In the modern application development industry, automation testing has become a crucial component because, with manual test cases, it is almost impossible to verify the proper functioning of modern applications, as modern applications need to access multiple different elements at the same time to meet the requirements of the end users. So the developers not only have to verify the proper functioning of all the individual elements but also of the entire application as a whole. On the other hand, automated test cases help developers accomplish this goal quickly. Some popular automation testing frameworks include Selenium, Playwright, and Cypress.
With the help of this article, we’re going to discuss all the factors, and the developers must remember to initiate Selenium automation testing with Mocha. We will also discuss some of the major benefits of this process. Finally, we’ll wrap up our discussion by analyzing some of the best tools and platforms that help developers during this process.
Basics of Automation Testing and Selenium
As the name suggests, this is the process of initiating and executing the test cases automatically. The primary principle for this process is that the developers have to use a text file consisting of multiple predetermined parameters and test data. Using this text file, the system can automatically execute the test cases without human intervention. Moreover, automation testing allows the developers to change the data in the text file according to the requirements of the application development project. Contrary to the multiple months required for manual test cases, automation testing can complete all the test cases in just a few days. Automation testing is highly beneficial for certain repetitive test cases like unit testing, regression testing, and user interface testing.
Selenium is considered to be the most popular tool for initiating automation testing on web applications. This tool was initially known as the JavaScriptTestRunner as it is based on the popular JavaScript programming language. The developers must remember that Selenium is not an individual tool but a collection or test suite of multiple tools. Selenium test suite comprises all tools that help the developers to accomplish different processes in the automation testing life cycle. While analyzing Selenium, we can say that one of the major disadvantages of this test suite is that it is only useful for initiating automation test cases on web applications. This means that the developers cannot use Selenium to verify the performance of multiple other applications like native apps, hybrid apps, and cross-platform apps.
Understanding Mocha
In simple terms, we can define Mocha to be a JavaScript test framework designed explicitly for Node.js programs. It has various interactive features like asynchronous testing, test coverage reports, and support for multiple browsers. Moreover, the developers can also use this framework with almost all the different types of assertion libraries. These are some of the major reasons for the increasing popularity of this testing framework. The support for JavaScript programming language means that a huge segment of developers can access this framework, as JavaScript is currently the most commonly used language worldwide.
While using Mocha, the developers can initiate and execute the test cases in a serial pattern. This means that it not only allows the flexibility of testing but also improves the reporting process. Mocha also helps the developers to report various unobserved exceptions in the test cases. This framework is currently hosted on GitHub. Moreover, the open-source nature of Mocha means that the developers can access all of its features without any form of license fee. However, the app development companies also have the option to support and sponsor the Mocha project to improve this framework’s efficiency further.
Benefits of Selenium Automation Testing
Before we start discussing the process of integrating Mocha with Selenium automation testing, it is very important to have a definite idea about the benefits of initiating and executing Selenium automation test cases. So based on our research and analysis, the major benefits of using Selenium-based automation testing are as follows:
- The open-source nature of Selenium makes the testing process accessible to not only individual creators and developers but also small startup companies that help in building a massive community who are always readywhenever anyone gets All these features make Selenium one of the most welcoming test automation tools currently available.
- Automation testing helps developers initiate and executerepetitive test cases that are almost the same for every app update. Automating these test cases helps the developers to focus on other important areas of the application development project. For example, the developers can now focus on creating new and unique features that can be added to future application updates.
- Since automation testing does not depend on human interaction, app development companies can initiate and run test cases for almost 24 hours around the clock. This means that automation testing plays a vital role in massively improving the testing efficiency and quickly forwarding the test cases to the production phase.
- While using automation test cases with Selenium, the developers can also initiate parallel testing. Parallel testing is the process of initiating and executing multiple different test instances at the same time. Many experts believe that with the help of parallel test cases, efficiency increases byalmost 15 times, which is crucial in maintaining a company’s position in the present app development market.
Conducting Selenium Automation Testing with Mocha
To begin Selenium automation testing with Mocha, the developers must have certain tools and platforms available on their system. So before discussing the testing process, let us analyze some of the pre-requirements:
- The first step is downloading and installing the latest node JS versionfrom the official website. It is important to install multiple tools and packages into the Selenium library.
- After this process, the developers have to ensure that they have the latest version of JavaScript available on their system.
- The next step is downloadingthe latest version of NPM from the official website to install all the relevant packages.
- The final pre-requirement for Selenium automation testing with Mocha is downloadingthe Selenium JavaScript bindings from the official website.
We also suggest that the developers must update the WebDriver and Selenium clients that are already present on their system. This will help the developers to seamlessly run and execute the JavaScript automation test script on the Selenium Grid.
After ensuring that the developers have completed all the pre-requirements for the Selenium-based automation testing with Mocha, it is time to begin the setup and testing process. Based on our analysis, we have divided this process into the following simple steps:
- The first step is that the developers must download all the project dependencies using a specific command that must be entered into the terminal window of Selenium.
- After this process, the developers are ready to create their first Test file. This file must be present in the core project. It is also a great practice for the developers to name the test file according to the target elements. This is a very critical process to keep track of all the testing processes.
- Now the developers have to install Mocha and Chai with the help of the NPM package installer. It is a very simple process,as the developers only have to enter the install command in the terminal window.
- Now it is time to write the Chai assertions. During this process, the developers must ensure that they have all the relevant browser drivers available on the system.
- The final step in this process is to run the Mocha test framework with the help of its specific command. In case the test passes without any errors, the system will automatically display a test passed message on the terminal window with a green check mark.
Best Tools and Platforms for Selenium Automation Testing
The use of automation testing can be confusing and complex for developers who are new to this industry. However, various tools and platforms can help to simplify this process. Moreover, in the current market, it becomes almost impossible for app developers to have an in-house test bench. This is due to the expense of the test benches and the diversity of the present device market. On the other hand, various tools help developers to eliminate these expenses with cloud servers. Cloud servers help developers to conduct similar test cases on real devices through the web. Let us elaborate on the benefits of cloud testing and cloud-based platforms with the help of LambdaTest:
While introducing LambdaTest, we can say it is a secure cloud platform to initiate modern cross-browser compatibility test cases on web apps. Cross-browser compatibility testing has become the market standard for ensuring app performance and user satisfaction. This is because, with this testing process, the developers verify a smooth app functioning irrespective of changes in the OS version or the entire device specification. LambdaTest also uses various interactive features like parallel testing to improve the application testing processes further. It is a straightforward process to integrate Mocha with LambdaTest-based Selenium testing. It is worth mentioning that while using Selenium testing, LambdaTest allows the developers to verify the performance of the app on more than 3000 different browsers side by side.
Integrating real devices with already existing thousands of emulators and simulators helps developers to improve the efficiency of the testing process massively. Using LambdaTest, the developers can maintain an activity log to verify the test case’s progress and keep a stable bookmark for future development processes.
Final Verdict!
Considering all the factors discussed in this article, we can easily say that various testing processes like automation testing, integration of Mocha, and use of Selenium are some of the essential components of the modern application development market. Many app experts believe that automation testing will become the primary development process in the coming years. However, many analysts have proven that only 60% of app development companies have adopted automation testing practices. So the other companies need to catch up as soon as possible. The app developers must also keep themselves updated with all the testing trends. App companies should also spread proper awareness through various seminars regarding all of these testing practices.
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