First Steps in Selenium IDE - Understanding Selenium: Questions and Answers

In one of the previous blog, we explained in brief how Selenium IDE looks and the features Selenium IDE provides. In this post, we discuss on creating first test in Selenium IDE, adding assertions and verify statements, difference between assert and verify statements, storing value of an element at run time, adding comments to the test. 
In upcoming posts, I will cover on advance features in Selenium IDE and also include how to create test suites and details of useful commands in Selenium IDE

Before proceeding further, we must have Mozilla Firefox with Selenium IDE Add-on installed. Selenium IDE Add-on can be installed from Selenium official website.  Let us start now for creating first test in Selenium IDE.

Question 1: What are the points to be considered before starting automation on Selenium IDE?

Answer:  Below are some of points to be considered before starting with Automation on Selenium IDE.

•      Test should have known start point for the workflow.
•           Test should be independent of other test and complete in itself
•      Test should clean up itself. This means Page should return to initial state on completion.

Question 2: Please explain how to create a new test in Selenium IDE?

Answer:  Creating first test in Selenium IDE:

Let us assume, we want to record on Google Page using Selenium IDE, We will open Firefox and selenium IDE and record on Google Page, by searching for ‘test’. Below are the steps stored in the test for action performed on Google Page? We can save the test and play it back.

First Test in Selenium IDE

Question 3: What is the difference between verify and assert statement in Selenium

Answer: Adding Validation and Assertion to test:

When we record and playback in Selenium IDE, we perform the actions on object in workflow, i.e. launching the URL, setting value test in edit box and clicking on submit. Now we need to verify if the title of the Page is correct or particular object is visible in the Page.

Difference between Assert and verify is while test stops in case of assert fails but remaining statements in the test are executed in case of verify statement even if the verify statement fails.

We know the difference between verify and assert but do not know how to add assertion in a test in Selenium. Assertions are not added during recording but needs to be added manually to enhance the test.

To add an assert in the page, right click on the object as shown below. In the Google Page, I click on edit box and right click. On clicking, I get following options as shown below. Once I click on an option, it is displayed in the Selenium IDE test as shown below. In this manner we can add different assertions, verify, wait, and store statements in the test.

Adding assert and verify statements in test

Question 4: What is the need of comments in script and how to insert comments in script in Selenium IDE?

Answer: For better understanding of the script, we need to add comments in the test flow.  This can be done as explained in screenshot below:

Adding a comment in Selenium IDE

Question 5: How can we store the value of an element in Selenium IDE and use it further in the test flow?

Answer: we can store the text of an element using StoreText Command; Target will be the object whose text we need to store and value will be the variable whose value needs to be stored.

We can use the variable as ${stroredValue} where storedValue is the variable in which value was stored.