Getting element attributes in Selenium Python - Test Execution Trace

Test Overview

This test opens a web page, finds a button element by its ID, retrieves its 'class' attribute, and verifies that the attribute value matches the expected class name.

Test Code - Selenium

Selenium Python

from selenium import webdriver
from selenium.webdriver.common.by import By
import unittest

class TestGetElementAttribute(unittest.TestCase):
    def setUp(self):
        self.driver = webdriver.Chrome()
        self.driver.get('https://example.com')

    def test_button_class_attribute(self):
        button = self.driver.find_element(By.ID, 'submit-btn')
        class_attr = button.get_attribute('class')
        self.assertEqual(class_attr, 'btn primary')

    def tearDown(self):
        self.driver.quit()

if __name__ == '__main__':
    unittest.main()

Execution Trace - 6 Steps

Step	Action	System State	Assertion	Result
1	Test starts and Chrome browser opens	Chrome browser window is open and ready	—	PASS
2	Browser navigates to 'https://example.com'	Page 'https://example.com' is loaded in the browser	—	PASS
3	Find element with ID 'submit-btn' using driver.find_element(By.ID, 'submit-btn')	Button element with ID 'submit-btn' is located on the page	—	PASS
4	Get 'class' attribute of the button element using get_attribute('class')	Retrieved attribute value is 'btn primary'	Check if attribute value equals 'btn primary'	PASS
5	Assert that the class attribute equals 'btn primary' using self.assertEqual	Assertion compares actual and expected attribute values	class_attr == 'btn primary'	PASS
6	Close the browser and end the test	Browser window is closed	—	PASS

Failure Scenario

Failing Condition: Element with ID 'submit-btn' is not found or the 'class' attribute value is different than expected

Execution Trace Quiz - 3 Questions

What Selenium method is used to find the button element by its ID?

A driver.find_element(By.ID, 'submit-btn')

B driver.get_attribute('submit-btn')

C driver.find_elements(By.CLASS_NAME, 'btn')

D driver.click('submit-btn')

Key Result

Always verify element attributes by retrieving them with get_attribute and asserting their expected values to ensure UI elements have correct properties.

Practice

1. What does the Selenium method get_attribute('href') do when called on a web element?

easy

A. It sets the 'href' attribute to a new value.

B. It clicks the element if it has an 'href' attribute.

C. It returns the value of the 'href' attribute of the element.

D. It deletes the 'href' attribute from the element.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the purpose of get_attribute

   The method get_attribute is used to read the value of a specified attribute from a web element.

2. Step 2: Apply to 'href' attribute

   When called with 'href', it returns the URL or value assigned to the 'href' attribute of that element.

3. Final Answer:

   It returns the value of the 'href' attribute of the element. -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   get_attribute('href') = attribute value [OK]

Hint: Remember: get_attribute reads, does not change attributes [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking get_attribute changes or clicks elements
• Confusing get_attribute with set_attribute
• Expecting get_attribute to remove attributes

2. Which of the following is the correct syntax to get the 'class' attribute of a web element stored in variable element using Selenium in Python?

easy

A. element.getAttribute('class')

B. element.get_attribute('class')

C. element.getattribute('class')

D. element.getattr('class')

Solution

1. Step 1: Recall correct method name in Selenium Python

   The correct method to get an attribute is get_attribute with an underscore, all lowercase.

2. Step 2: Check method spelling and case

   element.get_attribute('class') uses get_attribute('class'), which matches the correct syntax exactly.

3. Final Answer:

   element.get_attribute('class') -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Correct method name = get_attribute [OK]

Hint: Use underscore: get_attribute, not camelCase [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using camelCase like getAttribute
• Misspelling method names
• Using non-existent methods like getattr

3. Given the following code snippet:

element = driver.find_element(By.ID, 'submit-btn')
value = element.get_attribute('type')
print(value)

If the HTML is <button id='submit-btn' type='submit'>Send</button>, what will be printed?

medium

A. submit

B. None

C. Send

D. button

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify the element and attribute

   The element is a button with id 'submit-btn' and attribute type='submit'.

2. Step 2: Understand get_attribute('type') output

   Calling get_attribute('type') returns the string 'submit' as that is the attribute's value.

3. Final Answer:

   submit -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   get_attribute('type') = 'submit' [OK]

Hint: get_attribute returns attribute value exactly as in HTML [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing inner text with attribute value
• Expecting tag name instead of attribute
• Assuming None if attribute exists

4. You wrote this code:

element = driver.find_element(By.NAME, 'email')
email_value = element.get_attribute('value')
print(email_value)

But the print shows None even though the input field has a value. What is the most likely cause?

medium

A. The input field's value is set by JavaScript and not as an attribute.

B. The element was not found and element is None.

C. The attribute name 'value' is misspelled in get_attribute.

D. get_attribute cannot read 'value' attributes.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand difference between attribute and property

   Sometimes input values are set dynamically by JavaScript and not reflected as HTML attributes.

2. Step 2: Recognize get_attribute reads HTML attributes only

   get_attribute('value') reads the attribute, but if value is set dynamically, it may return None.

3. Final Answer:

   The input field's value is set by JavaScript and not as an attribute. -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Dynamic values may not appear as attributes [OK]

Hint: Dynamic input values may not be in attributes [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming get_attribute reads live input value always
• Not checking if element was found
• Misspelling attribute names

5. You want to verify that a checkbox is checked by reading its 'checked' attribute using Selenium in Python. The checkbox HTML is:

<input type='checkbox' id='agree' checked>

Which code snippet correctly checks if the checkbox is checked?

hard

A. is_checked = element.get_attribute('checked') == True

B. is_checked = element.get_attribute('checked') == 'false'

C. is_checked = element.get_attribute('checked') == 'checked'

D. is_checked = element.get_attribute('checked') is not None

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand how 'checked' attribute works in HTML

   The 'checked' attribute is present without a value when the checkbox is checked.

2. Step 2: Check attribute presence with get_attribute

   In Selenium, get_attribute('checked') returns 'true' if the checkbox is checked, None if unchecked.

3. Step 3: Use presence check for 'checked'

   Since the attribute is present without value, checking if get_attribute('checked') is not None confirms it is checked.

4. Final Answer:

   is_checked = element.get_attribute('checked') is not None -> Option D

5. Quick Check:

   Presence of 'checked' attribute means checked [OK]

Hint: Check if get_attribute('checked') is not None for checked boxes [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Comparing to 'false' or 'checked' strings incorrectly
• Using boolean True instead of string or None
• Ignoring attribute presence vs value