Introduction
In the world of application testing, locators play a crucial role in identifying and interacting with elements on a web page. Traditional DOM locators, while widely used, often face limitations in complex applications. This is where visual locators come into play, offering a robust alternative by using image-based recognition to locate elements. This article delves into the intricacies of locators, with a focus on visual locators, explaining their definition, implementation, and management in application testing.
Understanding Locators
What Are Locators?
Locators are a fundamental aspect of automated testing, allowing testers to pinpoint and interact with elements on a web page. These elements can include buttons, text fields, images, and more. Traditional locators use the Document Object Model (DOM) to identify these elements by attributes such as ID, class, name, or XPath.
Limitations of Traditional Locators
While DOM-based locators are effective, they have certain limitations:
Dynamic Content: Changes in the web page's structure can break DOM locators.
Complex Layouts: Nested elements and complex layouts can make DOM locators cumbersome.
Cross-browser Compatibility: Variations in how different browsers render elements can affect locator reliability.
Introduction to Visual Locators
Visual locators overcome these limitations by using image recognition to identify elements. This approach is particularly useful in applications with dynamic content or complex layouts, ensuring robust and reliable element identification across different environments.
Defining Visual Locators
What Are Visual Locators?
Visual locators are image-based identifiers that allow automated tests to find and interact with elements on a web page. Each visual locator consists of a rectangular image and a name. Multiple visual locators can share the same name, enabling the definition of a logical entity that appears differently in various states.
The Role of Visual Locators in Application Testing
Visual locators play a pivotal role in enhancing the accuracy and reliability of automated tests. By leveraging image recognition technology, visual locators can handle dynamic content and complex layouts more effectively than traditional DOM locators.
How to Define Visual Locators in Eyes
Steps to Define Visual Locators
Defining visual locators involves a two-step process:
Uploading Images: Use the Eyes SDK to upload images of UI elements.
Naming Locators: Utilize the Eyes Test Manager to define and name the visual locators.
Detailed Process for Defining Visual Locators
Run a Program: Use the Eyes SDK to execute checkpoints on pages with UI elements.
Upload Images: The program uploads images to Eyes without validating checkpoints.
Identify Locators: In the Eyes Test Manager, mark rectangular regions around UI elements and name the visual locators.
Manage Names: If a name is already in use, choose to replace existing images, cancel, or add a new image to the locator name.
Best Practices for Defining Visual Locators
Unique Detail: Ensure the image has unique details to distinguish it from other parts of the page.
Consistent Background: Avoid including backgrounds that may change, focusing on the UI element itself.
Naming Convention: Use a consistent naming convention to manage locators effectively.
Searching for Visual Locators
API for Locating Visual Locators
To locate visual locators, use the eyes.locate method with VisualLocatorSettings. This method takes a chain of method calls, allowing you to specify the names of the visual locators to search for.
Example Code for Locating Visual Locators
java
Map<String, List<Region>> locators = eyes.locate(
VisualLocator.name("locator_a")
.name("locator_b")
.name("locator_c"));Using Coordinates for Simulated Events
Once you have the coordinates of a visual locator, you can use them to simulate mouse or keyboard events. This is done using standard browser device handler methods, enhancing the interaction capabilities of your automated tests.
Handling Multiple Instances
The all() method allows you to find all instances of a locator, while the first() method retrieves only the first instance. Use all() when multiple instances of a locator are expected.
Managing Visual Locators
Overview of Visual Locator Management
Visual locators can be managed through the Eyes Test Manager, allowing you to view, rename, delete, and copy locators across different applications.
Viewing Visual Locators
Step Editor: Access visual locators for a specific step in the Step editor.
Global Gallery: View all visual locators defined for your team in the global gallery.
Renaming and Deleting Locators
Rename: Update the name of a visual locator, with options to replace existing images or add new ones.
Delete: Remove visual locators that are no longer needed.
Copying Visual Locators
Visual locators can be copied to different applications, facilitating reuse and consistency across tests.
Best Practices for Using Visual Locators
Consistent Naming Conventions
Adopt a consistent naming convention to simplify the management and retrieval of visual locators.
Detailed and Distinct Images
Ensure that visual locator images are detailed and distinct to avoid confusion and enhance recognition accuracy.
Regular Updates and Maintenance
Regularly update and maintain visual locators to keep pace with changes in the application UI, ensuring the continued reliability of your automated tests.
Conclusion
Visual locators represent a significant advancement in automated testing, offering robust and reliable element identification through image recognition. By understanding their definition, implementation, and management, testers can leverage visual locators to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of their tests. This comprehensive guide provides a detailed overview of visual locators, empowering you to integrate this powerful tool into your testing framework.
Key Takeaways
Visual locators use image recognition for element identification.
They address the limitations of traditional DOM locators in dynamic and complex applications.
Defining visual locators involves uploading images and naming them using the Eyes SDK and Test Manager.
The eyes.locate method searches for visual locators, returning their coordinates for simulated events.
Managing visual locators includes viewing, renaming, deleting, and copying them across applications.
Best practices involve consistent naming conventions, detailed images, and regular maintenance.
FAQs
What are visual locators?
Visual locators are image-based identifiers used in automated testing to locate and interact with UI elements on a web page.
How do visual locators differ from traditional DOM locators?
Visual locators use image recognition to identify elements, whereas traditional DOM locators rely on attributes like ID, class, or XPath.
Why should I use visual locators in my tests?
Visual locators offer robust element identification in dynamic and complex applications, improving the reliability of automated tests.
How do I define visual locators?
Define visual locators by uploading images using the Eyes SDK and naming them in the Eyes Test Manager.
Can I use visual locators in cross-browser testing?
Yes, visual locators enhance cross-browser testing by providing consistent element identification across different environments.
What is the eyes.locate method?
The eyes.locate method is used to search for visual locators on a web page, returning their coordinates for simulated events.
How do I manage visual locators?
Manage visual locators using the Eyes Test Manager, where you can view, rename, delete, and copy locators.
What are the best practices for using visual locators?
Best practices include using consistent naming conventions, detailed and distinct images, and regular updates and maintenance.
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