: Selenium Core: The Basics :
Selenium Core is part of the Selenium suite of products and is a great tool for testing web applications. One great thing about Selenium Core is that the fact that it tends ti run directly from the computer browser on any system which it is installed. Selenium Core functions in standard browser software such as Internet Explorer, Mozilla as well as Firefox. In terms of operating system requirements, it functions on any operating system available as long as these browsers work efficiently on these systems. The diverse nature of Selenium Core is a true test to the diversity of other products in the Selenium suite. The tests for Selenium Core may be used to determine whether your web application functions properly on different browsers installed on different operating system platforms. Any script which can be used in Selenium Core can also be effectively used on any other member of the Selenium suite. Selenium Core is also use to perform regression tests in order to determine whether applications satisfy functionality requirements.
The facility which enables Selenium Core to run and perform on so many diverse platforms is largely powered by JavaScript. The tests can be placed directly on the web server that runs the intended web application to be tested while you access these same tests while using a client browser accessing the server. Those running tests should have installation privileges on the application server powering the web application in order to make use of Selenium Core.
The Selenium Core product is also cost-effective and efficient, cost-effective because it is open-source software which costs nothing to use and its developers are constantly making modifications to suite the needs of web application developers and QA departments who are working on using the tool in a number of diverse ways. Regular updates are made to the Selenium Core software and any concerns or errors that result are quickly resolved. Despite its open source origins, the Selenium Core tool finds good use in any development environment whether open source or commercial, it may also be used by a single user or a variety of users in a development group.
In terms of its actual operating mechanism, Selenium Core works by making use of JavaScript as well as Iframes in order to place an automation engine in your browser program. Any browser that has JavaScript enabled should work perfectly with Selenium Core although various browsers tend to have their own particular requirements when it comes to executing JavaScript on the client side, modifications have been made to the heart of the Selenium Core application in order to support performance on a variety of operating system environments. So anyone using open source or commercial operating systems such as Windows, Mac or Linux has nothing to worry about.
The birth of Selenium was spearheaded by developers at ThoughtWorks who are the creators of the program; the software was creating as a custom testing framework to test the functionality of another application that was under development by the company. The success of the software as well as the potential for uses on a wider scale saw the release of this software as an open source application to the general public. Though the initial project was entirely a ThoughtWorks project other developers from the open source community have jumped on board to contribute to the development of the software program.
The benefits which have been accorded by the Selenium software not only make for benefits in terms of cost and productivity issues but also in the area of time management as well. With the Selenium Core software testers can run a variety of parameters and test them out without having the need for multiple sets of tools in order to determine whether issues under consideration have been addressed. With the popularity of Selenium Core and ongoing modifications by developers in the field it is clear that there are more benefits to be enjoyed from the use of Selenium Core and other Selenium products in the near future.