The emerging trend in advanced software development has transformed the testing approach. The conventional testing methods are no longer suitable to test the increasing complexities in the development process. To suit the new-age development system, a modern solution is required that not just provides accurate and consistent results, but also reduce time and human effort. To perform the testing easily and effortlessly, Selenium test automation was introduced in 2004, until than software testing was performed manually.
Selenium revolutionized the testing process and expanded the scope for software testers. The automation platform underwent a series of change and today we have a huge number of test automation platform made available. The Selenium tool was script-based which demanded the testers to have good coding skills; however, with the emerging trends, today we the market brimming with a wide choice for codeless test automation tools which requires minimal or no coding skills.
Here’s a brief discussion on what is Selenium tool and codeless test automation tools, how do they differ from each other.
Selenium Testing Tool
Selenium is a household name in the software testing industry. It is the first of its kind and managed to hold a place in the top 10 lists of software testing tools even in 2021. It’s an open-source platform and popular among the global testing fraternity. It offers test automation solution across various browsers like Chrome, Firefox, and Internet Explorer.
Features: • Supports multiple programming languages • Compatible with multiple browsers • The upgraded version requires simple commands with no installation • Works on multiple operating systems • Works parallelly with the development cycle to reduce time and increase efficiency • Used for unit testing, automated browser testing, and regression testing
It is a second-gen test automation suite performing testing on web browsers, while the latest version has the capability to conduct cross-browser testing too. Selenium IDE version allows the tester to performing testing even with coding knowledge. Selenium is one of the older names in the testing industry, hence, it is considered to be one of the reliable tools even today.
Codeless Test Automation
As the name suggests, codeless test automation doesn't require the tester to possess coding skills. However, initial setup will need basic coding knowledge, and later the complete process is carried out in an automated manner.
Before the launch of Selenium IDE, codeless test automation was used to perform mundane task, but later it evolved to enable recording of the test cases and converting them to programming language. Codeless automation is popularly used by all software development companies to solve the major challenges associated with older testing methods. Key reasons for using codeless test automation are:
• Improved production rate • Increased speed, accuracy, consistency, and precision • Reduced time-to-market • Automating the mundane tasks • Reduced manual errors • Eliminating repetition • Improved customer experience • Develop flawlessly working software • Minimal/ no code requirement
Difference Between Codeless Test Automation and Selenium
The Selenium tool and other automation tools mark the start of a new era in software testing, the future will see more advanced integration of these tools with features of AI and ML. Though AI and ML are already making their way into the testing process, it is still at a nascent stage. The future will witness advanced integrations in test automation solutions.