Getting started with Selenium 4: Everything you need to know

Modern businesses need a mind-blowing application testing strategy to create high-performing solutions in the shortest period. Thanks to DevOps and Agile technologies, software automation testing has become simpler. This testing procedure has been made simpler and quicker by developing repeatable test suites and reliable automating frameworks. Regarding cross-browser automation testing, we know that Selenium is a widely used technology. It is thought to be the most reliable tool for any saas developmental service workflow. Automated Selenium Testing has grown more robust and trustworthy since the introduction of Selenium 4. So keep on reading to find out all the latest features and upgrades of Selenium 4. Let’s started by knowing,

What is Selenium 4?

The newest release of the Selenium tool is called, you guessed it, Selenium 4. It can be used to create automated testing for projected applications. You must first install Selenium on the system before you can proceed. You’ll also have to use at least 1 Selenium library to develop the code that manages the browser. Selenium 4 brings several enhancements and additional features since it is an improved version of Selenium 3.

New Features of Selenium 4

1. Newer Configuration

Firstly, there have been several modifications made to the Selenium architecture. JSON Wire Protocol stands between the Selenium client libraries and WebDriver in Selenium 3. In between the consumer as well as the server, information is transferred. On the contrary side, Selenium 4 removes the JSON Wire Protocol and instead uses the W3C Web Protocol to connect directly with browsers. The tests ought to run more quickly and with greater assurance due to the brand-new architecture modification.

2. Relative locator

By defining the location on a website, Selenium can locate a component utilizing more human-friendly terminology; relative locators enable you to discover that element. The following is a listing of relative locator techniques, along with an explanation of how they function: above(): Locates a component that is above a specific component. below(): identifies a component beneath another component toLeftOf(): This finds a component next to another component on its left. toRightOf(): This technique is used to find a component directed towards the right of a particular element. near(): This locates components close to another component.

3. Screenshots of Web Elements

Capturing screenshots of components is also another additional Selenium 4 functionality. Now it can take a screenshot of a single object, like a button or a line of text. To utilize this functionality, locate the component first and then use WebElement’s get ScreenshotAs() technique to capture a screenshot.

4. Control of browser tabs and windows

The capability of controlling browser windows is now available in Selenium 4. The newWindow() technique, for instance, allows you to open a new browser tab or window. This new window category can be specified as WindowType.Window or WindowType to select between windows or tabs.

5. Standardized documents

For every user, documentation is crucial, and Selenium documentation has yet to be upgraded since Selenium 2.0. To demonstrate the latest improvements, selenium 4 has revised all primary documentation, including the web drivers, Grid, and IDE.

Wrapping Up

The most recent Selenium version, 4.0, provides several additional capabilities that simplify Selenium testing, including easy integration, simultaneous testing, enhanced documentation, cross-browser testing, etc. Before spending money on any automated testing system or technology, companies must understand the Selenium 4.0 improvements and differentiators discussed in this article.