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Cross-Browser Testing with BrowserStack

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Rinaldo Badigar
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4 min read

Table of contents

Introduction

Streamline your cross-browser testing process with BrowserStack, a powerful cloud-based platform. By leveraging BrowserStack, developers can efficiently test their web applications across various browsers and devices, ensuring compatibility and a seamless user experience. This cloud-based solution provides a scalable and reliable infrastructure for comprehensive cross-browser testing.

What is Cross Browser Testing?

Cross Browser testing is a type of non-functional testing that lets you check whether your website works as intended when accessed through:

  • Different Browser-OS combinations i.e., on popular browsers like Firefox, Chrome, Edge, Safari—on any of the popular operating systems like Windows, macOS, iOS and Android.

  • Different devices i.e., users can view and interact with your website on popular devices—smartphones, tablets, desktops and laptops etc.

  • Assistive Tools i.e., the website is compatible with assistive technologies like screen readers for individuals who are differently abled.

What is BrowserStack?

BrowserStack is a cloud-based cross-browser testing platform that allows developers and quality assurance (QA) professionals to test their web applications across various browsers, devices, and operating systems. It provides a virtual environment where users can perform real-time testing of websites and web applications to ensure compatibility and functionality across different browser versions.

Key features of BrowserStack

  1. Cross-browser Testing

  2. Real Devices

  3. Automation

  4. Responsive Testing

  5. Parallel Testing

  6. Local Testing

  7. Collaboration

Cross-Browser Testing with BrowserStack

Step 1: Create a Maven Project

  1. Click on "File" -> "New" -> "Other..."

  2. In the "Select a wizard" dialogue, expand the "Maven" category, select "Maven Project," and click "Next."

  3. Make sure "Create a simple project (skip archetype selection)" is selected, and click "Next."

  4. Enter the Group Id (e.g., com.example) and Artifact Id (e.g., selenium-testng-project), and click "Finish."

Step 2: Add Selenium and TestNG Dependencies

  1. Open the pom.xml file in the project.

  2. Add dependencies for Selenium WebDriver and TestNG in the <dependencies> section:

     <dependencies>
     <!-- Selenium WebDriver -->
     <dependency>
         <groupId>org.seleniumhq.selenium</groupId>
         <artifactId>selenium-java</artifactId>
         <version>3.141.59</version>
     </dependency>

     <!-- TestNG -->
     <dependency>
         <groupId>org.testng</groupId>
         <artifactId>testng</artifactId>
         <version>7.3.0</version>
     </dependency>
 </dependencies>

  3. Save the pom.xml file.

Step 3: Create a TestNG Test Class:

  1. Right-click on the src/test/java folder in the project.

  2. Choose "New" -> "Class" to create a new Java class for your TestNG test.

  3. Write a simple TestNG test method in the test class.

     // Create a class with "BrowserStackDemo"
 import java.net.MalformedURLException;
 import java.net.URL;

 import org.openqa.selenium.By;
 import org.openqa.selenium.MutableCapabilities;
 import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;
 import org.openqa.selenium.remote.RemoteWebDriver;
 import org.testng.annotations.Test;

 public class BrowserStackDemo {
     @Test
     public void MyTestDemo() throws MalformedURLException, InterruptedException {

         // You can set various capabilities for your WebDriver session.
         // Ex: Browser, platform, version, and other configurations.
         MutableCapabilities caps = new MutableCapabilities();

         // It is used for interacting with a remote browser session. 
         // Connects to the BrowserStack hub using the specified URL.
         WebDriver driver = new RemoteWebDriver(new URL("http://hub-cloud.browserstack.com/wd/hub"), caps);

         driver.get("https://www.amazon.in/");
         driver.findElement(By.id("twotabsearchtextbox")).sendKeys("iPhone");
         driver.findElement(By.id("nav-search-submit-button")).click();

         Thread.sleep(5000);
         driver.quit();
     }
 }

Step 4: Configure browserstack.yml file

  1. Create a "browserstack.yml" file on the root level of the project.

  2. Configure the "browserstack.yml" file with the following content.

     userName: enter your username from browserstack
 accessKey: enter your accesskey from browserstack
 framework: testng
 platforms:
   - os: Windows
     osVersion: 11
     browserName: Chrome
     browserVersion: 118.0
   - os: OS X
     osVersion: Sonoma
     browserName: Chrome
     browserVersion: 119.0
   - os: Windows
     osVersion: 11
     browserName: Edge
     browserVersion: 118.0
 parallelsPerPlatform: 1
 browserstackLocal: true
 buildName: browserstack-build-1
 projectName: BrowserStack Sample

  3. Alternatively, you can configure it from here directly.

Step 5: Add the Dependencies and Plugins

  1. Add the dependency and plugin from here in pom.xml file.

     <dependency>
     <groupId>com.browserstack</groupId>
     <artifactId>browserstack-java-sdk</artifactId>
     <version>LATEST</version>
     <scope>compile</scope>
 </dependency>

     <plugins>
     <!-- Maven Dependency Plugin -->
     <plugin>
         <artifactId>maven-dependency-plugin</artifactId>
         <executions>
             <execution>
                 <id>getClasspathFilenames</id>
                 <goals>
                     <goal>properties</goal>
                 </goals>
             </execution>
         </executions>
     </plugin>

     <!-- Maven Surefire Plugin -->
     <plugin>
         <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
         <artifactId>maven-surefire-plugin</artifactId>
         <version>3.0.0-M5</version>
         <configuration>
             <suiteXmlFiles>
                 <suiteXmlFile>config/sample-local-test.testng.xml</suiteXmlFile>
             </suiteXmlFiles>
             <argLine>
                 -javaagent:${com.browserstack:browserstack-java-sdk:jar}
             </argLine>
         </configuration>
     </plugin>
 </plugins>

Step 6: Run the Tests on BrowserStack

  1. Install the BrowserStack Plugin:

    • On the Eclipse toolbar, click Help > Eclipse Marketplace.

  2. In the Eclipse Marketplace:

    • Search for "BrowserStack" and click Install > Finish.

  3. Run TestNG Test:

    • Right-click anywhere on the file BrowserStackDemo.java.

    • Choose Run As > TestNG Test.

Step 7: View Test Results on the Dashboard

  1. Access the BrowserStack Dashboard:

  2. Test Results:

    • Navigate to the "Test Results" section on the dashboard.

    • Wait for the sample build to be triggered.

    • Once triggered, review the test results for detailed information about the executed tests.

These steps guide you through accessing the BrowserStack dashboard, exploring session listings, viewing build information, and checking test results.

Conclusion

In conclusion, BrowserStack emerges as a game-changer for cross-browser testing, offering a convenient and efficient way to validate web applications on diverse browsers and devices. With its extensive browser coverage and user-friendly interface, BrowserStack empowers teams to identify and address compatibility issues early in the development cycle, ultimately enhancing the overall quality and performance of web applications.

seleniumselenium-webdriverselenium testingautomationautomation testing JavaTestingtest-automationtestng