Top Advantages Of Selenium Grid

Selenium automation has definitely made the task of testing web applications way more convenient. Being an open-source test framework, one of the biggest advantages of working with Selenium is that you don’t have to worry about investing in licensing.

This comes as a relief to those who are proficient in testing using Selenium as well as beginners. How does Selenium automation work? Selenium basically automates a web browser, and this causes the web browser to act as a user while you write test scripts.

Selenium has 4 components, which are Selenium Grid, Selenium RC, Selenium IDE, Selenium WebDriver. This blog focuses on the advantages of Selenium Grid, which is a combination of Hub (client) and Node (Server). When you set up a Selenium Grid, you can run Selenium automation tests for different combinations of operating systems, web browsers, and multiple versions. With that said, here are the advantages of Selenium Grid.

Top Advantages Of Selenium Grid
Image: BrowserStack.

● Dedicated Framework Support
Selenium Grid is supported by various frameworks, such as Robot, PyTest, PyUnit, MsUnit, Cucumber, CapyBara, NUnit, etc. And these frameworks have these frameworks, and so the job of testing browser compatibility is eased. All you need to do is learn how to use the right framework with Selenium.

● Extensive Language Support
One of the considerations when working with a new test framework is whether or not it supports the programming language that is used in the enterprise. Because, no matter how powerful the test framework is, it won’t be useful at all if it does not support the programming language that you use. Selenium Grid has the upper hand over various other test frameworks for this very reason. It is known to support a variety of popular and common programming languages. And so, whether experienced or a beginner, most programmers prefer Selenium Grid over other frameworks. With language support being provided, all you need to do is learn the intricacies of Selenium grid Automation.

● Multi-Browser Support
When testing a web application, it is crucial to test it on different browser combinations as your customer might be using various versions of the web browsers. This necessitates the task of cross-browser testing. And since the Selenium framework can support a variety of popular web browsers, you can easily carry out the task of cross-browser testing.

● Multi-Operating System Support
When you test a web application on various operating systems, one of the challenges could be making major changes to the script when porting it to a different operating system. However, since Selenium comes with multi-operating system support, you have to only make a few changes to the Selenium test automation script when you port it from one operating system to another. This saves you a significant amount of time and effort while making it possible to test the web application on different operating systems.

● Open Source and Free
While one advantage of Selenium is that it is open-source, another is that with an incredibly active community of developers and users, Selenium has witnessed many significant changes ever since the first version, that is Selenium 2.4 was launched. And with this active community, it is ensured that the Selenium versions created are tested to ensure that they are reliable. And in addition to that, it is also free, which gives a greater number of software engineers a chance to work with it.

● Parallel Test Execution
Testing can be performed in two ways. One is serial test execution which involves more time as compared to parallel test execution. And this is where Selenium automation testing can be immensely useful as it allows parallel test execution. Not only does this help you save time, but it also comes with better test coverage.

● Powerful Reporting
Whether you use Selenium for testing automation or go for manual testing, it does take some time if not way too much time. And while the testing is taking place, it is important to track the progress of the testing process. Manual reporting can be another big hassle. However, Selenium can be integrated with various third-party frameworks that can provide you with accurate reports so that you can keep up with the progress of the testing process.

All the above-mentioned advantages make Selenium a more convenient option as compared to various other frameworks and even manual testing. You can never escape the process of web application because when not tested properly, your web application may fail to cater well to the larger audience. However, you can definitely ease the process when you use a framework such as Selenium Grid.

Featured image: Software Freedom Conservancy.