Drag and drop in Selenium Java - Practice Problems & Coding Challenges

Challenge - 5 Problems

❓ Predict Output

intermediate

What is the result of this drag and drop Selenium code?

Consider the following Selenium Java code snippet that performs a drag and drop action. What will be the output if the drag and drop is successful?

Selenium Java

WebElement source = driver.findElement(By.id("drag-source"));
WebElement target = driver.findElement(By.id("drop-target"));
Actions actions = new Actions(driver);
actions.dragAndDrop(source, target).perform();
System.out.println(target.getText());

A The text of the target element after the drag and drop, reflecting the dropped item

B The text of the source element before drag and drop

C An exception is thrown because dragAndDrop requires clickAndHold

D The text of the target element remains unchanged

💡 Hint

Think about what happens to the target element's text after a successful drag and drop.

The dragAndDrop method moves the source element onto the target. After performing, the target's text usually changes to reflect the dropped item. So printing target.getText() shows the updated text.

❓ locator

intermediate

Which locator is best for identifying draggable and droppable elements?

You want to automate drag and drop in Selenium Java. Which locator strategy is best practice for identifying the source and target elements?

A By.id("drag-source") and By.id("drop-target")

B By.xpath("//div[@class='draggable']") and By.xpath("//div[@class='droppable']")

C By.className("drag") and By.className("drop")

D By.cssSelector("div:nth-child(1)") and By.cssSelector("div:nth-child(2)")

💡 Hint

IDs are unique and fastest to locate.

Using By.id is best because IDs are unique, fast, and reliable locators. XPath and class names can be less stable or slower. CSS nth-child is fragile and depends on page structure.

❓ assertion

advanced

Which assertion correctly verifies a successful drag and drop?

After performing drag and drop, you want to assert that the target element contains the text "Dropped!". Which assertion is correct in JUnit?

A assertNull(target.getText());

B assertTrue(target.getText().contains("Dropped!"));

C assertFalse(target.getText().equals("Dropped!"));

D assertEquals("Dropped!", target.getText());

💡 Hint

You want to check exact text equality.

assertEquals checks that the target's text exactly matches "Dropped!" which confirms success. assertTrue with contains is less strict. assertFalse and assertNull are incorrect here.

🔧 Debug

advanced

Why does this drag and drop code fail with ElementNotInteractableException?

Given this code snippet, the drag and drop fails with ElementNotInteractableException. What is the most likely cause?

Selenium Java

WebElement source = driver.findElement(By.id("drag-source"));
WebElement target = driver.findElement(By.id("drop-target"));
Actions actions = new Actions(driver);
actions.clickAndHold(source).moveToElement(target).release().perform();

A The target element locator is incorrect causing NoSuchElementException

B The source element is not visible or not enabled for interaction

C The Actions class does not support clickAndHold method

D The perform() method is missing at the end

💡 Hint

ElementNotInteractableException means element cannot be interacted with currently.

This exception usually means the source element is hidden, disabled, or overlapped, so Selenium cannot interact with it. The locator is found, Actions supports clickAndHold, and perform() is present.

❓ framework

expert

In a Selenium Java test framework, where should drag and drop logic be placed for best design?

You are designing a Selenium Java test framework. Where is the best place to put the drag and drop code for reusability and maintainability?

A Directly inside the test method where drag and drop is needed

B Inside a utility/helper class with static methods for drag and drop

C Inside the Page Object class representing the page containing draggable elements

D In the main method of the test suite class

💡 Hint

Think about the Page Object Model design pattern.

Placing drag and drop logic inside the Page Object class keeps tests clean and encapsulates page behavior. Utility classes are less ideal for actions tied to specific pages. Test methods and main methods should not contain detailed UI interaction code.

Practice

1. What is the primary purpose of the dragAndDrop method in Selenium's Actions class?

easy

A. To click on an element without moving it

B. To simulate dragging an element and dropping it onto another element

C. To scroll the page to a specific element

D. To take a screenshot of the dragged element

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the dragAndDrop method

   The dragAndDrop method is designed to simulate the user action of clicking and holding an element, moving it to another element, and releasing it.

2. Step 2: Compare with other actions

   Options A, C, and D describe different actions unrelated to drag and drop functionality.

3. Final Answer:

   To simulate dragging an element and dropping it onto another element -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   dragAndDrop = simulate drag and drop [OK]

Hint: Remember dragAndDrop moves element from source to target [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing dragAndDrop with click actions
• Thinking dragAndDrop scrolls the page
• Assuming dragAndDrop takes screenshots

2. Which of the following is the correct syntax to perform a drag and drop using Selenium Actions in Java?

easy

A. actions.dragAndDrop(source, target).perform();

B. actions.dragDrop(source, target).perform();

C. actions.dragAndDrop(source).to(target);

D. actions.drag(source).drop(target).execute();

Solution

1. Step 1: Recall the correct method name and chaining

   The correct method is dragAndDrop(source, target) followed by perform() to execute the action.

2. Step 2: Identify incorrect method names and chaining

   Options A, B, and C use incorrect method names or chaining syntax that do not exist in Selenium's Actions class.

3. Final Answer:

   actions.dragAndDrop(source, target).perform(); -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Correct method name + perform() = actions.dragAndDrop(source, target).perform(); [OK]

Hint: Use dragAndDrop(source, target).perform() exactly [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using wrong method names like dragDrop
• Missing perform() at the end
• Incorrect chaining of methods

3. Given the following code snippet, what will be the result after execution?

WebElement source = driver.findElement(By.id("item1"));
WebElement target = driver.findElement(By.id("box1"));
Actions actions = new Actions(driver);
actions.clickAndHold(source).moveToElement(target).release().perform();
String text = target.getText();

If the drag and drop is successful, what should text contain?

medium

A. Null value

B. An empty string

C. The text of the dragged element (item1)

D. The text of the target element before drag

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the drag and drop effect

   Dragging source onto target usually moves or copies the source element's content into the target area.

2. Step 2: Check what target.getText() returns after drop

   After a successful drop, the target element's text usually remains unchanged unless the page's DOM is updated by JavaScript. The getText() method returns the visible text of the target element, which typically does not change automatically after drag and drop.

3. Final Answer:

   The text of the target element before drag -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   target.getText() usually unchanged after drag and drop unless DOM updates [OK]

Hint: After drop, target text usually remains the same unless DOM updates [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming target text changes automatically
• Expecting empty or null text after drop
• Confusing source and target texts

4. Identify the error in the following Selenium Java code for drag and drop:

WebElement source = driver.findElement(By.id("drag"));
WebElement target = driver.findElement(By.id("drop"));
Actions actions = new Actions(driver);
actions.clickAndHold(source).moveToElement(target).perform();

medium

A. Missing release() before perform()

B. Incorrect locator strategy for elements

C. Actions class cannot be instantiated directly

D. No need to call perform() after actions

Solution

1. Step 1: Review the drag and drop sequence

   Drag and drop requires clicking and holding the source, moving to target, then releasing the mouse button before performing.

2. Step 2: Identify missing release()

   The code misses release(), so the drop action is incomplete and will not work as expected.

3. Final Answer:

   Missing release() before perform() -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Drag and drop needs release() [OK]

Hint: Always call release() before perform() in drag and drop [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Forgetting release() after moveToElement
• Incorrect element locators (not in this code)
• Not calling perform() at all

5. You want to verify that a drag and drop action moved an item from a list to a cart on a webpage. Which approach is best to confirm the drop was successful in Selenium Java?

hard

A. Check the page title has changed after drag and drop

B. Verify the source element is still visible after drop

C. Check that the cart element contains the dragged item's text after drop

D. Confirm the browser URL changed after drag and drop

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand what changes after drag and drop

   The dragged item should appear inside the cart element, so its text should be present there.

2. Step 2: Evaluate verification methods

   Checking source visibility (B) might not confirm drop; page title (C) and URL (D) usually do not change after drag and drop.

3. Final Answer:

   Check that the cart element contains the dragged item's text after drop -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Verify drop by checking target content [OK]

Hint: Verify drop by checking target element's content [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Checking unrelated page properties like title or URL
• Assuming source element visibility confirms drop
• Not verifying target element content