Your first test with Python + WebDriver + PyCharm

Today I’d like You to try Python for Your functional Web tests. Why Python? Because I believe it’s much easier to start with if we’ll compare with Java or .Net and also in several cases Python (because it’s scripting language) can do much more things than even Java (with all cross platform functionality itself).

So let’s do everything from the scratch. Next screens and instructions are for Windows users because I’m sure that install and run Python on OSX or Linux is much easier and doesn’t need any specific explanations.

1. Install Python.

For this we’re going to https://www.python.org/downloads/ and download needed package.

As You can see that we’re able to download Windows installer and install Python without any problems – I did it in default directory, also have to underline that I’ll use Python 3.4.2 for this example. 

After installation we’ll need to create local variable PYTHON_HOME (which is really not mandatory, but will be useful) and check if Python added to the main Path. For that just follow screens below one by one.

If everything correct we have to able to see next screen after running command “python --version” in our command prompt.

And this is pretty much all for Python installation.

2. Selenium installation.

Here will be also pretty much straightforward process with adding Python language bindings for WebDriver. For Python we don’t need to download different browser drivers as we did for Java.

First open https://pypi.python.org/pypi/selenium – and download archive with selenium (see screen below). After downloading extract somewhere on the disk. Next go to Your Python folder e.g. “C:\Python34” and run command (in command line prompt) – “pip install –U selenium”. 

 After this command Python should install Selenium but I faced one issue during this installation and for that we need our extracted Selenium archive – You have to copy extracted folder “selenium” (with all files in it) to “C:\Python34\Lib” (see screen below). 

One more step – we have to ensure that “selenium” is also in the path variable (scree below).

We’re almost ready, actually we’re ready for writing and running scripts in Python. As I mentioned before Python scripting language so it doesn’t need any specific IDE or anything like that – we can use simple notepad for testing. But for future convenience I’d recommend You install PyCharm from JetBrains.

3. Installing PyCharm

I believe one really easy step – go to https://www.jetbrains.com/pycharm/download/ and download community edition, which totally free and provides all necessary functionality. For those who use IntelliJ Idea already – You just need to add Python language plugin and then create new Python project (also pretty simple)

After downloading and installing PyCharm we’re all set, so we have just one more step – actual test writing and running.

4. Writing and running first test.

On first two screens we’re creating new project in PyCharm – pretty straight forward process.

Then we have to check our settings for ensure our PyCharm will use needed Python interpreter. So go : “File > Settings > Project interpreter” or press “Ctrl + Alt + S” and make sure that correct Python distributive selected also there should be “selenium” in the list of packages (see screen below).

Last step – create a “test” package in project root directory and then Python file – e.g. “FirstWebDriverTest.py”.

Our test will do several simple steps:

    - Open browser (for this example I’ll use Chrome, but You can easily change that).

    - Navigate to http://www.allegro.pl.

    - Type in search box “Laptop”.

    - Press “Search” button.

    - Verify that first item from results list has “Laptop” in it’s title.

For Your convenience I’ll paste whole code below:

import unittest  

 from selenium import webdriver  

   

 class FirstWebDriverTest(unittest.TestCase):  

   

   def setUp(self):  

     self.driver = webdriver.Chrome()  

     self.driver.get("http://www.allegro.pl")  

     self.SEARCH_TEXT = "Laptop"  

     self.SEARCH_FIELD_ID = "//input[@id='main-search-text']"  

     self.SEARCH_BUTTON_ID = "//input[@class='search-btn']"  

     self.SEARCH_RESULT_ITEM_TITLE = "//article[@class='offer offer-brand']//h2//span"  

   

   def test_search_in_allegro_pl(self):  

     driver = self.driver  

   

     driver.find_element_by_xpath(self.SEARCH_FIELD_ID)\  

       .send_keys(self.SEARCH_TEXT)  

     search_button = driver.find_element_by_xpath(self.SEARCH_BUTTON_ID)  

     search_button.submit()  

   

     driver.implicitly_wait(5000)  

     result = driver.find_elements_by_xpath(self.SEARCH_RESULT_ITEM_TITLE)\  

       .__getitem__(0)\  

       .__getattribute__("text")  

     self.assertIn(self.SEARCH_TEXT, result)  

   

   def tearDown(self):  

     self.driver.close()  

If You’ll do copy and paste from this page make sure that after inserting code has original formatting (You can refer to screen above) because for Python it’s extremely important.

So now we can run our test – “Run > Run” or “Alt + Shift + F10”

Also You can do it through command prompt line (see screen below)

Hope this will be easy for You to start writing tests in Python and You’ll check how actually powerful this language is. One last thing – for this example with all downloading and installing steps I’ve spent about one hour (actually I’ve spent more for doing screens and describing steps :) ).

P.S. added project to repo: https://github.com/operep/Python_Test_Project.git, so now You'll be able simply clone that

Your first test in Java + TestNG + WebDriver + Maven in Eclipse.

Actually today in internet we can find hundreds sources about setting up project in Eclipse vs Java vs WebDriver vs  TestNG and I bet this one won’t be pretty original but I’ll try to place it all together one more time.

Before we start I have to admit one important thing – for some situations we just need some other instruments thus WebDriver won’t solve all Your potential needs.

I. Java (Windows)

1) Check out if You have Java installed and configured already.

Firstly we have to check if we have Java installed in our system – so open Command Prompt and type “java -version” command then press Enter. If You didn’t see message I’m able to see on my computer You probably don’t have Java jdk installed on Your machine either it’s not configured in system variables. 

  
I’d recommend check it first. Usually Java places itself into the folder which is shown on the image.

If You have Java files there but still can’t successfully run command from 1) section – go directly to section 4) and follow all needed steps.

In other case proceed through all following steps from 2) to 4).

2) Downloading Java package from Oracle web service.

Just click the link, accept an agreement and choose needed version. Download should start in a second.

http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/jdk7-downloads-1880260.html 

3) Installing Java.

I believe in a whole world there’re no so many of easy processes like installing Java. Simply open folder in which You’ve downloaded Java package and run it. After that simply click NEXT and Ok where needed.

4) Verifying or setting Java HOME folder as a System variable.

Here we can check if it’s already done by installer or do that by ourselves. So do Click with right mouse button on “My Computer” icon and choose “Properties”. Then click on “Advanced system settings”.

“Environment Variables” next.

Choose “Path” from the bottom window as shown on the screenshot and click “Edit”

In the string of different variables You should see something like on screenshot otherwise You have to add that information here don’t forget to place semicolon where needed. After all You’re done with Java – go to the section 1) and try that command again but don’t forget to restart command prompt first.

II. Eclipse installing and setting it up.

Here we’ll do some steps which are needed for installing Eclipse and configuring it for our future testing needs.

1) If You have Eclipse already installed and configured in Your system, please skip this section, otherwise let’s start from downloading.

Simply click on the link - https://www.eclipse.org/downloads/

Follow instructions on screenshot – choose Your version of OS.

Here You’re proposed to choose mirror if You don’t like preferred one – You’re able to pick any other from the list on the page.

After downloading zip archive with Eclipse I’d recommend to move it in different folder on the disk and just extract it there. Eclipse doesn’t need any special installation – extract and You’re ready to go.

 

First time You’ll run Eclipse You’ll see next screen with empty line, I already have specified folder:

That means You have to choose folder on Your computer where Eclipse will store project files. Also You’ll have a chance to make this location as a default, otherwise You’ll need to confirm this step every Eclipse launch. After starting Eclipse we have to check if it knows about our Java installed in the system. Go to “Window” menu  “Preferences” and follow steps on the screenshots below.

After all those steps You should have almost everything for Your first test. Just some more small things.

III. Maven downloading and setting up.

According Wikipedia – “Maven is a build automation tool used primarily for Java projects. Maven addresses two aspects of building software: First, it describes how software is built, and second, it describes its dependencies.”

So we’ll use Maven for two purposes – first we’ll build simple project with that – which is much easier and faster and then we’ll let Maven to take care about our external libraries.

As usually – if You have that already done – just skip this section.

1) Download Maven is pretty simple – click on the link http://maven.apache.org/download.cgi. After page loaded choose one of the links from screenshot.

 

After downloading just like with Eclipse You need to extract Maven sources in the folder You’d like.
 

After extraction remember path to the Maven BIN folder – e.g. “C:\\Install\Maven\apache-maven-3.2.1\bin” and do all steps from 4) section in Java setting-up part of this topic.

When You’ll finish with that open Command Prompt and type “mvn -version” You should see same information as on screenshot below.

Great we’re almost done.

Just some more commands for work with Maven:

a) create project

- mvn archetype:generate

            -DarchetypeGroupId={archetype-group-id} – here Maven archetypes placed – org.apache.maven.archetypes

-DgroupId={project-packaging}  - here we specify relation to our project e.g – “com.testproject”

-DartifactId={project-name} – obviously here we specify project name e.g. – “FirstWebDriverTest”

-DarchetypeArtifactId=maven-archetype-quickstart – it’s already predefined project structure for us

-DinteractiveMode=false – we don’t need interactive mode during project creation

So according to this for create project we have to:

- open a folder where we want to place our project;

- open Command Prompt – make sure You’re in that folder;

- type – “mvn archetype:generate -DarchetypeGroupId=org.apache.maven.archetypes -DgroupId=com.testproject -DartifactId= FirstWebDriverTest -DarchetypeArtifactId=maven-archetype-quickstart -DinteractiveMode=false”

- press Enter;

- on first prompt press Enter;

- Choose a number – press 5;

- Choose version – press 5;

- Confirm – Y and Enter. Done You just created Your first project. Next step will be importing that into Eclipse.

b) compile project – “mvn compile”

c) run project tests = “mvn test”

d) clean project = “mvn clean”

e) package project into jar or war = “mvn package” or “mvn install”

f) update dependencies = “mvn dependency:resolve”

It’s pretty much of Maven commands which You’ll need for the beginning.

For more detailed information please refer to – http://maven.apache.org/.

IV Importing project into Eclipse.

Open Eclipse go to menu “File”------> “Import…”Choose the option as shown on screenshot and click Next button.

In the next window select root directory where You’ve created the project with Maven – just go to the Browse option and choose the necessary one then press Finish and we’re done.

 

For now You have to be able see the structure of Your project. The most attentive one already noticed that Maven created for us almost everything – e.g. project structure and even some sample files.

For completing setup we need to edit pom.xml file which You can find in the root directory of Your project – so go into that and add that code You can see on screens below <url> tag. For Your convenience I’ll past the code after images.

After dependencies block just put build block obviously it’ll work without that but if You would like to expand project a bit that will help You.

V. Selectors.

Selectors is not the point of this article thus I’ll give just short explanation – it’s an address of the needed element in DOM structure of HTML page. We can find an element in several different ways: by id, by class name, with XPath or with CSS selector. In dynamic world with dynamic pages of web sites most useful are last two ways: XPath & CSS. It’s up to You which one to use – one of the main differences between them is that: XPath has to read whole DOM structure while looking for element when CSS doesn’t.

Let’s simply start with them, for this example I’ll write both of them.

Before we start we’ll need a Firefox browser to be installed and two add-ons for Firefox: Firebug & Firepath. In case You don’t have them: go to Firefox main menu then click Add-ons and via search field look for those we need. 

After installing You’ll see small “Bug” button in the top right corner of Your Firefox browser

After clicking on that button in the bottom of screen You’ll see developers instruments with FirePath tab.

For example we’ll write test based on “allegro.pl” web site – that one has a lot of different elements so we’ll have a really big choice.

Let’s open allegro.pl in our Firefox browser and discover locator for main search field and for black search button next to that field on which we have to click for search.

Pretty simple way to do that is:

            - open the needed page;

            - open debugger tool by clicking on “Bug” button;

            - go to FirePath tab in debugger;

            - click on button with arrow (shown on first screenshot below);

            - click on needed element e.g. search field;

            - get the locator in the FirePath locator input field. 

In this case we have to expand this input form to get selector for the input field.

 

According to screens we’ll have:

            - XPath for search field - //*[@id=’main-search-text’] and for search button - //input[@class="sprite search-btn"];

            - CSS selector for search field - #main-search and for search button - .search-btn.

Now we have all needed information for our first test case.

More information about selectors:

            - http://www.w3schools.com/xpath/xpath_syntax.asp;

            - http://www.w3schools.com/cssref/css_selectors.asp.

 

VI. First test.

Open project in Eclipse, expand folder src/test/java and the right mouse click on package in my case com.testproject.

After clicking choose New -----> Class. Remember that class name should start from capital letter and if it contains more then one word should be written with CAMEL style.

 

Now if You’re point mouse on Your test class, press right button and choose option Run As ------> TestNG Test You should be able see how it’s running.

That’s pretty much for this article all additional things which connected to selectors or Java syntax You can explore by Yourself. I hope You’ll enjoy the power of automation testing.