Test Automation with Selenium and Docker – Framework Design

In the rapidly evolving world of software development, the need for efficient and reliable testing methodologies cannot be overstated. Test automation has become a cornerstone for Agile and DevOps practices, enabling teams to deliver high-quality software at speed. This blog post explores building a robust test automation framework with Selenium and Docker, addressing key challenges faced by test automation engineers today.

Why Use Docker in Test Automation?

Docker offers a lightweight, portable, and consistent environment for running applications, making it an ideal choice for test automation. Here’s why integrating Docker into your Selenium testing framework is advantageous:

Test Automation Framework with Selenium and Docker

Let’s create a test automation framework that leverages Docker for enhanced efficiency.

Prerequisites

Please ensure you have the following installed on your machine:

• Java (JDK 8 or higher)
• Maven
• Docker
• Docker Compose
• Git

Step 1: Set Up Your Project Structure

Create a new Maven project structure. Here’s a suggested layout:

/test-automation-framework
|-- /src
|   |-- /main
|   |   `-- /java
|   |-- /test
|   |   `-- /java
|-- /docker
|   `-- Dockerfile
|-- pom.xml

Step 2: Create the Maven pom.xml File

The pom.xml file defines the dependencies required for the project. Below is a sample configuration with Selenium and TestNG to create Test Automation Framework with Selenium and Docker

<project xmlns="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0"
         xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
         xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0 http://maven.apache.org/xsd/maven-4.0.0.xsd">
    <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>
    <groupId>com.example</groupId>
    <artifactId>test-automation-framework</artifactId>
    <version>1.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
    <dependencies>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.seleniumhq.selenium</groupId>
            <artifactId>selenium-java</artifactId>
            <version>4.14.0</version>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.testng</groupId>
            <artifactId>testng</artifactId>
            <version>7.4.0</version>
            <scope>test</scope>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>io.rest-assured</groupId>
            <artifactId>rest-assured</artifactId>
            <version>5.4.1</version>
        </dependency>
    </dependencies>
</project>

Step 3: Create the Dockerfile

The Dockerfile will help you create a Docker image that contains all the necessary tools to run your Selenium tests. Here’s an example Dockerfile to create Test Automation Framework with Selenium and Docker

# Use the official Maven image as a base
FROM maven:3.8.6-openjdk-11 AS build

# Set the working directory
WORKDIR /app

# Copy the pom.xml and install dependencies
COPY pom.xml .
RUN mvn dependency:go-offline

# Copy the source code and package the application
COPY src ./src
RUN mvn clean package

# Use a lightweight image for runtime
FROM openjdk:11-jre-slim

WORKDIR /app

# Copy the jar file from the build stage
COPY --from=build /app/target/test-automation-framework-1.0-SNAPSHOT.jar app.jar

# Specify the command to run the application
ENTRYPOINT ["java", "-jar", "app.jar"]

Step 4: Write Sample Selenium Tests

In the src/test/java directory, create a sample Selenium test class:

package com.example.tests;

import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver;
import org.testng.annotations.AfterClass;
import org.testng.annotations.BeforeClass;
import org.testng.annotations.Test;

public class SampleTest {
    private WebDriver driver;

    @BeforeClass
    public void setUp() {
        System.setProperty("webdriver.chrome.driver", "/path/to/chromedriver");
        driver = new ChromeDriver();
    }

    @Test
    public void testGoogleSearch() {
        driver.get("https://www.google.com");
        // Add your assertions here
    }

    @AfterClass
    public void tearDown() {
        driver.quit();
    }
}

Step 5: Docker Compose for Multi-Container Setup

Now, In order to run tests in parallel using multiple containers.

• create a docker-compose.yml file to create Test Automation Framework with Selenium and Docker

version: '3.8'
services:
  selenium:
    image: selenium/standalone-chrome
    ports:
      - "4444:4444"
  test:
    build: .
    depends_on:
      - selenium
    environment:
      - SELENIUM_HOST=selenium

Step 6: Run Your Tests in Docker

To build your Docker image and run the tests, execute the following commands:

1. Build the Docker image:

docker-compose build

2. Run the tests:

docker-compose up --abort-on-container-exit

By leveraging Selenium and Docker, you can create a robust test automation framework that enhances test reliability and execution speed while integrating seamlessly into your CI/CD pipeline. This approach not only resolves common testing issues but also fosters a culture of quality within your development process.

Next Steps

Follow this guide and you can create a cutting-edge test automation framework.