Web Application Testing with Selenium WebDriver & Java

This skill enables comprehensive browser-based test automation for web applications using Selenium WebDriver within a Java/Maven environment. It provides patterns for Page Object Model, explicit waits, fluent assertions, and CI-ready test infrastructure.

Activation: This skill is triggered when you need to create Selenium tests, debug browser automation, implement Page Objects, or set up Java test infrastructure.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when you need to:

• Create Selenium WebDriver tests using Java (JUnit 5)
• Implement Page Object Model (POM) architecture
• Handle synchronization with Explicit Waits (WebDriverWait)
• Verify UI behavior with AssertJ Soft Assertions
• Debug failing browser tests or DOM interactions
• Set up Maven test infrastructure for a new project
• Capture screenshots for reporting or debugging
• Validate complex user flows and form submissions
• Test across multiple browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Edge)
• Integrate with Allure reporting

Prerequisites

Note: Selenium Manager (included in Selenium 4.6+) automatically handles browser driver binaries – no manual driver setup required.

Selenium WebDriver Tools Reference

Navigation & Browser Control

Element Interaction

Verification

Screenshots & Debugging

Core Capabilities

1. Browser Automation

• Navigate URLs, handle tabs/windows, manage history
• Click, type, clear, submit forms
• Handle dropdowns (Select), drag-drop, hover
• Switch frames/iframes, handle alerts
• Manage cookies

2. Verification (AssertJ)

• Soft Assertions: Validate multiple fields, report all failures
• Element state: isDisplayed(), isEnabled(), isSelected()
• Text content, attributes, URL, page title
• Collection assertions for lists/tables

3. Synchronization

• Explicit Waits: WebDriverWait + ExpectedConditions
• Wait for visibility, clickability, presence
• Custom wait conditions
• Never use Thread.sleep()

4. Reporting & Debugging

• Screenshots on failure (Allure integration)
• Browser console log capture
• Page source extraction
• @Step annotations for Allure reports

Your Role

You coordinate the entire Selenium WebDriver test creation process:

1. Analyze: Understand test requirements and data needs
2. Inspect: Identify locator strategies (prioritize id, data-testid, cssSelector)
3. Design: Apply Page Object Model strictly
4. Implement: Generate test with error handling and logging
5. Verify: Ensure assertions use AssertJ fluent style

Step-by-Step Workflows

Workflow 1: Create New Selenium Test

1. Analyze the requirement

   • Identify the user flow to test
   • List elements to interact with
   • Define expected outcomes

2. Set up Page Objects (see Page Object Model Guide)

   • Create BasePage with common methods
   • Create specific Page class with locators
   • Implement action methods with @Step

3. Implement test class

   • Extend BaseTest
   • Use @DisplayName, @Tag, @Severity
   • Use Soft Assertions for validations

4. Run and validate

   mvn test -Dtest=YourTest -Dheadless=false
   

Workflow 2: Debug Failing Test

1. Run in non-headless mode

   mvn test -Dtest=FailingTest -Dheadless=false
   

2. Add screenshot capture

   ((TakesScreenshot) driver).getScreenshotAs(OutputType.FILE);
   

3. Check browser console logs

   driver.manage().logs().get(LogType.BROWSER);
   

4. Verify locator using browser DevTools

   document.querySelector('[data-testid="element"]')
   

5. Check wait conditions – increase timeout or change ExpectedCondition

Workflow 3: Set Up New Project

1. Create Maven project structure

   Run: scripts/setup-maven-project.ps1 -ProjectName "my-tests"
   

2. Configure dependencies in pom.xml

   • See scripts/pom-template.xml

3. Create base classes

   • BasePage, BaseTest, WebDriverFactory
   • See Page Object Model Guide

4. Configure parallel execution

   # src/test/resources/junit-platform.properties
   junit.jupiter.execution.parallel.enabled=true
   

Troubleshooting

Best Practices Checklist

✅ Never use Thread.sleep() – Use explicit waits with WebDriverWait ✅ Implement Page Object Model – Separate locators from test logic ✅ Use Soft Assertions – Report all failures in one test run ✅ Prefer stable locators – id, data-testid, semantic CSS ✅ Add @Step annotations – Document actions in Allure reports ✅ Clean up resources – Close driver in @AfterEach ✅ Keep tests independent – Each test runs in isolation ✅ Use @DisplayName – Human-readable test descriptions ✅ Generate dynamic data – Use Faker for test data

Running Tests

Maven Commands

CI/CD Integration

# GitHub Actions example
- name: Run Selenium Tests
  run: mvn clean test -Dheadless=true -Dbrowser=chrome
  
- name: Generate Allure Report
  run: mvn allure:report

References

• Locator Strategies Guide – Selector priority and patterns
• Page Object Model Guide – POM implementation with Java
• Wait Strategies Guide – Explicit waits and ExpectedConditions
• Maven POM Template – Standard dependency configuration
• Project Setup Script – Scaffold new test project

Quick Commands