Form Input in Selenium

Introduction

Form submission in Selenium refers to the process of automating interactions with web form elements using the Selenium automation framework. Selenium provides a set of tools and APIs that allow testers to simulate user input into web forms such as text fields, checkboxes, radio buttons, dropdown menus, and file uploads. Selenium allows testers to programmatically fill in form fields, select options, submit forms, and validate expected behavior. This form entry automation streamlines the testing process, saves time, and helps ensure the accuracy and reliability of web application testing.

Locating Form Input Elements

1. By ID:

   Each form input element usually has a unique ID attribute. You can use Selenium's find_element_by_id() method to find an element by its ID.

2. By name:

   If a form input element has a name attribute, you can find it using Selenium's find_element_by_name() method.

3. Using CSS selectors:

   CSS selectors provide an efficient way to locate input elements in a form. In Selenium, you can use the find_element_by_css_selector() method and set the CSS selector assigned to the desired element.

4. XPath:

   XPath is another powerful method for locating form input elements. Selenium provides the find_element_by_xpath() method to locate elements using XPath expressions.

5. By Class Name:

   If a form input element is assigned a specific class, you can use Selenium's find_element_by_class_name() method to find the element by class name.

6. By Tag Name:

   If a form input element has a specific HTML tag, you can use Selenium's find_element_by_tag_name() method to find the element by tag name.

Text Input Fields

Sending Keys to Text Input Fields

Sending keys to text input fields is a common task when automating form entry with Selene. Text can be entered into a text input field using the send_keys() method provided by Selenium. This can be done as follows.

After identifying an element, you can send the desired text for input using the send_keys() method. For example, if you want to write the text "Hello, world!" You can use the following code snippet for an input field:

The send_keys() method allows you to simulate keyboard input and can handle different types of input, including plain text, special characters, and key combinations.

After submitting the keys, you may need to interact with other elements or perform other actions related to form entry. For example, you can click a submit button or perform validation checks. Using the send_keys() method, you can effectively automate text input into text input fields with Selenium.

Clearing Text Input Fields

Clearing text input fields is a common requirement when automating form entry with Selene. You can clear the text in a text input field using the clear() method provided by Selenium. This can be done as follows.

Once you've identified an element in a text input field, you can use the clear() method to remove the existing text from the field. For example:

The clear() method removes the text or value from the input field.

Retrieving Text from Input Fields

Extracting text from input fields is a common task when automating form entries with Selene. You can get text from a text input field using the get_attribute() method provided by Selenium. This can be done as follows.

After identifying a text input field element, you can use the get_attribute() method to get the value of the "value" attribute, which represents the text entered into the field. For example:

You can use the get_attribute() method to get the attribute value of any element. In this case, we are interested in the "value" attribute to retrieve the embedded text.

You can then use the downloaded text as needed, such as storing it in a variable, performing checks, or logging it for further analysis. Using the get_attribute() method, you can easily retrieve text from input fields and use it as part of your Selenium form input automation.

Dropdown and Select Fields

Selecting Options from Dropdown Menus

Selecting options from drop-down menus is a common task when automating form entry with Selene. Selenium offers various ways to interact with dropdown menus and select the desired options. This can be done as follows.

Once you've identified a dropdown menu item, you can create an instance of the Select class provided by Selenium. This class provides methods for working with dropdown menus. Create a Select object, passing a dropdown menu item as a parameter. For example:

There are several ways to select options from a drop-down menu using the Select item.

a. By visible text:

Use the select_by_visible_text() method to select an option based on its visible text. For example:

b. By value attribute:

Use the select_by_value() method to select an option based on its value attribute. For example:

c. By index:

Use the select_by_index() method to select an option based on its index (0-based). For example:

Using the Select class and its methods, you can easily interact with dropdown menus and select options programmatically using Selenium.

Selecting Options from Select Fields

First Locate the selected field element using any locator method.

Now, you can create an instance of the Select class provided by Selenium.

Create a Select object by passing the select field element as a parameter. For example:

There are multiple ways to select options from the select field using the Select object:

• By visible text:

Use the select_by_visible_text() method to select an option based on its visible text. For example:

• By value attribute:

Use the select_by_value() method to select an option based on its value attribute. For example:

• By index:

Use the select_by_index() method to select an option based on its index (0-based). For example:

Retrieving Selected Options

Locate the selected field element using any locator method.

Now, you can create a Select object by passing the select field element as a parameter. For example:

To retrieve the selected option(s), you can use the following methods provided by the Select object:

• To retrieve a single selected option, use the first_selected_option property. For example:

• To retrieve multiple selected options, use the all_selected_options property. This returns a list of selected option elements. You can then iterate over the list to access individual options. For example:

Radio Buttons and Checkboxes

Selecting Radio Buttons

After Locating the element, you can use the click() method to select it. For example:

If there are multiple radio buttons with the same name, make sure to locate and select the desired radio button within the group. Each radio button in a group should have the same name attribute value.

After selecting the radio button, you can continue with other actions related to form input automation or proceed with form submission, validation, etc.

Selecting Checkboxes

Locate the checkbox element using any locator method.

Now, you can use the click() method to select/unselect it. For example:

If you want to ensure the checkbox is selected, you can use the is_selected() method to check its current state. For example:

After selecting/unselecting the checkbox, you can continue with other actions related to form input automation or proceed with form submission, validation, etc.

Retrieving Selected Status of Radio Buttons and Checkboxes

To retrieve the selected status of radio buttons and checkboxes in Selenium, you can use the is_selected() method provided by the WebElement class. Here's how you can do it:

For Radio Buttons:

After locating it, you can use the is_selected() method to check its selected status. For example:

For Checkboxes:

Now, you can use the is_selected() method to check its selected status. For example:

The is_selected() method returns a boolean value indicating whether the radio button or checkbox is selected or not.

File Upload Fields

1. Locate the file upload field using one of the locator methods mentioned earlier (e.g., by ID, name, CSS selector, XPath).

2. After identifying the file upload field element, you can use the send_keys() method to specify the file path for upload. However, you need to provide the path of a file on the local system to be uploaded.

3. After specifying the file path, the file upload field will be populated with the file for upload.

4. Once the file upload field is populated, you can proceed with other actions related to form submission or validation.

Date and Time Fields

Locate the date or time field using one of the locator methods, Now you can use the send_keys() method to enter the desired date or time value. However, it's important to note that the format and input requirements for date and time fields can vary depending on the specific implementation of the web application.

For example, if the date field accepts input in the format "YYYY-MM-DD", you can use the following code to enter a date:

Similarly, for a time field accepting input in the format "HH AM/PM", you can use the following code to enter a time:

Handling Hidden and Disabled Fields

• Hidden Fields:

  If the field is hidden and not interactable by default, you can use JavaScript to manipulate its value. You can execute JavaScript code using Selenium's execute_script() method. For example:

• Disabled Fields:

  If the field is disabled, you cannot directly interact with it. However, you can still retrieve its value or perform other validations if needed. Use the get_attribute() method to retrieve the value of the disabled field. For example:

Form Submission

1. Use Selenium to locate the relevant form input fields, such as text fields, checkboxes, dropdowns, etc. Enter the required values into these fields using the appropriate methods, such as send_keys() for text fields or select_by_*() for dropdowns.

2. Use the appropriate method to interact with it, such as click() to click the submit button or submit() to submit the form element itself.

3. The web application may perform various actions, such as displaying success messages, redirecting to a new page, or showing validation errors.

4. Use appropriate wait mechanisms, such as WebDriverWait, to wait for specific conditions to be met.

Best Practices for Form Input in Selenium

• Use explicit waits to ensure form elements are loaded before interacting with them.
• Handle synchronization issues with explicit waits for clickable, visible, or specific attribute conditions.
• Emulate user-like interactions to trigger event handlers and validations correctly.
• Perform validation checks to verify expected behavior after form submission.
• Consider edge cases like empty inputs, maximum/minimum values, and special characters.
• Implement the Page Object Model (POM) for reusable and maintainable page objects.
• Clean up created test data or restore the application to its initial state after automation.