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Two leading frameworks within automated testing are Selenium and Appium, which serve the majority of users. Selenium operates for web applications, and Appium functions for mobile apps by simulating user conducts in the application. Prior to simulation, the framework requires the identification of different elements on displayed pages or screens.
The following guide explores every approach for element retrieval using Appium along with Selenium. The application testing process requires these locators to find and identify particular elements that exist within the HTML or UI framework structure of web or mobile applications. Efficient test scripts result from effective locator use, which remains essential for automation practice. Furthermore, Python frameworks have gained widespread adoption for automating testing tasks, allowing seamless integration with tools like Selenium and Appium to enhance the flexibility and power of your automation processes.
In any automated testing framework, the primary task of interacting with an application is to identify and manipulate the elements present on the page. What is Selenium? Selenium is a popular tool used for automating web applications, enabling testers to identify and interact with web elements in the DOM. Similarly, Appium is used for mobile app automation, but it works with mobile UI locators for element recognition in mobile applications.
A tester must identify specific elements through their attributes, including ID or class or name and inner text to interact with those elements. Testers can execute clicking and value validation and text entry commands after finding a target element.
Locators in Selenium and Appium allow testers to make these actions happen. The way elements are located depends on the technology (web or mobile) and the tools involved. Let’s break down the different types of locators available for Selenium and Appium.
Selenium enables its users to locate web application elements through a collection of locators. Testers can use WebDriver commands together with these locators to perform interactions.
- ID Locator
The ID locator stands as one of the primary selection methods available within Selenium automation systems. A locatable element receives its identification through a unique id attribute that exists within HTML code.
Example:
driver.find_element_by_id(“username”)
The id locator is selected as the default locator because it functions both quickly and reliably since every page element should have a distinct id value.
- Name Locator
Similar to the ID locator, the Name locator finds elements by their name attribute.
Example:
driver.find_element_by_name(“password”)
The id locator is selected as the default locator because it functions both quickly and reliably since every page element should have a distinct id value.
- Class Name Locator
The Class Name locator searches for elements based on their class attribute. These locators help locate elements that have identical classes yet prove less precise than other selectors when several page elements have the same class name.
Example:
driver.find_element_by_class_name(“submit-button”)
- Tag Name Locator
The Tag Name locator system helps you specify elements through their defined HTML tags, including <button>, <input>, <a>, and others. The tag Name locator serves to detect particular element categories, including buttons or links.
Example:
driver.find_element_by_tag_name(“button”)
- Link Text Locator
The Link Text locator has specific functionality to locate anchor (<a>) elements in web pages. This type of locator helps users access links containing a desired text phrase.
Example:
driver.find_element_by_link_text(“Click here”)
- Partial Link Text Locator
The Partial Link Text locator enables users to find links by one or more words from their text content. The locator offers valuable assistance when exact text elements are dynamic or testers possess information about only a section of link text.
Example:
driver.find_element_by_partial_link_text(“Click”)
- XPath Locator
The XML path expression that XPath locators use enables users to identify page elements. Through XPath it becomes possible to locate elements based on their structure position and both their attributes and text content values.
Example:
driver.find_element_by_xpath(“//button[@id=’submit’]”)
XPath serves many Selenium functions where testers use it extensively yet the complete DOM tree search makes this locator system perform slower than other available options.
- CSS Selector Locator
CSS Selector locators use CSS selectors to identify elements. CSS selectors can be very precise and are generally faster than XPath.
Example:
driver.find_element_by_css_selector(“button#submit”)
CSS selectors are preferred in many cases because they are faster and less prone to errors compared to XPath.
Appium, unlike Selenium, is used for automating mobile applications. Mobile applications often require different ways of locating elements due to the unique nature of mobile platforms. Here are the primary locators in Appium.
- ID Locator
Similar to Selenium, Appium supports the id locator, which targets unique identifiers for elements in the mobile application.
Example:
driver.find_element_by_id(“com.example:id/login_button”)
- XPath Locator
With XPath locators in Appium testing platforms testers can easily find elements by traversing through the user interface tree structure. The use of XPath in mobile automation resembles its structure in Selenium and thus serves as a multi-functional locating tool.
Example:
driver.find_element_by_xpath(“//android.widget.Button[@text=’Login’]”)
- Class Name Locator
Class Name locators are used to find elements based on their class name, similar to how it’s done in Selenium.
Example:
driver.find_element_by_class_name(“android.widget.Button”)
- Accessibility ID Locator
Elements receive their unique identifiers through accessibility purposes under Accessibility IDs. The native mobile application element identification works best with these particular IDs because they have been specifically designed for one-to-one matching.
Example:
driver.find_element_by_accessibility_id(“loginButton”)
- Android UI Automator Locator
Android UI Automator locators are specific to Android devices and use the Android UI Automator framework to identify elements. It’s particularly useful when other locators fail.
Example:
driver.find_element_by_android_uiautomator(‘new UiSelector().text(“Login”)’)
- iOS Predicate String Locator
iOS Predicate String locators are used to locate elements in iOS applications using a predicate query language.
Example:
driver.find_element_by_ios_predicate(“type == ‘XCUIElementTypeButton’ && label == ‘Login'”)
The following best practices enable you to create test scripts that work efficiently and remain easy to manage when locating elements:
- Use Unique Identifiers
Prioritize locators that target unique attributes, like ID, to reduce errors. IDs are meant to be unique, making them reliable for automation. It ensures cleaner, more stable test scripts and easier maintenance.
- Avoid Over-relying on XPath
Although XPath is powerful, it can be slow and fragile. It should be used sparingly, especially in complex DOM structures. Prefer quicker, more stable options like IDs or CSS selectors when possible.
- Use Relative Locators
For complex page structures, relative locators like relative XPath or CSS selectors are more flexible and maintainable. They allow you to locate elements based on their relationship with others, reducing dependency on exact positions.
- Optimize Locators for Performance
Using shorter and more specific locators, like CSS Selectors or IDs, improves performance by speeding up test execution. Simple, efficient locators reduce the processing time compared to complex ones like XPath.
- Use Waits
A built-in delay system should be applied to check element availability before performing any actions on them. The method ensures your tests stay reliable by preventing errors that result from accessing elements that have not been completely loaded.
- Use Descriptive Locators
Use locators that express element purposes (such as buttons or input fields) instead of base elements on technical attributes (class names and IDs). The system becomes easier to read because the informative test script descriptions enable future developers to understand the scripts more quickly.
- Avoid Using Absolute XPaths
The complete element path from the root in absolute XPaths makes these locators easily breakable upon any minor modification in page structure. Add relative XPaths along with alternative locators to develop tests that maintain stability when facing user interface modifications.
- Use Dynamic Locators for Dynamic Content
For elements with dynamic IDs or content, use more flexible locators like XPath with contains() or CSS selectors with specific attributes that remain constant. It helps ensure your tests continue to work as the UI changes.
- Group Locators Logically
Testing scripts become more maintainable when you arrange locators by their test-related functions which include form elements and navigation links as well as buttons. Upkeep becomes simpler since all locator-related changes can be found and modified in one distinct section of your programming code.
- Test Locators Regularly
Tests must take place periodically and updates must happen to all locators in order to preserve their operational effectiveness. Web page and mobile application development introduces the possibility that locators will lose their effectiveness alongside becoming obsolete. Locator updates enable testers to avoid failures caused by modifications in the User Interface.
Your test script automation will deliver quicker performance plus better reliability and simpler maintenance through proper best practice implementation which lowers error chances to guarantee automation stability over time.
Automation of diverse applications happens through the joint use of Selenium and Appium. Selenium works exclusively with web applications, and Appium functions as a tool for mobile application control. The ways in which elements are located can differ based on the platform.
- Web vs. Mobile Applications
Web applications support uniform DOM structures that Selenium testers can navigate more easily through locators such as ID Name and XPath. Mobile applications use unique structural characteristics that demand specialized locators, particularly for native mobile app testing purposes.
- Web Applications with Selenium
Web applications constitute the primary focus of the automation software known as Selenium. The distribution of web page access within ID, Name, XPath and CSS serves as common methods to detect elements.
- Mobile Applications with Appium
Appium deals with both Android and iOS applications. For mobile applications, locators like Accessibility ID, Android UI Automator, and iOS Predicate String are critical. The design of these mobile UI element locators enables Appium to become an effective solution for mobile testing.
Utilizing a unified platform like LambdaTest enables straightforward testing efforts for web applications with Selenium combined with mobile applications using Appium. The platform supports different frameworks and performs test execution smoothly across multiple browser types alongside operating systems and mobile devices, eliminating infrastructure needs and speeding up delivery periods. This integration enables cross-platform compatibility, ensuring that your testing process remains smooth and consistent across diverse environments. With LambdaTest, your team can focus more on enhancing product quality and less on managing testing infrastructure.
Selenium and Appium automated testing requires complete mastery of locators to reach an efficient and effective outcome. The selection of proper location identifiers for each framework between Web applications in Selenium and Mobile applications in Appium leads to improved test execution along with more reliable test scripts. Testers who select appropriate locators as well as follow these best practices through the use of unique identifiers and performance optimization will prevent common test failures while making tests more maintainable. The platform of LambdaTest offers an integrated testing solution that supports both web and mobile testing operations to improve overall testing processes. Proper locator implementation transforms them into an automation success accelerant which speeds up application delivery of high-quality products.
Testers need to maintain knowledge about current Selenium and Appium advances because automation testing will continue developing. Testing consultants regularly obtain new locator methods along with framework improvement releases, which enable them to connect reliably with interface elements. An ongoing effort to update your knowledge and embrace industry changes will help you maintain testing practices that are capable and follow established industry guidelines. Test execution improves, and quality assurance development happens through effective locator strategies, which enables teams to deliver exceptional products with assurance and confidence.
Alex