10 Advanced Techniques to Boost Your Selenium Jest Automation Testing

Currently, automation testing is a new revolution in the segment of application development and testing. This is because, with the help of the proper implementation of automation testing, app developers can massively boost the productivity of the app test bench. Test automation also plays a critical role in improving the quality of the application undergoing the development process. Whenever we are on the topic of automation testing, selenium testing is one of the most common names that come into our minds. Jest is yet another popular addition to this segment of automation testing and app development. One of the most interesting facts about selenium is that it has managed to maintain the top position in the segment of web-based automation testing for over 10 years.

The combination of selenium-based Jest automation testing is one of the most important trends in the current app development industry. So, to help the new application developers and testers with this integration, we will discuss some of the best and most advanced techniques in this segment.

Understanding Selenium and Automation Testing

To properly understand the current status of the automated testing industry, application developers must have a clear conception of test automation. For the basic introduction, we can say that it is an efficient effort toward the removal of human involvement in the test case execution process. For the replacement, the system will use a text file consisting of all the required parameters that will help it to emulate human interactions. Based on these interactions and communications, the system will generate a detailed test report showing the stability, functionality, and user interactivity of the app undergoing the development project. The app developers and testers can later go through this report to understand whether the application is ready for the open world.

It is also possible to make relative changes in the text file to ensure that the test cases are customized according to the requirements of the project. It is also very simple to store, maintain and reuse huge sections of the automation test code in future app projects. While using test automation, the developers can harness various sets of user interaction data to understand how the app reacts to different forms of user traffic and render interactions. However, it is very important to understand that the concept of test automation comes with a steep initial investment. This investment will cover all the charges for integrating various tools, plugins, and libraries that are critical for the smooth execution of automation test cases. So, the app companies should have sufficient revenue sources to support this transition to test automation.

Coming to Selenium, we can say that it is an open-source umbrella project that consists of different tools for initiating automated cross-browser testing on web applications. Moreover, the open-source infrastructure facilitates the free use of all the features offered by Selenium. Currently, selenium is on its fourth version. However, it is important to consider that selenium will be only effective when the application developers are working with web applications. For other apps like native apps, cross-platform apps, and hybrid apps, the application developers would be forced to look for an alternative in the app development market. Selenium is based on the popular programming language JavaScript which makes it very easy to adopt among the development community. Now let us briefly understand the role of all the tools in the selenium test suite:

• We will begin our discussion with the selenium WebDriver as it is one of the most important components of the suit. This is because, with the help of the Selenium WebDriver, developers can ensure that all the test cases are conducted on the respective elements of the web application. It also allows the app developers to initiate and execute the automation test cases on the native environment of the web browser without the need for an integrated engine. This makes Selenium WebDriver an updated version of the previously present Selenium remote controller.
• The Selenium IDE helps the application developers to execute the automation test cases in a codeless format. This is because this tool can generate the test cases automatically in real-time based on the user interaction data. It means that while using this tool, the application developers simply have to interact with the app like a normal user based on these interactions, the system will continue to generate the test cases in real-time.
• The Selenium client API is useful when the app developers will be forced to write the automation test cases manually. This is because, with the help of this tool, developers can write the tests in any of their preferred programming languages like JavaScript, Python, Ruby, and many others. After this process, this tool allows the developers to import the test cases into the native environment of Selenium.
• Finally, the selenium grid has a critical role in improving the efficiency of the automation test cases. This is because the modern application consists of thousands of elements that need to be tested individually. With this tool, the application developers can initiate and run multiple test cases for different test configurations and machines simultaneously.

Advanced Techniques to Boost Selenium Jest Automation Testing

Based on our research and understanding, we have created a list of some of the most beneficial techniques that can help while executing selenium Jest automation testing. They are as follows:

1. The first technique is the integration of cloud platforms. This is because, with the help of cloud platforms, application developers can access hundreds of real devices including legacy devices. These devices are present on remote servers that are available through the Internet. Cloud platforms also eliminate location barriers on the application development lifecycle and allow them to execute test cases from anywhere in the world. We can improve our knowledge about the influence of cloud platforms in the modern application development industry with the help of LambdaTest as our benchmark point:

For the initial introduction, we can say that LambdaTest is a modern cloud-based automated cross-browser testing platform for web apps. With this platform, app developers can run automation test cases from various popular test suites and frameworks like Selenium, Cypress, and Playwright. Automated cross-browser testing is a process of ensuring the app’s stability irrespective of the user’s change in the operating system from a browser version or device parameters. LambdaTest uses parallel test execution to improve the efficiency of the test cases by multiple times. This platform is also a great choice for verifying the performance of web pages that have local host servers. Finally, the integration of hundreds of real devices with thousands of emulation software massively boosts the dependability of the test results.

1. Next, the application developers and testers should try to integrate continuous development and continuous integration into the test benchmark. This is because, with the help of these agile methodologies, it is possible to create a close synchronization between the development and testing teams. This process in turn massively boosts the app development life cycle and reduces the delivery time.
2. The application developers need to sort the test cases according to their preferences and role in the app’s performance. After the sorting process, the application developers can prioritize the important test cases and run them to ensure that at least the basic functions of the application are working properly in all instances.
3. Application developers need to have proper methods for error handling and data analytics. These are two of the most important parameters that can help the application developers quickly detect bugs and errors in the framework of the app. This process in turn helps to reduce the complexity of the debugging process that will follow the testing phase. Test analytics also helps to simplify the test report so that it is easy to understand for the business and production teams who might lack explicit technical knowledge.
4. While working with web applications, the developers will come across various elements that depend on each other for proper function. So, it is very important to implement Explicit Waits so that the system can automatically pause the testing process until the execution of the previous one.
5. With the help of the page object model, the application developers can simplify the test case sorting process. It is also important to separate all the elements and actions of a web application into separate classes.
6. Application developers need to generate the test data dynamically with the help of various libraries and tools. Massive sets of test data help the application developers to guarantee the stability of the application irrespective of user load or unusual traffic.
7. The test developers should consider using data-driven testing techniques that will help them to separate the test data from the test scripts. It is also important to store all the important test data in external files or databases that will allow easy maintenance and reusability.
8. As we already mentioned earlier, parallel testing is one of the most important parameters of the modern application development process. This is because, with the help of parallel test cases, it is possible to run multiple test instances at the same time. It is a huge benefit as modern applications consist of thousands of different elements that are almost impossible to test individually. With the help of parallel test cases, is possible to guarantee the functioning of the app on multiple test configurations and machines at the same time.
9. The use of headless testing can massively benefit application developers when they’re working with selenium-based Jest automation testing. We can define headless testing as the process of running browser instances without a graphical user interface. The benefit of this process is that it helps to speed up the test execution process and also saves the system resources.

The Conclusion

The primary motive of this article was to spread adequate awareness regarding the healthy execution of selenium-based Jest automation test cases. This is because we are constantly moving towards an app development market that will be dominated by automation testing practices. So, it is not only enough for the app to adopt this transition, but they should also try their best to keep their knowledge updated regarding all the new additions in this segment. The app development companies can also assist their developers and testers with the help of various online campaigns and seminars to spread the required knowledge regarding healthy automation testing practices. Finally, it is also very important for app development companies to choose the correct tools that can complement their automation testing requirements.