With a market share of 72.5%, Google Chrome is one of the most popular browsers among users. Given its burgeoning popularity, it is crucial to test web applications and websites on Google Chrome. But before knowing how to get started with ChromeDriver, you must be aware of its functionalities.
Selenium ChromeDriver is a separate executable that Selenium uses to regulate the functions of Chrome during tests. It is maintained by the Chromium team with the assistance of the WebDriver community. WebDriver is an open-source tool ideal for automated testing of web apps across browsers. The ChromeDriver is a standalone server that deploys the W3C standards to make your web apps and websites responsive.
Reasons to Use ChromeDriver
The main reason behind using ChromeDriver is to launch Chrome. Without it, it is impossible to execute the Selenium test scripts. Here are other reasons why your QA teams and testers prefer the ChromeDriver.
Cross-Browser Testing
One of the key reasons to use ChromeDriver is that it supports Google Chrome. So, QA teams who want to test their website for cross-browser testing find ChromeDriver immensely resourceful. You can test your web applications in one of the most famous browsers in the market.
Automation
Another key reason behind using ChromeDriver is that it automates repetitive tasks. A few functions that it can automate are web scraping, UI testing, and form filling. Therefore, with the Selenium ChromeDriver, you can save precious time and effort.
Compatibility
Testers prefer using ChromeDriver because of its compatibility with multiple programming languages. For instance, it supports Python, Java, etc. So, for your QA team, ChromeDriver is incredibly versatile.
Setting Up the ChromeDriver
Now we know about the reasons to use ChromeDriver, let’s learn how to set it up. Before setting it up, you must be aware of the following:
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Google Chrome Browser
Ensure that you have Google Chrome installed on your browser.
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Programming Language
Work with a programming language that you are comfortable with.
Installing ChromeDriver
ChromeDriver installation should be followed with utmost care and precision. Launch the command prompt and execute “pip install selenium” to install the package. In the subsequent step, download ChromeDriver for Chrome. In the next step, unzip the ChromeDriver file and integrate its location into your system’s path environment. The main reason behind doing this is to ensure that the script can locate the ChromeDriver.
The Fundamental ChromeDriver Operations
The first step here is to launch the browser. To launch the ChromeDriver, executing this command – “webdriver. Chrome()” and creating the instance might be helpful. Always remember that you can customize the browser’s behavior with options like user-agent, window size, etc.
ChromeDriver is an integral aspect of web app testing as it allows you to interact with web elements like forms and links. You can identify and interact with these elements based on their IDs, names, and paths.
Things to Consider While Running ChromeDriver
ChromeDriver is an integral component in Selenium and allows QA teams and developers to automate their web app’s interactions with Google Chrome. If you think that proper ChromeDriver installation is the only way to make your testing process successful, you’re wrong. It is necessary to consider these factors while running ChromeDriver.
Version Compatibility Matters
While planning to launch ChromeDriver, you should know about version compatibility. Note that ChromeDriver evolves whenever Chrome gets updated. Therefore, using the correct version of ChromeDriver is an absolute necessity. The mismatched versions can severely affect your test.
Tackling the Wait Time
You can use Selenium’s implicit and explicit waits to address dynamic web page elements loading abnormally. Selenium makes sure that your script interacts with elements when they are ready.
Running ChromeDriver in the Headless Mode
One of the popular features is that you can operate ChromeDriver in headless mode. In other words, the browser will function without a graphical user interface. It is a viable option to run tests in the background.
The Browser Version
Often, developers tend to overlook the importance of the updated browser version. Note that the new browser updates may introduce certain alterations that can affect how ChromeDriver interacts with your website. If you are using an outdated browser, it is common to experience compatibility issues.
Addressing Alerts and Pop-Ups
It is pretty common for your web apps to use alerts and pop-ups to warn or notify users. With the switch-to-alert command, you can tackle these alerts and pop-ups. However, you must make sure that your automation scripts can identify and respond to these pop-ups to avoid interruptions in the workflow.
Debugging
To debug the test automation scripts, leverage the logging features of ChromeDriver. It also allows developers to configure this functionality to capture errors and debug information. This feature also lets you improve the reliability of scripts.
Conclusion
Undoubtedly, ChromeDriver is a powerful and versatile tool that can simplify your web automation tasks. With proper setup and comprehending its capabilities, you can harness the features of ChromeDriver to optimize your website development workflow.