Advanced Techniques for Handling Dynamic Elements in Selenium
Handling dynamic elements is a common challenge in web automation, as web pages often contain elements that load or change dynamically after the initial page load. Selenium offers effective mechanisms for handling dynamic fundamentals.
Selenium is a cloud-based automation testing tool utilized to verify the functionality of websites by specified technical and business criteria. Employing Selenium enables website developers to meet the increasing expectations placed upon them, such as the rapid deployment of updated features and ensuring their flawless operation, typically on a bi-weekly basis.
This article will discuss advanced techniques for handling dynamic elements in Selenium.
What are Dynamic Elements?
Web applications consist of one or more HTML pages. The individual components within a web page, such as text boxes and buttons, are referred to as Web Elements. Elements present in the Document Object Model (DOM) on an HTML page and rendered by the browser are known as static elements. On the other hand, dynamic elements are invoked at runtime and dynamically added to the web page.
Dynamic elements refer to responsive web page components that can adapt based on user interaction or external factors without a page refresh or reload. Instances of dynamic elements encompass pop-up windows, interactive forms, dropdown menus, and sliders. The dynamic element matching feature enables users to identify and engage with Web Elements during runtime by leveraging dynamic attributes or properties, such as modifying text, tags, or CSS classes.
As an illustration, let us examine the scenario of an e-commerce platform featuring a dynamic text element that reflects the number of items in a user’s shopping cart, updating in response to user actions. Dynamic element matching enables a script to engage with this evolving quantity, facilitating real-time calculations of the total cost of items in the cart.
Identifying Web Elements is a crucial aspect of automating the testing process for web applications (user interface). Various element locators, such as ID, Name, Class Name, Linked Text, Partial Linked Text, Tag Name, XPath, and CSS Selector, are available for locating and interacting with Web Elements effectively.
Troubles in Handling Dynamic Elements
The most convenient method for accessing a Web Element is through its Name, ID, or Class Name. By inputting the corresponding values into the code and executing the program, it will function properly, assuming the element possesses the necessary ID, Name, or Class Name.
For instance: driver.findElement(By.id(“email”)).sendkeys(“[email protected]”);
However, not all Web Elements are consistently assigned values for attributes such as ID, Name, Class Name, etc. This variability is contingent upon the individual web developer’s preferred approach to constructing the web page, and it is entirely at their discretion whether or not to furnish values for these attributes.
Moreover, even if the Web Elements are specified with values for the aforementioned attributes, their reliability may not be consistent. To elaborate, consider the scenario where we attempt to access the login page of a preferred social application.
To automate the testing process for entering information into the Email address or Phone number field and gathering the element attributes, a straightforward method involves right-clicking on the field and selecting Inspect. Subsequently, use the left-side arrow button to select the field, highlighting the element for further examination.
The “Highlighted” tag within the Elements tab of the Developer Tools window displays the attributes of the Email address or phone number field. While it may be tempting to utilize the Class attribute with the value “inputtext _55r1 _6luy,” it is worth noting that this value could potentially change upon subsequent page loads.
ID attributes with alphanumeric values are considered to be unreliable and should be avoided as element locators for best practices. Additionally, running programs with Class name attributes containing spaces may result in a Runtime Error indicating that “Compound Classes are not permitted.”
An additional issue arises when two Web Element attributes share the same value. For instance, in the scenario mentioned above, if the Class attribute for both the Email Address and Password fields contains identical values and we utilize the Class attribute to identify these elements, Selenium searches for elements starting from the top-left corner of the page and selects the first matching element locator it encounters. Consequently, our test will fail under these circumstances.
It is essential to note that XPath and CSS can be directly copied from the browser and often yield successful results. However, their reliability may not always be assured. For example, XPath generated by Firefox can be verbose and, at times, incomprehensible, posing a risk of inconsistency in functionality.
Advanced Techniques for Handling Dynamic Elements in Selenium
Dynamic elements within an application can be influenced by database updates or session changes. Editing an element in the database can lead to modifications across multiple application sections being tested. Dynamic elements primarily involve content, while formatting aspects are typically defined in the design framework. Dynamic identifiers are commonly applied to elements like text boxes and buttons.
When automating a dynamic website, the scripts may become non-functional if the content changes, resulting in test failures. This necessitates repeated updating of test cases, a time-consuming and labor-intensive task.
Here are a few advanced techniques for handling dynamic elements in Selenium:
Mastering XPath for precise Element Identification
XPath is a valuable tool for effectively pinpointing elements on a webpage, making it a crucial proficiency for any Selenium automation engineer. Proficiency in XPath enables precise identification of elements based on attributes like id, class, or name, along with their hierarchical arrangements with other elements. This level of precision is crucial when dealing with dynamic elements that may change their position or attributes on different occasions.
XPath provides the capability to develop robust and dependable automation scripts capable of adapting to diverse scenarios, thereby ensuring seamless test execution, even within intricate web applications. Proficiency in XPath syntax intricacies and employing appropriate element identification strategies can significantly bolster the efficiency and efficacy of your Selenium automation endeavors.
Implementing Implicit and Explicit Waits
Implicit waits enable the Selenium WebDriver to wait for a defined duration before raising a NoSuchElementException, serving as a valuable tool when handling elements that may experience delays in loading or appearing on the webpage. By implementing an implicit wait, you establish a pause within the WebDriver, allowing it to wait for the specified time before engaging with the element, ensuring it becomes accessible within that time frame.
Explicit waits offer more precise control over the waiting process. They allow you to specify a particular condition that must be met before advancing the test script’s execution. This condition could involve factors like element visibility, clickability, or the presence of specific text. By employing explicit waits, you can minimize idle time and effectively manage dynamic elements that might emerge or alter during test execution.
Both implicit and explicit waits add flexibility and resilience to your Selenium automation scripts. They ensure that your tests adapt to the dynamic nature of web applications by allowing adequate time for elements to load or change.
Handling Frames and Pop-Ups smoothly
Efficiently managing frames and pop-ups is vital for maintaining the stability and dependability of your Selenium testing. When working with frames, it is imperative to shift the WebDriver’s attention to the respective frame before engaging with any elements contained within it. This can be achieved by utilizing the switchTo() method in Selenium and specifying the frame’s index, name, or ID. By properly navigating to the desired frame, you can effortlessly interact with the elements within it.
Similarly, handling pop-ups requires a systematic approach. The initial step involves identifying the type of pop-up encountered and distinguishing between alert, confirmation, or prompt variations. Selenium provides convenient methods such as switchTo().alert() to handle these pop-ups. You can accept or dismiss alerts, retrieve their text, or even send input to prompts.
Smoothly handling frames and pop-ups ensures the accuracy of your tests and enhances the overall robustness of your Selenium automation. By utilizing these advanced techniques, you can confidently navigate dynamic elements and seamlessly interact with frames and pop-ups, providing a seamless testing experience.
Dealing with Dynamic Dropdown Menus
Dropdown menus are a frequently used feature in web applications, and they can present a difficulty when conducting automation testing with Selenium. However, advanced techniques can make handling dynamic dropdown menus easier.
One effective method involves utilizing the Select class offered by Selenium WebDriver. This class facilitates interaction with dropdown menus by furnishing functions to choose options according to their visible text, index, or value. Nonetheless, relying solely on the Select class might not be comprehensive in scenarios with dynamic dropdown menus that alter based on user engagements or data inputs.
In these situations, it is crucial to have a comprehensive understanding of the fundamental HTML framework of the dropdown menu and to identify the specific elements that correspond to the available options. Employing XPath or CSS selectors enables systematic identification and manipulation of these elements. This allows you to select the desired option dynamically based on specific criteria or conditions.
Switching between multiple Windows effortlessly
When working with web applications that involve multiple windows or tabs, switching between them effortlessly is a crucial skill for effective test automation. Selenium provides built-in methods to handle window switching, allowing testers to navigate between different browser windows seamlessly during their automation scripts.
The getWindowHandles() function in Selenium WebDriver returns a set of unique identifiers for all open windows or tabs. By storing these handles in a collection, you can easily switch between them using the switchTo() method. This method accepts the handle of the desired window as a parameter, enabling you to switch focus to that window and perform actions within it.
To optimize window-switching efficiency, waiting for the desired window to open completely before switching to it is crucial. Using explicit wait techniques, such as WebDriverWait, you can pause the script execution until the window handle becomes available. This ensures that your script does not try to switch to a window that hasn’t been fully loaded or opened yet.
By mastering the techniques for switching between multiple windows effortlessly in Selenium, you can create robust and comprehensive test scripts that handle complex web application scenarios. This skill is particularly valuable for testing workflows that involve pop-up windows, new tabs, or interactions between different browser instances.
You can further leverage the capabilities of cloud testing platforms to scale your testing efforts while handling dynamic elements. One such platform is LambdaTest. LambdaTest is a comprehensive AI-powered test orchestration and execution platform that runs manual and automated tests on a large scale. With a focus on providing a versatile testing environment, LambdaTest empowers users to conduct real-time and automation testing across an extensive array of environments, encompassing over 3000 configurations, including browsers and real mobile devices.
Conclusion
By understanding the various methods and strategies for identifying and interacting with dynamic elements, testers can ensure more efficient and accurate test execution. This not only saves time and effort but also helps to deliver high-quality software products to clients. With continuous practice and learning, one can master handling dynamic elements in Selenium and stay ahead in the ever-evolving field of software testing.
