About WebDriver, Diff btween RC and WebDriver, Limitations of WebDriver

About WebDriver

WebDriver is a web automation framework that allows executing tests against different browsers like FF, IE, Safari, Chrome, Opera, HTMLUnit (UI Less browser)

Below Programming Languages are used in WebDriver to develop scripts

·         Java

·         C#

·         PHP

·         Python

·         Perl

·         Ruby

·         Groovy

 

Difference between Selenium RC & Web Driver

·         Both allow using a programming language in designing test scripts.

·         Both allow running tests against different browsers.

1.         WebDriver is faster than Selenium RC since it speaks directly to the browser uses the browser’s own engine to control it.

Selenium RC is slower since it uses a Javascript program called Selenium Core. This Selenium Core is the one that directly controls the browser.

2.         WebDriver can support the headless HtmlUnit browser.

            ---HtmlUnit is termed as “headless” because it is an invisible browser – it is GUI-less.

    Since it is invisible to the user, it can only be controlled through automated means.

Selenium RC cannot support the headless HtmlUnit browser. It needs a real, visible browser to operate on.

Limitations of WebDriver

WebDriver Cannot Readily Support New Browsers

As WebDriver operates on the OS level, also remember that different browsers communicate with the OS in different ways. If a new browser comes out, it may have a different process of communicating with the OS as compared to other browsers. So, the WebDriver team takes quite some time to figure that new process out before they can implement it on the next WebDriver release.

Summary

·    WebDriver is a tool for testing web applications across different browsers using different programming languages.

·         We make powerful tests because WebDriver allows using a programming language of choice in designing your tests.

·         WebDriver is faster than Selenium RC because of its simpler architecture.

·         WebDriver directly talks to the browser while Selenium RC needs the help of the RC Server in order to do so.

·         Web Driver’s APIi’s more concise than Selenium RC’s.

·         WebDriver can support HtmlUnit while Selenium RC cannot.

·         The only drawbacks of WebDriver are:

o   It cannot readily support new browsers, but Selenium RC can.

o   It does not have a built-in command for automatic generation of test results.