Selenium : How to retrieve text from a Textbox in Selenium WebDriver using C#

Sometimes we need to retrieved data in a form for edit and for this we search data by using a search keyword. For example, we need to edit employee personal information and in that case we need to search the Employee information using Employee ID. All the data are displayed in a text box and we verify that proper data is displayed in the textbox for this employee id. Selenium WebDriver uses different method to retrieve data from textbox for assertion.

Selenium WebDriver has GetAttribute() method to capture textbox data.   

Common syntax to use this command,

ElementName.GetAttribute(“value”);

Here “value” is the argument and it returns the value of the attribute of that element. 

For example in C#,

Lets do a short project on how we can implement in our test scenario. For example we have the following page where we have to verify the data displayed at FirstName and LastName field. 

Page link : http://demos.telerik.com/aspnet-ajax/grid/examples/data-editing/form-template-update/defaultcs.aspx

Step 1 : Open Visual Studio and create a new unit test project.

Step 2 : Add a reference for WebDriver from Nuget package manager. How to add a reference from Nuget package can be found in my another post.

Step 3 : Write the following code for opening page using Firefox Browser  TestMethod1().

Note that we need to add following namespaces for webdriver.

Step 4 : Write the code for getting First name and last name from textboxes.

Note that we use GetAttribute("value") method here that returns the text displayed on that element and this element is a textbox.

Step 5 : Write the code for verification. 

Step 6 :  Now close the driver. The TestMethod1() will be,

Step 7 : Now build the application by going to Build > Build Solution and go to test explorer and run the application by right clicking on the test name and click on Run Selected Tests.

 

Test will run and it capture the value from textbox and verify expected value.

Happy scripting with Selenium WebDriver…!!!

Selenium : How to download file in selenium WebDriver using C#

In many of the test scenarios, we need to download file to test that file download features are working or not. At the time of writing automated script on file download we have to interact with the web element as well as browser file download dialog. Our Selenium WebDriver API can only works on clicking the button to display the File download dialog but cannot interact with the file dialog. In this situation we need to use the power of C#.

.Net has a library to handle file upload dialog. It has a SendKeys class that has a method SendWait(string keys). It sends the given key on the active application and waits for the message to be processed. It does not return any value. 

Common syntax to use this command,

SendKeys.SendWait(string keys);

Here keys is the string of keystrokes.

For example in C#,

SendKeys.SendWait() takes a string like “{Enter}” that it executes the enter key from keyboard. When File download dialog is displayed, OK button is activated by default. At this time if we press enter key from keyboard it executes the OK command.

Note that we need to add System.Windows.Forms namespace to get this method.

Lets do a short project on how we can implement in our test scenario. For example we have the following page where we have to download a file by clicking download link.

Page link : http://sample-videos.com/

Step 1 : Open Visual Studio and create a new project with Console Application type.

Step 2 : Add a reference for Webdriver from Nuget package manager. How to add a reference from Nuget package can be found in my another post.

Step 3 : Write the following code for opening page using Firefox Browser under static void Main(string[] args) method.

Note that we need to add following namespaces for webdriver.

Step 4 : Write the code for clicking on Download link of the page to open file download dialog.

Step 5 : Write the code to handle file upload dialog to click OK button.

Note that we need to add the following namespace SendKeys.SendWait().

We will not get this namespace if we do not add “System.Windows.Forms” reference from Reference manager window. We get this reference by right clicking on Reference and click on Add Reference option.

Reference section will be,

Note : Sometimes we need to add Thread.Sleep(30) method before SendKeys.SendWait() method to activate the OK button. We have to add System.Threading namespace to implement this statement.

Step 6 :  Now close the driver. Main method will be,

Step 7 : Run the application by clicking on Start button. It opens the browser and download file using SendKeys.SendWait() methods.

Happy scripting with Selenium  Webdriver using the power of C#.

Selenium : How to upload file in selenium WebDriver using C#

In many of the test scenarios, we need to upload file to test that file upload features are working or not. In case of image file we need to ensure that uploaded images are properly displayed. At the time of writing automated script on file upload we have to interact with the web element as well as windows file upload dialog. Our Selenium WebDriver API can only works on clicking the button to display the File Upload dialog but cannot interact with the file dialog. In this situation we need to use the power of C#.

.Net has a library to handle file upload dialog. It has a SendKeys class that has a method SendWait(string keys). It sends the given key on the active application and waits for the message to be processed. It does not return any value. 

Common syntax to use this command,

SendKeys.SendWait(string keys);

Here keys is the string of keystrokes.

For example in C#,

First line of SendKeys.SendWait() takes a string as argument that it writes the file name text box of file upload window.

Second line of SendKeys.SendWait() takes a string like “{Enter}” that it executes the enter key from keyboard.

Note that we need to add System.Windows.Forms namespace to get this method.

Lets do a short project on how we can implement in our test scenario. For example we have the following page where we have to upload an image.

Page link : http://nervgh.github.io/pages/angular-file-upload/examples/image-preview/

Step 1 : Open Visual Studio and create a new project with Console Application type.

Step 2 : Add a reference for Webdriver from Nuget package manager. How to add a reference from Nuget package can be found in my another post.

Step 3 : Write the following code for opening page using Firefox Browser under static void Main(string[] args) method.

Note that we need to add following namespaces for webdriver.

Step 4 : Write the code for clicking on Browse button of the page to open file upload dialog.

Step 5 : Write the code to handle file upload dialog to browse image and click open button.

Note : Sometimes we need to add Thread.Sleep(30) method between these two SendKeys.SendWait() method to stop to press enter key until File name typing is complete. We see system sometimes try to type quickly on file name box and do missing some part from beginning and at the time if enter key pressed System throws a invalid file path error message. To prevent this message we use this statement. We have to add System.Threading namespace to implement this statement.

Note that we need to add the following namespace SendKeys.SendWait().

We will not get this namespace if we do not add “System.Windows.Forms” reference from Reference manager window. We get this reference by right clicking on Reference and click on Add Reference option.

Reference section will be,

Step 6 : Click on Upload button of the page.

Step 7 :  Now close the driver. Main method will be,

Step 8 : Run the application by clicking on Start button. It opens the browser and upload the image file using SendKeys.SendWait() methods.

That’s all for now. In our future post we will show on how we can upload file using Java.

Till then ….Happy scripting with Selenium  Webdriver using the power of C#.

Selenium : How to handle browser based authentication using Selenium Webdriver

Couple of years ago, I got an issue about browser based authentication and I googled about it and found the resolution. In recent days I face the same problem. I forgot to fix and again googled and found lots of automated testers like me are facing the same problem. Now I decide to write a small post on it so that I can remember every time from my post and also I can help our automated testers.

A very simple syntax to handle the browser based authentication,

If we have username and password and the URL then requested URL will be,

http://username:password@domainName.com

Note that we have a special character colon “:” between username and password.

For example, we have

username : abc
password : abc123
URL : xyz.com
then the requested URL for Selenium Webdriver command,
abc:abc123@xyz.com

So the Selenium Webdriver command to open application in a browser,

(C#)

driver.Navigate().GoToUrl("http://abc:abc123@xyz.com/");

(Java)

driver.get("http://abc:abc123@xyz.com/");

Thank you…..
Enjoy automated testing using Selenium Webdriver….!!!

SpecFlow : How to prepare your Visual Studio IDE suitable for SpecFlow implementation

SpecFlow is the .Net implementation of Cucumber. This is a Behavior development framework for .Net. Here we will show how we can implement our visual studio IDE suitable for SpecFlow development.

Step 1 : Open Visual Studio and go to Tools>>Extension and Updates…

Step 2 : Extensions and Update window is displayed. Enter the word “SpecFlow” at search text box and press enter from keyboard. “SpecFlow for Visual Studio 2013” package is displayed as Search Result.

Step 3 : If you see Disable and Uninstall button then it means it is already installed with your IDE like the following.

Step 4 : If you see Download button then Click on this button.

Step 5 : It starts downloading.

Step 6 : After finishing download,click on Install button.

Step 7 : After finishing installation, click on Restart Now button.

Step 8 : Visual Studio will be restarted and if you go to Tools>>Extension and Updates… and search with “SpecFlow” then you see “SpecFlow for Visual Studio 2013” is installed.

Step 9 : In the same way search the extensions “NUnit Test Adapter” and Download it. It is used for NUnit Framework.

Step 10 : Click on Install button.

Step 11 : Click on Restart Now button to restart Visual Studio.

Step 12 : Now Visual Studio IDE is ready for SpecFlow implementation.