Module 2 Basics of a browser automator

Hours 20–40, 20 hours, the same for every track. Signed off by the mentor with a walkthrough. Reviewed at Gate 0.

Purpose

A browser automator does what a manual tester does in a browser, the same way every time. Module 2 gives each person a first working script that opens a page, finds things on it, checks them, and fills in and submits a form. Module 10 builds on it with resilient locators and a test framework, and Module 11 turns it into a real test.

The default automator is Selenium with JavaScript. A person may use another browser automator and language, with their mentor's agreement (Principle 9).

Outcomes

• Learning outcome 16: write, run, and explain a browser automation script that requests a page, waits for it, selects elements by id, verifies text, clicks links, buttons, and select boxes, fills in form fields, and submits.

Depth by track

Session plan

Each person's sessions add up to 20 hours.

Activities

1. In a new folder, run npm init -y, set "type": "module" in package.json, and run npm install selenium-webdriver.
2. Start from this beginning, which requests the fixture page, waits for it, and verifies some text:

import { Builder, Browser, By, until } from "selenium-webdriver";

const driver = await new Builder().forBrowser(Browser.CHROME).build();
try {
  await driver.get("https://testingexamples.github.io/en-001/practice/");
  const paragraph = await driver.wait(until.elementLocated(By.id("id-example-1")), 10000);
  const text = await paragraph.getText();
  console.log(text === "Id Example 1" ? "Text verified" : `Unexpected text: ${text}`);
} finally {
  await driver.quit();
}

3. Add each remaining step yourself, on the same page:
   • click the checkbox #checkbox-example-1-id
   • choose "bravo" in the select box #select-example-1-id
   • clear the text field #text-example-1-id and type your own text
   • click the Submit button, which submits the form #form-1
   • in a second run, click the link "Link Example 1", and check the new page's address.
4. Run the script on your own system with node. Then change one id on purpose, run it again, and read the error.

Evidence

Evidence 2: a walkthrough to the mentor of a browser automation script, in Selenium with JavaScript or the automator and language the mentor agreed, against the testingexamples fixture site, that:

• makes a web request for a page, and waits for the response
• selects page elements by id, and verifies page text
• clicks a link, a button, and an option in a select box
• fills in form fields, and submits the form.

The person runs it on their own system and explains each step: what it finds, what it waits for, and what it checks.

Assessment

The mentor signs off the walkthrough when the script runs on the person's own system, does every step, and the person can explain each one. Gate 0 (hour 88) records the sign-off.

Resources

• Selenium documentation, "Getting started": https://www.selenium.dev/documentation/webdriver/getting_started/
• testingexamples Selenium JavaScript skill and demo: https://github.com/testingexamples/selenium-javascript-skill, https://github.com/testingexamples/demo-selenium-javascript
• The fixture site: https://testingexamples.github.io/en-001/practice/

View this document on GitHub materials/modules/module-2-basics-of-a-browser-automator/index.md