findElement by tagName in Selenium Java - Framework Patterns

Framework Mode - findElement by tagName

Folder Structure

src/
└── test/
    └── java/
        └── com/
            └── example/
                ├── pages/
                │   └── HomePage.java
                ├── tests/
                │   └── HomePageTest.java
                ├── utils/
                │   └── WebDriverFactory.java
                └── config/
                    └── ConfigReader.java
    

This structure organizes code by purpose: pages hold page objects, tests hold test cases, utils contain helpers like WebDriver setup, and config manages environment settings.

Test Framework Layers

• Driver Layer: Manages browser setup and teardown (e.g., WebDriverFactory.java).
• Page Objects: Classes representing web pages, encapsulating element locators and actions. For example, HomePage.java uses findElement(By.tagName()) to locate elements by tag name.
• Test Layer: Contains test classes like HomePageTest.java that use page objects to perform tests and assertions.
• Utilities: Helper classes for common functions like waits, logging, or data handling.
• Configuration: Reads environment variables, browser types, and credentials to run tests flexibly.

Configuration Patterns

Use a config.properties file or environment variables to manage settings like:

• Browser type (Chrome, Firefox, etc.)
• Base URL of the application
• Timeout durations
• User credentials (stored securely)

Example snippet from ConfigReader.java:

import java.io.FileInputStream;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.io.InputStream;
import java.util.Properties;

public class ConfigReader {
    private static Properties props = new Properties();

    static {
        try (InputStream input = new FileInputStream("src/test/resources/config.properties")) {
            props.load(input);
        } catch (IOException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
    }

    public static String get(String key) {
        return props.getProperty(key);
    }
}

Test Reporting and CI/CD Integration

Use TestNG or JUnit built-in reports for test results.

• Generate HTML reports showing passed/failed tests.
• Integrate with CI/CD tools like Jenkins or GitHub Actions to run tests automatically on code changes.
• Use logs and screenshots on failure for easier debugging.

Best Practices

• Use Page Object Model: Keep locators and actions in page classes to separate test logic from UI details.
• Prefer explicit waits: Wait for elements found by findElement(By.tagName()) to be visible or clickable to avoid flaky tests.
• Use meaningful tag names: When using By.tagName, ensure the tag uniquely identifies the element or combine with other locators.
• Keep config flexible: Allow switching browsers and environments without code changes.
• Write clean, readable tests: Use descriptive test method names and comments.

Self Check

Question: Where in this folder structure would you add a new page object class for a Login page that uses findElement(By.tagName()) to locate input fields?

Key Result

Organize Selenium Java tests using Page Object Model with clear layers for pages, tests, utils, and config.

Practice

1. What does the Selenium method findElement(By.tagName("button")) do?

easy

A. Finds the first <button> element on the page

B. Finds all <button> elements on the page

C. Finds the element with id 'button'

D. Finds the element with class name 'button'

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the method purpose

   findElement returns the first matching element found by the locator.

2. Step 2: Analyze the locator type

   By.tagName("button") looks for elements with the tag <button>.

3. Final Answer:

   Finds the first <button> element on the page -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   findElement + tagName = first matching element [OK]

Hint: findElement with tagName finds only the first matching tag [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing findElement with findElements
• Using tagName but expecting multiple elements
• Mixing tagName with id or class selectors

2. Which of the following is the correct syntax to find the first <input> element using Selenium in Java?

easy

A. driver.findElement(By.tagName['input']);

B. driver.findElement(By.tagName(input));

C. driver.findElement(By.tagName("input"));

D. driver.findElement(By.tagName{input});

Solution

1. Step 1: Check method usage

   The method findElement requires a By locator with a string argument for tagName.

2. Step 2: Validate syntax correctness

   Only driver.findElement(By.tagName("input")); uses correct Java syntax with quotes around "input" and parentheses.

3. Final Answer:

   driver.findElement(By.tagName("input")); -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Correct method call with string tag name [OK]

Hint: Always put tag name in quotes inside By.tagName() [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Missing quotes around tag name
• Using wrong brackets like [] or {}
• Omitting parentheses after findElement

3. Given the HTML snippet:

<div>
  <h1>Title</h1>
  <h1>Subtitle</h1>
</div>

What text will be printed by this Java Selenium code?

WebElement header = driver.findElement(By.tagName("h1"));
System.out.println(header.getText());

medium

A. Subtitle

B. Title

C. TitleSubtitle

D. No text, throws exception

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand findElement behavior

   findElement returns the first matching element, here the first <h1> which contains "Title".

2. Step 2: Check getText output

   Calling getText() on the first <h1> returns its text content "Title" only.

3. Final Answer:

   Title -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   findElement returns first tag's text [OK]

Hint: findElement by tagName returns first element only [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming it returns all matching elements
• Expecting concatenated text of all tags
• Confusing findElement with findElements

4. What is wrong with this Selenium Java code snippet?

WebElement element = driver.findElement(By.tagName("button"));
System.out.println(element.getText());

Assuming the page has no <button> tags.

medium

A. It compiles but does not run

B. It returns null and prints nothing

C. It prints empty string without error

D. It throws NoSuchElementException at runtime

Solution

1. Step 1: Check element presence

   Since no <button> tags exist, findElement cannot find any matching element.

2. Step 2: Understand exception behavior

   findElement throws NoSuchElementException if no element is found, causing runtime error.

3. Final Answer:

   It throws NoSuchElementException at runtime -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   findElement throws error if no match [OK]

Hint: findElement throws exception if tag not found [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Expecting null instead of exception
• Assuming empty string returned
• Confusing with findElements behavior

5. You want to click the first <input> element of type 'submit' on a page using Selenium Java. Which code snippet correctly finds it using findElement(By.tagName()) and then clicks it?

hard

A. WebElement submit = driver.findElement(By.tagName("input")); if ("submit".equals(submit.getAttribute("type"))) submit.click();

B. WebElement submit = driver.findElement(By.tagName("input[type='submit']")); submit.click();

C. WebElement submit = driver.findElement(By.tagName("submit")); submit.click();

D. WebElement submit = driver.findElement(By.tagName("input")); submit.click();

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand tagName limitations

   By.tagName("input") finds the first <input> element regardless of type attribute.

2. Step 2: Filter by type attribute manually

   Check if the found element's type attribute equals "submit" before clicking.

3. Step 3: Analyze options

   WebElement submit = driver.findElement(By.tagName("input")); if ("submit".equals(submit.getAttribute("type"))) submit.click(); correctly finds first input, checks type, then clicks. WebElement submit = driver.findElement(By.tagName("input[type='submit']")); submit.click(); uses invalid tagName syntax. WebElement submit = driver.findElement(By.tagName("submit")); submit.click(); searches for non-existent tag <submit>. WebElement submit = driver.findElement(By.tagName("input")); submit.click(); clicks first input without type check.

4. Final Answer:

   WebElement submit = driver.findElement(By.tagName("input")); if ("submit".equals(submit.getAttribute("type"))) submit.click(); -> Option A

5. Quick Check:

   Use tagName then check attribute for type [OK]

Hint: findElement by tagName finds tag only; check attributes separately [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Trying to use CSS selector syntax inside tagName
• Assuming tagName can filter by attribute
• Clicking without verifying element type