Pre-requisites

A fundamental grasp of Python, Selenium, and basic HTML is necessary. Python stands out as a robust and widely-used programming language, with its own syntax, API, and libraries essential for writing and executing programs. On the other hand, Selenium is a powerful UI automation framework predominantly employed for UI testing. It is compatible with major web browsers like Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Safari, and Internet Explorer, functioning by mimicking real user interactions.

While you don't need to memorize every HTML element and attribute, familiarity with the basic components, such as form and input elements, is crucial.

Software Recommendation

For development, it's advisable to use PyCharm by JetBrains. The free Community Edition is recommended until you reach a level where the Professional Edition becomes necessary.

Section 1.1: Project Setup

To kick things off, initiate a new Python project in PyCharm. It’s prudent to create a Git repository for each project to effectively track changes. A simple main.py script will help quickly verify if your setup is functioning properly.

If you have a pre-installed Python version, you can select it; otherwise, opt for a version that PyCharm can download and install for you. Once the project is initialized, modify the main.py file to display the message "UI Automation with Selenium and Python". Run the file by clicking the green triangle button on the toolbar.

Section 1.2: Installing the Selenium Library

You can install the Selenium library through PyCharm’s Python Packages window, or alternatively, use Python's built-in package installer via the terminal. To do this, type pip install selenium and press Enter.

Section 1.3: Writing Your First Automation Test

from selenium import webdriver

driver = webdriver.Chrome()

print(driver.title)

driver.quit()

Video Tutorial: Hands-On UI Testing With Python

Section 1.4: Submitting a Search Inquiry

For our next test, we will organize the code into separate functions for clarity. This involves locating the search input box, clearing its content, and entering "getting started in Python". Subsequently, we’ll find and click the Go button, then confirm that the browser navigates to the expected URL.

Here’s the code snippet for this functionality:

search_input_field = driver.find_element(By.ID, "id-search-field")

search_input_field.clear()

search_input_field.send_keys("getting started in Python")

search_go_button = driver.find_element(By.ID, "submit")

search_go_button.click()

To find the search results, we will utilize a CSS selector, which can be structured using the Developer tools:

results = driver.find_elements(By.CSS_SELECTOR, ".list-recent-events li")

Here’s the complete function:

from selenium import webdriver

from selenium.webdriver.common.by import By

def tc2_search_getting_started():

driver = webdriver.Chrome()

try:

search_input_field = driver.find_element(By.ID, "id-search-field")

search_input_field.clear()

search_input_field.send_keys("getting started in Python")

search_go_button = driver.find_element(By.ID, "submit")

search_go_button.click()

print("current url: " + driver.current_url)

results = driver.find_elements(By.CSS_SELECTOR, ".list-recent-events li")

print(f"number of results: {len(results)}")

finally:

driver.quit()

Section 1.5: Executing Tests Using Python's Unittest Framework

For the final step, we’ll utilize Python's unittest framework instead of invoking test functions directly. This will streamline the process of running multiple tests. Modify main.py to create a unit test class that extends unittest.TestCase. Extract setup and teardown methods for browser management, and validate results through assertions.

Here’s how the final code looks:

import unittest

from selenium import webdriver

from selenium.webdriver.common.by import By

class TestPythonOrg(unittest.TestCase):

def setUp(self):

self.driver = webdriver.Chrome()

def tearDown(self):

self.driver.quit()

def test_tc1_get_python_org_title(self):

driver = self.driver

self.assertEqual("Welcome to Python.org", driver.title)

def test_tc2_search_getting_started(self):

driver = self.driver

search_input_field = driver.find_element(By.ID, "id-search-field")

search_input_field.clear()

search_input_field.send_keys("getting started in Python")

search_go_button = driver.find_element(By.ID, "submit")

search_go_button.click()

results = driver.find_elements(By.CSS_SELECTOR, ".list-recent-events li")

self.assertGreater(len(results), 0)

if __name__ == '__main__':

unittest.main()

PyCharm facilitates running tests either individually or as a whole, while also providing a test explorer to review execution results.

Video Tutorial: Project Setup and Getting Started with Selenium