Architecture of Selenium WebDriver

The architecture of Selenium WebDriver is structured to provide flexibility, speed, and scalability for test automation. It follows a client-server model, with several components that work together to send commands to the browser and get responses from the same.

Compared to Selenium WebDriver version 3, Selenium WebDriver 4 has seen significant improvements have been made in terms of functionality, performance, and ease of use. Selenium 4 introduces better support for modern browsers, improved W3C compliance, and new features like enhanced grid capabilities, which make it even more powerful for automating web applications.

Architecture of Selenium 3 WebDriver

In the architecture of Selenium 3 WebDriver, a Selenium test script uses a client library (such as Python, Java, or any other supported language) to send commands that interact with a web browser. These commands are converted into a JSON format by the client library. Once the commands are in JSON format, they are sent through an HTTP request to the browser driver.

The browser driver then decodes the JSON commands and performs the necessary actions on the web page, such as clicking buttons or entering text. The browser follows these commands as if a user were interacting with the page, allowing us to automate the testing process effectively.

Components of Selenium 3 WebDriver:

Selenium WebDriver is a tool that helps automate web applications. Its architecture is built to allow easy communication between different parts. Understanding the key components of Selenium 3 WebDriver makes it easier to see how automation scripts interact with browsers for smooth testing.

1. Selenium Client Library: This component provides language-specific bindings or APIs that allow users to write test scripts and interact with the WebDriver.
2. JSON Wire Protocol over HTTP: The JSON Wire Protocol is a standardized protocol used for communication between the Selenium Client Library and the Browser Drivers. It defines a set of commands and responses in JSON format exchanged over HTTP requests.
3. Browser Drivers: These are executable files that establish a communication channel between the WebDriver and the actual web browsers, such as Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc. Each browser requires its specific driver, like ChromeDriver, GeckoDriver, to enable WebDriver to control and automate browser actions.
4. Real Browsers: These are web browsers like Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, etc., where the actual testing and automation take place. The WebDriver interacts with these browsers through their respective browser drivers to perform actions like clicking elements, filling forms, navigating pages, and validating content.

Architecture of Selenium 4 WebDriver

Selenium 4 brings significant improvements to the architecture, often with the introduction of the W3C WebDriver Protocol. This protocol standardizes interactions between the purchaser and server, selling higher compatibility and consistency across one-of-a-kind implementations. Moreover, Selenium 4 affords a better guide for present-day net technology and progressed overall performance.

The architecture of Selenium 4 WebDriver has made a key change compared to Selenium 3 which is a communication protocol. Like Selenium 3, Selenium 4 offers client libraries for various programming languages, which help WebDriver interact with the browser. WebDriver W3C protocol is the major change in Selenium 4 as it completely replaces JSON Protocol which was in Selenium 3. The WebDriver W3C Protocol is defined by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) that ensure better compatibility and stability on different browsers and client libraries.

Components of Selenium 4 WebDriver

Selenium 4 is an updated version of a tool used to automate web applications. Its design makes it easier and faster for automation scripts to communicate with browsers, improving the overall testing process.

1. Selenium Client Library: This component provides language-specific bindings or APIs (e.g., Java, Python, Ruby) that allow users to write test scripts and interact with the WebDriver.
2. WebDriver W3C Protocol: WebDriver is a protocol that provides a standard way for web browsers to communicate with an automation script. In Selenium 4, it focuses on W3C WebDriver Protocol, for better consistency and compatibility across different browsers.
3. Browser Drivers: These are executable files that establish a communication channel between the WebDriver and the actual web browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc. Each browser requires its specific driver (e.g., ChromeDriver, GeckoDriver, etc.) to enable WebDriver to control and automate browser actions.
4. Real Browsers: These are web browsers like Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, etc., where the actual testing and automation take place. The WebDriver interacts with these browsers through their respective browser drivers to perform actions like clicking elements, filling forms, navigating pages, and validating content.

Difference between Architecture of Selenium 3 & Selenium 4

Selenium 4 introduces significant improvements over Selenium 3, enhancing the framework's functionality and performance. These changes make Selenium more powerful and user-friendly, offering better support for modern web applications.

Selenium WebDriver is a powerful tool for automating web browser interactions. Architecture of Selenium has evolved, Selenium 4 introduced WebDriver W3C Protocol. The communication between client libraries, browser drivers, and browsers is made easier by the W3C protocol and it provides better compatibility, efficiency, and maintainability.

WebDriver Architecture

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