Feature Friday: Elevating Testing Efficiency with CSS Selectors

Greetings, testing enthusiasts! Today, we’re turning our attention to the power of CSS selectors, with Amy and Jorell leading the way. They aren’t just patterns; they’re the secret sauce that allows us to target and style HTML elements like never before. Buckle up, because we’re about to take a wild ride through the world of CSS magic!

What are selectors in CSS?

Amy:
CSS selectors are patterns that match HTML elements based on their attributes, types, classes, IDs, states, or relationships and are used to apply styles to selected elements or with JavaScript. They can be used to select an element by its tag name or even an element based on its position in the DOM.

Jorell:
Some examples are element, class, ID, attribute, pseudo-class, pseudo-element, and combinatory selectors. All of these can be combined to even form more specific or complex selectors.

Tell us more about how Qyrus can use CSS selectors when identifying elements.

Jorell:
Well, with Qyrus, we enable users to utilize CSS element selectors to identify HTML elements. This is something we can do rather than use XPaths or other locators that can also be dynamic in nature, making automation a bit trickier. We can use CSS selectors to identify the changing attributes of elements like color changes or changes in states, like hovering over elements for example. Users can verify the style changes of their elements in that manner.

Amy:
One example use case would be when clicking on a hyperlink on a website, the color of the hyperlink changes shades. Another example would be verifying the color change of a button when hovering over it. And lastly, a tester could verify the style value to see if something like a button is enabled.

How might using CSS selectors impact the testing process?

Jorell:
We find that overall we find a reduced amount of effort when it comes to maintaining test scripts due to the fact that using CSS element selectors might be a bit more reliable when it comes to certain cases. As stated before, some locators can be dynamic, like identifiers and classes. Furthermore, due to updates to the application and changes made on the webpage, XPaths might even break.

Amy:
In a way that also ensures more reliable test executions due to less maintenance required and less downtime due to the maintenance.

How might utilizing CSS selectors help testers, developers, and business technologists?

Amy:
Testers can have more options to verify elements. The typical way that most do this through is through IDs, XPaths, and classes. This can even in a way lead to less friction between the testers and developers, as there might be less back and forth between when it comes to utilizing dynamic locators or providing stable and static locators that the testers can make use of when automating.

Jorell:
Due to their nature and naming conventions, it can be easier for those less tech-savvy users like business technologists and analysts to read and understand what’s happening in the test script and execution. Rather than being confused by weird-looking XPaths, these users have a better grasp of what’s going on at hand.

Does the same or similar functionality exist without Qyrus, and how do competitors address similar problems?

Jorell:
Some competitors don’t make use of them when it comes to automation. Qyrus has it as an option out of the box and from the start.

Amy:
Automation is possible without using them, for sure. However, the problem there is that utilizing them makes it easier to verify what you specifically are looking for, like the specific color an element might have changed to.

As we wrap up this adventure into the realm of CSS selectors, one thing is clear: Qyrus is paving the way for efficient and reliable testing practices. Amy and Jorell have showcased how CSS selectors not only make testers’ lives easier but also bridge the gap between tech-savvy developers and less technically-inclined business technologists. So next time you’re faced with verifying style changes or handling dynamic elements, remember the magic of CSS selectors. Until next time, happy styling and testing!