Start Test Automation: Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners

Introduction

Test automation is a game-changer for software testing, allowing you to run repetitive tests quickly and efficiently. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the basics of test automation using two powerful tools: Selenium with Python and Playwright with TypeScript. By the end of this post, you'll have written your first automated test script for a real-life example—a login page.

We’ll cover:

1. Setting up your environment.
2. Writing your first test script.
3. Running the test and interpreting the results.

Let’s get started!

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Step 1: Setting Up Your Environment

For Selenium/Python:

1. Install Python: Download Python from python.org and ensure it’s added to your PATH during installation.
2. Install Selenium: Use pip to install Selenium:

   pip install selenium

1. Download WebDriver: Download the appropriate WebDriver for your browser (e.g., ChromeDriver for Chrome) and add it to your system PATH.

For Playwright/TypeScript:

1. Install Node.js: Download Node.js from nodejs.org and install it.
2. Install Playwright: Use npm to install Playwright:

   npm init playwright@latest

This command will create a new Playwright project and install all necessary dependencies.

1. Set Up TypeScript: If you’re new to TypeScript, don’t worry—Playwright handles most of the setup for you.

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Step 2: Writing Your First Test Script

Example Scenario: Automating Login on a Sample Website

We’ll automate the login process for a sample website like https://the-internet.herokuapp.com/login. The goal is to:

• Navigate to the login page.
• Enter valid credentials.
• Submit the form.
• Verify successful login.

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Selenium/Python Example

Here’s how to write the test script using Selenium and Python:

from selenium import webdriver
from selenium.webdriver.common.by import By
import time

# Step 1: Initialize WebDriver
driver = webdriver.Chrome()

try:
    # Step 2: Navigate to the login page
    driver.get("https://the-internet.herokuapp.com/login")

    # Step 3: Locate username and password fields
    username_field = driver.find_element(By.ID, "username")
    password_field = driver.find_element(By.ID, "password")

    # Step 4: Enter credentials
    username_field.send_keys("tomsmith")
    password_field.send_keys("SuperSecretPassword!")

    # Step 5: Click the login button
    login_button = driver.find_element(By.CSS_SELECTOR, "button[type='submit']")
    login_button.click()

    # Step 6: Verify successful login
    success_message = driver.find_element(By.ID, "flash")
    assert "You logged into a secure area!" in success_message.text
    print("Login successful!")

finally:
    # Step 7: Close the browser
    time.sleep(3)  # Wait to see the result
    driver.quit()

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Playwright/TypeScript Example

Here’s how to write the same test script using Playwright and TypeScript:

import { test, expect } from '@playwright/test';

test('Login Test', async ({ page }) => {
  // Step 1: Navigate to the login page
  await page.goto('https://the-internet.herokuapp.com/login');

  // Step 2: Fill in the username and password fields
  await page.fill('#username', 'tomsmith');
  await page.fill('#password', 'SuperSecretPassword!');

  // Step 3: Click the login button
  await page.click('button[type="submit"]');

  // Step 4: Verify successful login
  const successMessage = await page.textContent('#flash');
  expect(successMessage).toContain('You logged into a secure area!');
  console.log('Login successful!');
});

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Step 3: Running the Test

For Selenium/Python:

Run the Python script using the following command:

python your_script_name.py

If everything is set up correctly, the browser will open, perform the login steps, and close automatically.

For Playwright/TypeScript:

Run the Playwright test using the following command:

npx playwright test

Playwright will execute the test and generate a detailed report.

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Step 4: Interpreting the Results

Both scripts will verify that the login was successful by checking for a specific success message. If the message is found, the test passes; otherwise, it fails.

• Selenium Output: A message like Login successful! will be printed to the console.
• Playwright Output: Playwright provides a detailed HTML report. You can view it by running:

  npx playwright show-report

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Real-Life Example: Why Automate Login Tests?

Imagine you’re working on an e-commerce platform where users log in frequently. Manually testing the login functionality after every code change is time-consuming and error-prone. Automating this process ensures that:

1. The login feature works as expected.
2. Any regression issues are caught early.
3. You save time for more complex testing tasks.

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Conclusion

Congratulations! You’ve just written your first automated test scripts using Selenium/Python and Playwright/TypeScript. These tools are powerful and versatile, making them ideal for automating web applications.

Next steps:

• Explore advanced features like handling dynamic elements, managing waits, and integrating tests into CI/CD pipelines.
• Experiment with other tools and frameworks to find what works best for your team.

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