Master Selenium Testing with Python: A Step-by-Step Guide with Pytest and Allure

Want to automate web browser testing using Python? This guide provides a practical example of how to set up and run Selenium tests with Python, using Pytest and Allure reports for efficient and insightful results. Learn how to structure your project, manage dependencies, and generate comprehensive test reports.

Why Use Selenium and Python for Test Automation

• Automate repetitive tasks: Automate web browser interactions, saving time and reducing manual effort.
• Ensure web application quality: Identify bugs and regressions early, leading to more reliable software.
• Cross-browser compatibility: Test your application across different browsers and platforms.
• Detailed Reporting: Allure reports provide clear visualizations and detailed information about test execution.

Project Structure

The example project includes the following key directories:

• data: Stores test data, making tests more maintainable and readable.
• enums: Contains enumerations for different test scenarios.
• pages: Implements the Page Object Model, encapsulating web page interactions.
• tests: Holds the actual test scripts using Pytest.
• utilities: Provides helper functions and common utilities for the tests.

Tech Stack Breakdown: Powerful Tools for Robust Testing

This project leverages a range of powerful tools to streamline your Selenium testing process:

• Selenium: Automates web browsers for comprehensive UI testing.
• Pytest: A flexible and extensible testing framework for Python.
• Allure: Generates detailed and visually appealing test reports.
• Requests: Simplifies making HTTP requests for API testing or interacting with web services.
• Other Essential Libraries: assertpy, dataclasses-json, pytest-base-url, python-dotenv, And more to enhance testing capabilities.

Step-by-Step Setup Guide: Get Your Environment Ready

Follow these steps to set up your testing environment:

1. Clone the Repository:

   git clone https://github.com/nirtal85/Selenium-Python-Example.git
   cd selenium-python-example
   

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2. Create a Virtual Environment: Ensure project dependencies are isolated.

   • Windows:

     py -m pip install --user virtualenv
     py -m venv env
     .\env\Scripts\activate
     

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   • Mac:

     python3 -m pip install --user virtualenv
     python3 -m venv venv
     source venv/bin/activate
     

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3. Install Poetry: A tool for dependency management.

   pip install poetry
   

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4. Install Project Dependencies:

   poetry install --no-root
   

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5. Create a .env File: Securely store sensitive information. Add the following properties to the .env file:

   Parameter	Description	Example Value
   EMAIL	Your email address for authentication	"[email protected]"
   PASSWORD	Your secret password for authentication	"your_secret_password"
   VRT_APIURL	Visual Regression Tracker API URL	"https://vrt.example.com/api"
   VRT_PROJECT	Visual Regression Tracker Project ID	"project_id"
   VRT_CIBUILDID	Visual Regression Tracker Build Number	"build_number"
   VRT_BRANCHNAME	Visual Regression Tracker Branch Name	"main"
   VRT_APIKEY	Visual Regression Tracker API Key	"your_api_key"
   VRT_ENABLESOFTASSERT	Enable Soft Assertions	True (or False)
   MAILINATOR_API_KEY	API Key for Mailinator service	"your_mailinator_api_key"
   MAILINATOR_DOMAIN_NAME	Domain name for Mailinator	"your_mailinator_domain"

Execute your Selenium Python Tests

• Basic Execution:

  pytest --driver chrome
  

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  If you don't select a browser, chrome will be used as default.

• Run tests based on tags:

  pytest -m <tag_name> --browser chrome
  

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Analyze Test Results with Allure Reporting

1. Install Allure Commandline: View test results locally or integrate with CI/CD pipelines.

   • Windows: (Using Scoop)

     scoop install allure
     

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   • Mac:

     brew install allure
     

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2. View Results Locally:

   allure serve allure-results
   

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3. View Results Online: View allure results via Github pages

Maximize Code Quality with Pre-Commit Hooks

These checks run automatically before each commit, ensuring code quality and consistency.

• Run Pre-Commit Checks Automatically:

  pre-commit install
  pre-commit install --hook-type commit-msg
  

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• Bump Pre-Commit Hooks Version:

  pre-commit autoupdate
  

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• Run Pre-Commit Checks Manually On The Entire Project:

  pre-commit run --all-files
  

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Dive Deeper: Selenium Python and Pytest Resources

Explore these articles for more insights and advanced techniques:

• Test Automation - How To Build a CI/CD Pipeline Using Pytest and GitHub Actions
• Test Automation - How To Attach Public IP Address to Allure report using Pytest and Requests
• Test Automation - Selenium Example Python Project 2022 Updates
• Test Automation - How To Add Git Version Control Data To Allure Report in Python
• Test Automation - How To Attach Session Storage, Local Storage, Cookies, and Console logs To Allure Report in Selenium Python
• Test Automation - How To Capture Full-Page Screenshots In Selenium Python Using Chrome DevTools Protocol
• Test Automation - How To Edit Cookies in Selenium Python
• Test Automation - Pre-Merge Testing with GitHub Actions: A Step-by-Step Guide
• Test Automation - How To Use Custom User Agent in Selenium Python or Playwright Python to Avoid Security Bots
• Test Automation - How to Use Dynamic Base URLs with Selenium And Playwright Python in GitHub Actions

By following this guide, you can effectively leverage Selenium and Python for robust and insightful web application testing.