   Solution: Retry switching   Java:   int attempts = 0;   while(attempts < 3){     try {       driver.switchTo().frame(driver.findElement(By.id("frameId")));       break;     } catch(NoSuchFrameException e){       attempts++;     }   } 7. NoSuchWindowException – Window handle missing   Solution: Retry switching   Java:    int attempts = 0;    while(attempts < 3){      try {        for(String handle : driver.getWindowHandles()){          driver.switchTo().window(handle);          if(driver.getTitle().equals("Dashboard")) break;        }        break;      } catch(NoSuchWindowException e){        attempts++;      }    } 8. InvalidSelectorException – Incorrect locator   Solution: Test XPath/CSS in DevTools 9. WebDriverException – Generic driver/browser failure   Solution: Check compatibility & restart session 10. InvalidElementStateException – Action not allowed   Solution: Ensure element is editable before sending keys 11. MoveTargetOutOfBoundsException – Element outside viewport   Solution: Scroll into view   Java:   WebElement element = driver.findElement(By.id("submit"));   ((JavascriptExecutor) driver).executeScript("arguments[0].scrollIntoView(true);", element);   element.click(); Handling exceptions isn’t just about fixing failures—it’s about building stable, maintainable automation frameworks. How do you handle flaky Selenium exceptions in your automation projects? #Selenium #Java #AutomationTesting #QA #SDET #TestAutomation #QualityAssurance #SoftwareTesting #TechCareers

What is POM? POM (Page Object Model) is a design pattern used in test automation mainly with Selenium. It helps you separate test logic from UI elements, making your code cleaner, reusable, and easier to maintain. Why we use POM • To avoid duplicate locators and messy test scripts. • To make updates easy if one element changes, you fix it in one place only. • To keep tests readable and maintainable. Different Ways to Implement POM 1. Without PageFactory (classic way) –using By locators and driver.findElement(). 2. With PageFactory – using @FindBy annotations for cleaner code. Example: Login Page (with PageFactory) import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver; import org.openqa.selenium.WebElement; import org.openqa.selenium.support.FindBy; import org.openqa.selenium.support.PageFactory; public class LoginPage { WebDriver driver; // Locators @FindBy(id = "username") WebElement usernameField; @FindBy(id = "password") WebElement passwordField; @FindBy(id = "loginBtn") WebElement loginButton; // Constructor public LoginPage(WebDriver driver) { this.driver = driver; PageFactory.initElements(driver, this); } // Actions public void login(String username, String password) { usernameField.sendKeys(username); passwordField.sendKeys(password); loginButton.click(); } } Usage in Test Class import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver; import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver; import org.testng.annotations.Test; public class LoginTest { @Test public void verifyLogin() { WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver(); driver.get("https://example.com/login"); LoginPage loginPage = new LoginPage(driver); loginPage.login("admin", "password123"); driver.quit(); } } Bottom line POM = Clean structure + Reusable locators + Easy maintenance. It’s the backbone of any good Selenium automation framework. #Selenium #POM #TestAutomation #SDET #Java

🚀 Mastering Selenium: Your Quick Guide to Web Automation 🚀 Are you diving into the world of test automation? Here’s a quick recap of key Selenium concepts every QA engineer or automation tester should know: 🔹 What is Selenium? An open-source framework for automating web applications across browsers and platforms. 🔹 Key Components: Selenium WebDriver Selenium Grid Selenium IDE 🔹 Locators & XPath: Learn to find elements using ID, Name, CSS, XPath, and more. Master relative XPath for dynamic web apps! 🔹 Handling Pop-ups & Alerts: JavaScript alerts Child windows File uploads Notifications 🔹 Advanced Interactions: Select Class for dropdowns Actions Class for mouse & keyboard events JavaScriptExecutor for custom scripts 🔹 Common Exceptions: NoSuchElementException StaleElementReferenceException TimeoutException 🔹 Why TestNG? For batch execution, parallel runs, parameterization, and detailed reporting. Whether you're preparing for an interview or leveling up your automation skills—this guide has you covered! #Selenium #AutomationTesting #WebDriver #TestAutomation #QA #QualityAssurance #SoftwareTesting #Java #Python #CSharp #WebDevelopment #DevOps #AgileTesting #ContinuousTesting #OpenSource #TechInterview #Coding #Programming #SoftwareEngineering #TestNG #XPath #CSSSelector #WebElement #Locators #PageObjectModel #SeleniumGrid #SeleniumIDE #BrowserAutomation #CrossBrowserTesting #API #JavaScript #FrontendTesting #BackendTesting #ManualTesting #AutomationEngineer #SDET #TechCommunity #LearnToCode #ITJobs #CareerGrowth #TechSkills #QAEngineer #TestEngineer #SoftwareDeveloper #CICD #Jenkins #GitHub #SeleniumWebDriver #TestFramework #CodeNewbie #TechWorld