Selenium is a widely used, open-source automated framework for testing web applications. It is an effective and multi-faceted tool that equips testers with the ability to evaluate web apps in multiple ways. One of the most crucial tools of Selenium is Selenium WebDriver. It is a powerful tool for testing web applications on browsers and operating systems. It is used to simulate a user’s interactions with the application, which helps identify any problems.

In this blog, we will explore the different types of WebDriver in Selenium, their features, and how they can be used to perform automated tests.

Different Types of WebDriver in Selenium

Selenium WebDriver is a set of APIs that allows users to interact with web browsers programmatically. It is essential to select the right type of WebDriver based on the web application being tested to ensure the best outcomes. Selenium WebDriver has multiple components, each suited for different types of web applications. Let’s discuss them one by one in detail.

ChromeDriver

ChromeDriver is a distinct executable that Selenium WebDriver utilizes to regulate Chrome. The Chromium team maintains it with aid from WebDriver contributors. The purpose of ChromeDriver is to provide support for the Chrome browser on both desktop and mobile operating systems.

ChromeDriver can automate Chrome-specific activities, such as opening a new tab, closing a tab, or capturing a screenshot. The use of a ChromeDriver becomes a must as Google Chrome dominates the browser market. Selenium WebDriver utilizes ChromeDriver to communicate test scripts with Google Chrome.

A few apparent features of ChromeDriver are:

  • Supports different languages like Java, C#, Python, Kotlin, Ruby, JavaScript, Perl, etc.
  • Supports Windows, Mac, and Linux. It is also available on Android, Chrome OS, and iOS.
  • It is an open-source tool and can be used with any browser.
  • Provides support for executing JavaScript code, which is useful for web automation.
  • Allows users to test the application on multiple browsers simultaneously.
  • It has good interaction with the browser, making it a great tool for writing end-to-end tests.

ChromiumDriver

ChromiumDriver is an open-source WebDriver for the Google Chrome browser. It is widely used by testers, developers, and automation engineers for automated web application testing. ChromiumDriver is also highly extensible, entitling end users to customize the browser and extend its functionality to suit their needs. It supports all prominent web technologies, including HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript. ChromiumDriver is prompt, reliable, and easy to use, making it a popular choice for many testers and developers.

Features of ChromiumDriver are:

  • Supports all the major browsers, such as Firefox, Chrome, Safari, and Internet Explorer.
  • Enables users to write test scripts in different programming languages like Java, C#, Python, Ruby, and JavaScript.
  • Easily integrated with several third-party tools like Appium.
  • Provides several APIs to access different types of web elements like buttons, text boxes, links, menus, and frames.
  • Enables users to manage the browser window, cookies, and so on.
  • Provides support for different operating systems such as Windows, Mac, Linux, and so on.

EdgeDriver

EdgeDriver is a WebDriver created specifically for the Microsoft Edge browser. It is part of the Selenium WebDriver project, providing a means of controlling the Edge browser. It is an invaluable tool for developers as it allows them to automate tests for their web applications, permitting tests to be run on multiple browsers, including Edge. EdgeDriver makes it easier for developers to create, debug and maintain automated tests, allowing them to do so much faster. It is essential to note that EdgeDriver is only compatible with the Microsoft Edge browser and not with any other web browsers.

Features of EdgeDriver are:

  • Provides Selenium users with the ability to control the Microsoft Edge browser on Windows 10.
  • As a part of the Selenium WebDriver API, it provides all the same features as the other implementations, including finding and manipulating elements on webpages, handling browser-level events, and executing JavaScript commands.
  • Supports the same level of compatibility and stability as the other Selenium WebDriver implementations.
  • Compatible with the latest versions of Selenium and Microsoft Edge, allowing users to test their web applications on the latest versions of the browser.

EventFiringWebDriver

EventFiringWebDriver is a utility class in Selenium that facilitates the registration and firing of events over the lifetime of the WebDriver. This is essentially a wrapper around the WebDriver, permitting subscribers to register a listener to be notified of different events. It enables the tracking of proceedings such as navigation, locating an element, clicking an element, changing the values of elements, and submitting a form. EventFiringWebDriver is a helpful tool for ensuring that certain events are handled in a precise manner by registering a suitable listener to the WebDriver. It makes sure that each WebDriver action is backed up by a pertinent event, allowing developers to create more efficient automation scripts.

Features of EventFiringWebDriver are:

  • Provides an extended API that allows users to register listeners to listen to various events, which will be triggered when the corresponding methods are called.
  • Provides a mechanism to create custom events.
  • Allows users to debug their tests with the help of the events.
  • Has the capability to take screenshots during the test execution.
  • Has the capability to handle multiple windows and tabs.
  • Allows users to execute mouse and keyboard events for web pages.

FirefoxDriver

FirefoxDriver is an implementation of the WebDriver application programming interface, allowing software engineers to control their Firefox browsers for automated tests. It can generate, browse, and modify websites. FirefoxDriver will enable developers to augment their assessments and automate user interactions within the browser. FirefoxDriver has a reliable, high-speed interface for testing web applications, making it an excellent choice for developers who must create dependable, resilient tests rapidly and without difficulty. It is backed by the Mozilla community and provides great documentation and assistance, making it suitable for users at all levels.

Features of FirefoxDriver are:

  • Supports all Firefox versions
  • It is mainly used to work with Firefox browser automation
  • It uses the native events of the operating system to interact with the browser components like alerts, pop-ups, etc.
  • Supports multiple languages like Java, C#, Python, Ruby, etc.

InternetExplorerDriver

InternetExplorerDriver is a part of the Selenium suite, utilized to control the browser and access the Document Object Model (DOM) while automating the testing of web applications. It is a reliable tool that is simple to use and enables users to carry out quick and precise tests. The tool is used to streamline the testing process and automate web applications, entitling developers to craft dependable tests that improve the standard of their web applications.

Features of InternetExplorerDriver are:

  • Supports all versions of Internet Explorer starting from IE6.
  • Enables users to test websites against multiple versions of IE.
  • Has a special capability of taking screenshots of web pages.
  • Supports various security protocols like TLS, SSL, Kerberos, and NTLM.
  • Supports various platforms like Windows and Mac.

OperaDriver

OperaDriver is a reliable and productive tool for automating web browser tests. At its core is the open-source Selenium WebDriver technology, which entitles developers to create robust and resourceful browser automation tests. Opera browser is created to be user-friendly with plenty of features, proffering a comprehensive choice of APIs to get in touch with web elements, execute complicated measures, and access Opera-exclusive features.

Features of OperaDriver are:

  • Authorizes end users to navigate to web pages and interact with elements inside those pages
  • Supports various web standards like HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript
  • Supports a variety of platforms, including Windows, Linux, and Mac
  • Offers a wide variety of features, such as screenshot capturing, browser automation, and performance optimization.
  • Compatible with tools such as Mocha, Jasmine, and Karma.

RemoteWebDriver

The Selenium project has created an open-source tool known as RemoteWebDriver, which facilitates end users to execute automated tests from a remote computer. This tool can be utilized to examine web applications on various web browsers, platforms, and operating systems. RemoteWebDriver can boost scalability and flexibility in the testing process. This entitles end users to distribute tests to many different machines, increasing the speed of debugging and verifying the output. RemoteWebDriver can assist users in creating and managing tests quickly and easily, ensuring high precision and dependability.

Features of RemoteWebDriver are:

  • Allows the user to run automated tests on remote machines.
  • Supports multiple browsers like Firefox, Chrome, Safari, IE, etc.
  • Supports multiple operating systems like Windows, Mac, Linux, etc.
  • Supports different types of languages like Java, C#, Ruby, Python, etc.
  • Provides options to set up a Selenium grid to run tests in parallel.
  • Provides a logging facility to track the execution of the script.

SafariDriver

SafariDriver is a component of the Selenium project for automated web testing. It is supported by Apple and developed with the open-source community, and compatible with Mac OS X versions 10.7 and above as well as iOS 6 and above. SafariDriver provides a comprehensive set of commands to automate web interactions within the Safari browser. It supports both local and remote Safari sessions so that developers can test web applications with various capabilities on different machines.

Features of SafariDriver are:

  • Supports the Mac OS X operating system.
  • Does not support handling Alerts and Pop-ups.
  • Does not support page source retrieval for web pages with frames.

Conclusion

Selenium WebDriver is an essential automated testing tool for web applications. It is an open-source platform that provides great flexibility and options for setting up automated tests. There are several different types of WebDriver available, each with its own unique features and benefits. Depending on the needs of your project and the types of web applications you need to test, you can choose the best option for your organization.

LambdaTest is an ideal choice for Selenium testing because it enables you to perform automated cross-browser testing on the online browser farm of more than 3,000 browser combinations and operating systems, providing reliable results for web applications. With LambdaTest, you can write Selenium scripts across different browsers and platforms and perform visual regression and real-time testing to ensure your web application is functioning as expected.