Table of Contents
- Introduction
- What is Selenium Automation Testing
- Architecture of Selenium 3 vs Selenium 4
- Selenium 3 vs Selenium 4: Core Differences
- Comparison Table: Selenium vs Selenium 4
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
Introduction
As technology evolves, software testers and developers must stay up-to-date with the latest tools and techniques. Web application testing has greatly benefited from the adoption of Selenium, the most popular open-source framework for automated testing. Many new features and enhancements have been made in Selenium 4, which can significantly improve the efficiency of automated testing services.
We will explore Selenium 3 vs Selenium 4 differences in-depth in this article, highlighting the innovations and improvements that have been made. We will examine the enhanced functions, advanced features, and their overall effects on the automation testing process.
What is Selenium Automation Testing?
Selenium Automation Testing is a popular software testing framework. Used for automating web applications. It enables testers to create test scripts that run on several platforms and browsers. In a variety of computer languages. Testers can validate the functioning and behavior of online applications by simulating user interactions with Selenium. Such as clicking buttons, typing text, and navigating across various websites.
The capability of SA Testing to execute test scripts on a range of browsers is one of its key features. This ensures a smooth user experience by having the web application behave consistently. Across different browsers. Also, it provides parallel execution. Which reduces testing time by allowing testers to execute multiple test cases simultaneously. Selenium Automation Testing has emerged as an essential tool in the software testing field. Because of its stable and flexible design. It allows companies to develop correct and high-quality web applications efficiently.
Architecture of Selenium 3 vs Selenium 4
Let's have a look at Selenium 3 and Selenium 4 architecture. Unveiling advancements that enhance test automation efficiency and compatibility.
Selenium 3 Architecture:
This architecture follows a client-server model. This is how it breaks down:
1. WebDriver API: Selenium 3 relies on the WebDriver API. It offers a platform-independent interface to automate them and interacts directly with the web browser. In contrast to Selenium RC, its programming interface is meant to be more straightforward and primitive.
2. Browser Drivers: To interact with different web browsers, Selenium 3 employs drivers for each of them. They act as a gateway between the automated browser and the WebDriver API. Each (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc.) requires a different driver so that WebDriver can drive its behavior.
3. JSON Wire Protocol: Selenium 3 utilizes the JSON Wire Protocol as a vehicle of communication between the WebDriver client libraries (such as Java and Python) and the WebDriver server. It is a standardized mechanism of sending data in both directions and thus simplifies integration between various versions of browsers as well as programming languages.
4. Selenium Server: In Selenium 3, the client library and the drivers communicate via the Selenium Server. It allows communication between the client and the WebDriver. Instances that are running on several computers, and it maintains multiple browser sessions.
Selenium 4 Architecture:
The core of the Selenium 3 design is a client-server distributed testing platform. Here is a thorough synopsis:
1. WebDriver API: It offers a common method for automating web browsers and forms the core part of Selenium 3. By utilizing this API, users can automate activities, interact with web elements, and scrape data from web pages in code. WebDriver simplifies the automation of tests by providing a common set of commands that could be used in most browsers.
2. Browser-Specific Drivers: In order to assist the WebDriver API in communicating with various web browsers, Selenium 3 employs browser-specific drivers. They serve as intermediaries, translating WebDriver commands into action. In order to enable Selenium to support numerous browsers, there are various drivers for popular browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, and Safari.
3. JSON Wire Protocol: To allow WebDriver servers and client libraries to get along, Selenium 3 uses the JSON Wire Protocol. This is a standard method of data transfer, which allows for simple interaction irrespective of programming language or implementation. By creating a set of HTTP endpoints for sending commands and receiving responses, it offers consistency and compatibility.
4. Selenium Server: The central part of the Selenium 3 system is the Selenium Server. It enables WebDriver instances and client libraries to talk to each other by handling browser sessions. It is also a central place for running tests on different web browsers and machines so that you can run tests at the same time. Whether you install the Selenium Server on your machine or another machine depends on your test requirements.
5. Remote WebDriver: Additionally, Selenium 3 allows for remote WebDriver instances, which allows tests to be conducted on distant computers or devices. In testing multiple environments and configurations, the feature is very useful in distributed testing. Cross-platform testing can be performed by teams and resources can be utilized efficiently through the use of Remote WebDriver, without the need for physical access to every target device.
6. Selenium Grid: A distributed framework for running tests concurrently on many nodes and environments, Selenium 3 works well with Selenium Grid. You can create a WebDriver server grid using Selenium Grid. All such servers are able to run tests across various operating systems and browsers simultaneously. This form of testing is best suited for large automation projects since it accelerates running tests and makes tests more efficient.
Selenium 3 vs Selenium 4: Core Differences
Comparing Selenium 3 vs 4, The following are the main variations between the two versions:
1. Chrome Driver
The Chrome Driver extension will be the main difference between Selenium 3 and 4. In Selenium 3, the Chrome Driver is extended to the Remote Web Driver. However, Chrome Driver is an extension of the Chrome Driver Class in Selenium 4.
2. Communication Mode Between Client and Server
As seen from the design of Selenium 3 and 4, Selenium 3 features a JSON Wire Protocol that allows data to be exchanged between the client and the server.
On the other hand, since Selenium 4 uses the WebDriver W3C protocol to establish communication between the client and server, JSON Wire Protocol is not needed in this scenario.
3. Selenium Grid: From Selenium 3 to 4
Version 4 of Selenium Grid features a redesign focused on scalability and user-friendliness. It may now be used more successfully for distributed testing, enabling the simultaneous execution of tests across many environments and browsers, and it provides enhanced load balancing.
Apart from this, it facilitates easier configuration, improved logging, and Docker containers. Improved capabilities to execute tests in parallel across various settings and configurations, increasing the efficiency and speed of test execution.
4. Start of Node and Hub Bars
To perform automation testing in Selenium 3, testers must always launch the Hub and Node jars. It can get challenging at times for the testers. With Selenium 4, testers can eliminate these kinds of issues because automation testing can be carried out without launching the Hub or Jar.
5. Backward Compatibility and Transition
Selenium 4 is also backward compatible with Selenium 3 so that customers can upgrade with ease without having to make radical changes to their existing test scripts. To motivate users to utilize newer and more efficient approaches, Selenium 4 deprecates several old features and methods of its previous version, Selenium 3.
Comparison Table: Selenium 4 vs Selenium 3
Conclusion
The Selenium 3 to 4 upgrade is a major step in web testing, especially for teams leveraging Software Testing Services. Selenium 4 is faster on multiple platforms and is effective by utilizing the W3C WebDriver standard, thus no extra servers are needed. Testers now possess better and easier tools because of new functionality like relative locators, Chrome DevTools Protocol integration, and better window and tab handling.
Also, version 4's seamless backward compatibility guarantees an easy upgrade path, enabling users of previous updates to take advantage of the new features without experiencing significant disruptions to their test scripts. The updated version of Grid improves parallel testing capabilities and facilitates scaling and management of tests in various contexts.
The latest iteration has improved the architecture to provide testers and developers with an improved, smoother, more stable, and simpler experience. The new functionalities of Selenium 4 make it a suitable option to maintain pace with the evolving web automation world, either in the form of new automation projects or redeveloping the existing ones.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What are the most significant differences between Selenium 3 and Selenium 4?
Selenium 4 has numerous enhancements from the older version. It supports the W3C WebDriver protocol, has improved browser driver support, support for the Chrome DevTools Protocol, relative locators, improved window and tab handling, and a new Selenium Grid with simplified parallel testing.
2. What is the need for the W3C WebDriver standard in Selenium 4?
W3C WebDriver standard is an easy way of talking to web browsers to enable them to communicate and collaborate better and more quickly. Therefore, Selenium 3 uses the JSON Wire Protocol less, thus producing more consistent and stable results in different browsers.
3. In what ways does Selenium 4 improve browser support compared to Selenium 3?
For browsers like the newly launched Microsoft Edge, which is Chromium-based, Selenium 4 natively supports more stable and efficient browser drivers. Improved performance, new features, and improved compatibility with newer web technologies are all offered by these enhancements.
4. What are relative locators, and how do they enhance testing using Selenium 4?
Relative locators in Selenium 4 assist users in locating elements as a function of their relative location with respect to other elements (for example, above, below, to the left of, or to the right of). This capability simplifies positioning elements, which, in turn, simplifies reading and preserving test scripts.
5. Should I upgrade to Selenium 4 if I am presently using Selenium 3?
There are numerous new features in Selenium 4, and upgrading is a good option. Selenium 4 can be used by both new and existing automation projects since it supports more browsers, has more advanced features, and has a more streamlined test environment all without it not functioning with the previous versions.
6. What types of applications can you automate with Selenium?
We can automate testing of numerous web applications using Selenium, including online stores, content management sites, business apps, and bespoke sites. Selenium supports all the major browsers, ensuring we are able to test across browsers.
7. Do you offer tailored test automation frameworks?
Yes. We design tailored test automation frameworks that meet your unique needs and requirements. We make our frameworks simple to extend, simple to maintain, and simple to use so that you can attain effective and efficient test automation.