Automation Testing Interview Questions and Answers (Part-III)

81. What are dependencies and how are they handled in Maven?

Dependencies are external libraries required by a project. In Maven, they are specified in the pom.xml file, and Maven automatically downloads and includes them during the build process.​

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82. What is POM.xml?

The pom.xml (Project Object Model) file is the core of a Maven project. It contains information about the project, its dependencies, build configuration, and plugins.​

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83. What Maven plugins do you use?

• maven-surefire-plugin: Runs unit tests​
  
• maven-compiler-plugin: Compiles Java source code​
• maven-clean-plugin: Cleans up the target directory​
  

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84. How to execute TestNG.xml using Maven?

Configure the maven-surefire-plugin in the pom.xml and run the following command:​

bash

mvn test

This will execute the tests defined in the testng.xml file.​

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85. What is Jenkins?

Jenkins is an open-source automation server that facilitates continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) by automating the building, testing, and deployment of applications.​

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86. What is the role of Jenkins in your framework?

Jenkins automates the execution of test suites, integrates with version control systems like GitHub, and triggers builds upon code commits, ensuring continuous testing and integration.​

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87. What are the advantages of Jenkins?

• Automates repetitive tasks​
  
• Supports a wide range of plugins​
  
• Facilitates continuous integration and delivery​
  
• Provides real-time feedback on builds and tests​
  

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88. How to configure Jenkins?

• Install Jenkins and required plugins​
  
• Create a new job or pipeline​
  
• Configure source code repository (e.g., GitHub)​
  
• Set build triggers and steps​
  
• Save and run the job to initiate builds​
  

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89. Difference between XPath and CSS Selector?

Feature	XPath	CSS Selector
Syntax	Complex	Simpler
Direction	Supports both forward and backward	Only forward
Performance	Slower	Faster
Browser Support	Limited in older browsers	Widely supported

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90. Where is a constructor used in Selenium?

In Selenium, constructors are used in the Page Object Model (POM) to initialize web elements using PageFactory and to pass the WebDriver instance to page classes.​

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91. How to execute JavaScript or scroll in Selenium?

java

JavascriptExecutor js = (JavascriptExecutor) driver;

js.executeScript(“window.scrollBy(0,300)”);

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92. How to handle SSL popup in IE?

Set the desired capabilities to accept SSL certificates

java

DesiredCapabilities capabilities = DesiredCapabilities.internetExplorer();

capabilities.setCapability(CapabilityType.ACCEPT_SSL_CERTS, true);

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93. Non-automatable test cases in your project?

• CAPTCHA verification​
  
• Barcode scanning​
• Visual aesthetics and color validations​
  
• Usability and exploratory testing
  

96. Explain the Selenium Architecture

Answer:

Selenium follows a three-tier architecture that consists of:

1. Selenium Client Libraries (Language Bindings)

Selenium supports multiple languages like Java, Python, C#, Ruby, JavaScript, etc. Developers use these bindings to write test scripts in their preferred language.

2. JSON Wire Protocol:

This is a transport mechanism used by Selenium WebDriver to communicate between the client libraries and the browser drivers. It defines a RESTful API for automation commands such as click, navigate, sendKeys, etc.

3. Browser Drivers:

Each browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari) has its own driver:

• ChromeDriver for Chrome
  
• GeckoDriver for Firefox
  
• IEDriverServer for Internet Explorer
  
• EdgeDriver for Microsoft Edge
  

These drivers act as a bridge between Selenium and the actual browser, executing the commands sent from test scripts.

4. Real Browser:

The actual browser where the test actions are performed based on the instructions received via the browser driver.

Selenium Architecture Flow:

1. Test script → Selenium bindings
   
2. Selenium bindings → JSON Wire Protocol
   
3. JSON → Browser Driver
   
4. Driver → Executes in the browser
   

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97. Difference between Selenium IDE, Selenium RC, and Selenium WebDriver

Feature	Selenium IDE	Selenium RC	Selenium WebDriver
Type	Record & playback tool	Server-based tool	Programming interface (API)
Language Support	No (only Selenese)	Yes	Yes
Browser Interaction	Works only with Firefox	Works via RC server	Direct browser communication
Speed	Very slow	Slower than WebDriver	Fastest
Installation	Firefox Add-on	Requires RC server	Only browser drivers
Deprecated?	Yes	Yes	No (actively used)

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98. Difference between:

java

WebDriver driver = new FirefoxDriver();

FirefoxDriver driver = new FirefoxDriver();

Explanation:

• WebDriver driver = new FirefoxDriver();
  
  • This is the recommended approach.
    
  • Uses the WebDriver interface, allowing the code to be browser-independent and follow good abstraction.
    
  • You can later switch to another browser (e.g., ChromeDriver) without major code changes.
    
• FirefoxDriver driver = new FirefoxDriver();
  
  • This is a direct instantiation of the FirefoxDriver class.
    
  • It’s tightly coupled to the Firefox browser.
    
  • Less flexible for cross-browser automation.
    

Best Practice:

Always use:

java

WebDriver driver = new FirefoxDriver();

so that you can easily switch browsers and follow interface-based programming.

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99. Difference between get() and navigate().to()

Feature	get(String url)	navigate().to(String url)
Interface	Comes from WebDriver	Comes from Navigation interface
Function	Loads a new web page	Loads a new web page
History Handling	No browser history maintained	Maintains browser history
Navigation Back/Forward	Not supported	Supports back(), forward(), refresh() operations
Example	driver.get(“http://example.com”)	driver.navigate().to(“http://example.com”)

When to Use:

• Use get() when you simply want to open a page.
  
• Use navigate().to() when performing advanced navigation like back() or forward().
  

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100. What is API? Where is it used in Selenium?

Answer:

🔷 What is an API?

An API (Application Programming Interface) is a set of protocols, definitions, and tools that allows different software components to communicate with each other.

Example: When you use driver.get(“url”) in Selenium, you’re calling an API method from WebDriver.

🔷 API in Selenium:

Selenium WebDriver itself is an API library that enables interaction with browsers programmatically. It exposes a rich set of methods such as:

• get(), click(), sendKeys(), navigate(), switchTo() etc.
  

🔷 Where Else is API Used?

• In frameworks like REST Assured to test REST APIs
  
• In tools like Postman, JMeter
  
• In hybrid automation frameworks to call backend APIs for test setup, authentication, or data validation