Karate Framework UI Automation – Getting You Started with an Example

If you are looking for an open-source automation framework well suited for testing web services and APIs, you should consider Karate Framework. Karate Framework is a testing tool that is built on top of the Cucumber-JVM and integrates API testing, UI automation, and performance testing into one powerful tool.

In this blog post, we will be focusing on using Karate Framework for UI automation by creating an example that you can use as a reference.

What is Karate Framework?

Karate Framework is a testing framework for web services, APIs, and UI Automation. It is built on top of the Cucumber-JVM, allowing you to create feature files using Gherkin syntax. Karate Framework empowers non-programmers to create and execute automated tests for web services and UI testing with ease.

Karate has a well-developed documentation website that contains a user guide, examples, and a community chat board.

Karate Framework – Key Features

Karate Framework has numerous features that make it a popular choice for developers and testers. Here are some of its key features:

• Easily readable and maintainable Gherkin Syntax – write tests in plain English.
• Multi-language and multi-environment support
• Easy setup and no configuration setup – it provides a battery of helper functions that enable quick setup, testing, and reporting
• Parallel execution support – this improves the speed of test execution
• UI Automation – testing the front end or the user interface of web applications
• Support for Mock Services – it provides the capability to mock dependent services when doing API testing

Karate Framework Architecture for UI Automation

Karate Framework is designed to be extensible, which means that you can add modules and classes that suit your needs. The framework is structured using a feature file, step definitions file, and pages file.

• Feature file – contains the test scenarios, data tables, and assertions.
• Step definitions – contains the backend operations, where the code interacts with the app’s backend API.
• Pages – contains the interactions for the website or the app’s GUI.

By calling the steps in the feature file, the step definitions and the pages files interact and communicate.

Karate Framework UI Automation Example

Now, let’s jump into creating an example for Karate UI automation. For this example, we will be using the demo e-commerce website http://automationpractice.com/index.php. We want to test the registration process of the website.

Step 1: Setup

The first step is to set up Karate Framework. You can use either of these options:

1. Download the latest Karate standalone JAR file
2. Add the following dependencies to your project build file

„`xml

com.intuit.karate
karate-apache
${karate.version}
test


com.intuit.karate
karate-junit5
${karate.version}
test

„`

Step 2: Create a New Feature File

Create a new feature file in the Karate folder of your project. You can name it anything; for this example, we will name it “registration.feature.”

Add the following code in the feature file:

„`gherkin
@KarateOptions(features = „classpath:com/example/registration/registration.feature“)
Feature: Registration

Scenario: User Registration
Given driver ‚http://automationpractice.com/index.php‘
When waitForUrl(‚#account-creation‘)
And set ‚#customer_firstname‘ ‚John‘
And set ‚#customer_lastname‘ ‚Doe‘
And set ‚#passwd‘ ‚password‘
And set ‚#address1‘ ‚1234 Test Street‘
And set ‚#city‘ ‚Los Angeles‘
And selectByText(‚#id_state‘, ‚California‘)
And set ‚#postcode‘ ‚90001‘
And set ‚#phone_mobile‘ ‚1234567890‘
And set ‚#alias‘ ‚Test Address‘
And click(‚#submitAccount‘)
Then waitForUrl(‚http://automationpractice.com/index.php?controller=my-account‘)
And textContains(‚.info-account‘, ‚Welcome to your account.‘)
„`

In the above code, we do the following:

• We create a scenario called “User Registration,” in which we navigate to the e-commerce site and wait for the “#account-creation” URL to load.
• Then, we fill in the registration form details and submit it.
• We then check whether the landing page is “http://automationpractice.com/index.php?controller=my-account,” and whether It’s showing the text “Welcome to your account.”

Step 3: Create Step Definitions and Pages

Create a step definition file, “RegistrationSteps.java,” that contains the following code:

„`java
package com.example.registration;

import com.intuit.karate.Step;
import com.intuit.karate.driver.Driver;

public class RegistrationSteps {
private final Driver driver;

public RegistrationStep(Driver driver) {
this.driver = driver;
}

@Step(„when set ‚#(.*?)‘ ‚(.*?)’“)
public void setInput(String selector, String text) {
driver.setInput(selector, text);
}

@Step(„when click ‚#(.*?)’“)
public void clickButton(String selector) {
driver.click(selector);
}

@Step(„when selectByText ‚#(.*?)‘ ‚(.*?)’“)
public void selectByText(String selector, String text) {
driver.select(selector, text);
}

@Step(„when waitForUrl ‚(.*?)’“)
public void waitForUrl(String url) {
driver.waitForUrl(url);
}

@Step(„when textContains ‚(.*?)‘ ‚(.*?)’“)
public void textContains(String selector, String text) {
driver.textContains(selector, text);
}
}
„`

In the above step definition file, we create a class called “RegistrationSteps” that has methods to interact with the web application’s backend API.

Next, we create a page with the name “RegistrationPage.java”. It contains the following code:

„`java
package com.example.registration;

import com.intuit.karate.Page;

public class RegistrationPage implements Page {
@Override
public String getUrl() {
return „http://automationpractice.com/index.php“;
}
}
„`

In the above code, we create a class that implements the “Page” interface. It has a getUrl() method that returns the URL of the registration page on the e-commerce site.

Step 4: Run Tests

To run the test, open a terminal or command prompt and run the following command in your project directory:

„`BASH
mvn test
„`

This will execute the test cases and show you the result.

Most Frequent Asked Questions on Karate Framework UI Automation Examples

When it comes to UI automation with Karate Framework, there are several questions that come to mind, especially for those who are new to the framework. In this post, we will dive into some of the most frequently asked questions about Karate Framework UI automation examples.

What is Karate Framework?

Karate Framework is an open-source and Java-based test automation framework that allows users to design, execute, and maintain API and UI automation tests. With its robust inbuilt libraries, Karate Framework makes the test automation process faster and more effective.

What are the benefits of using Karate Framework for UI automation?

The benefits of using Karate Framework for UI automation include:

• Easy to learn: Karate Framework requires very little programming knowledge, and its simple syntax makes it easy to learn and use.
• Robust API capabilities: Karate Framework provides robust inbuilt libraries for testing API endpoints and supports BDD (Behavior-driven development) structured tests.
• Easy to maintain: Karate Framework’s inbuilt libraries provide an all-in-one tool for running tests, making it easier to maintain and update tests.
• Works with popular browsers: Karate Framework supports UI testing across popular browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari on different Operating Systems.

What is UI automation, and how does it work?

UI automation is the process of using automation tools to simulate the actions of a user on a User Interface (UI). UI automation works by automatically executing actions that would typically be performed by a user. These actions include clicking buttons, entering data, scrolling, and selecting dropdown menus, among others.

UI automation tests help to validate that the User Interface of an application is functioning correctly, that user actions can be completed without errors, and that accessibility standards are met.

How does Karate Framework help in UI Automation?

Karate Framework helps in UI Automation by providing several inbuilt libraries that are essential in automating UI tests. These libraries provide API capabilities for interacting with the User Interface, such as clicking buttons, entering data, validating dropdown selections, and handling alerts.

Karate Framework’s robust API capabilities provide for BDD-styled testing, which helps maintain the test codebase and enhance understanding with simple language. Karate Framework supports popular browsers, making it possible to run tests on different operating systems and browsers.

What are the best practices for creating UI automation tests with Karate Framework?

The following are some best practices for creating UI tests with Karate Framework:

• Start by creating UI tests for critical features and functionalities of the application.
• Use a structured approach such as BDD to write tests.
• Ensure that tests are independent of each other, meaning that they can be run separately without the need for other tests being executed before.
• Ensure that tests are repeatable, with consistent results being produced every time tests are run.
• Ensure that test data is handled carefully, requiring careful thought, as badly handled data can lead to test instability.
• Perform regular code reviews to ensure that tests are written following best practices and that code is of high quality.

How to run UI automation tests with Karate Framework?

To run UI automation tests with Karate Framework:

• Create a feature file for your UI tests.
• Add tests to your feature file using the Karate syntax.
• Ensure that the necessary setup, configurations, and environment are provided.
• Run the test using a command-line interface such as Command Prompt or Terminal.
• View test results to ensure that all tests passed and check for any failing tests.
• Re-run tests after resolving any issues and verify that markers of the UI can be clicked, the data can be entered, scroll can be performed, dropdown selections are correct, etc.

Introduction

Are you looking for a way to automate your UI testing for your web application? Look no further than Karate Framework! This testing tool allows for easy script creation and execution, making it a great option for both beginners and experienced developers. In this blog post, we will walk through an example of how to use Karate Framework for UI automation, including installation, setup, and testing.

Step 1: Installing Karate Framework

Before we can begin using Karate Framework, we need to install it on our machine. The first step is to make sure Java is installed, as Karate Framework requires Java 8 or higher. Once Java is installed, download the latest Karate JAR from the official website. After downloading the JAR, add it to your project’s classpath.

Step 2: Creating a Karate Test Script

With Karate Framework installed, we can now create a new test script. Open your preferred text editor, create a new file, and save it as Test.feature. In the editor, write out the steps for the UI automation test you want to perform, using the Given-When-Then format. Here is an example:

„`
Feature: Testing the Login Page
Scenario: Successful login with valid credentials
Given driver ‚url‘
When input(‚#username‘, ‚testuser‘)
And input(‚#password‘, ‚testpassword‘)
And click(‚#submit‘)
Then urlContains(‚/dashboard‘)
„`

In this example, we are testing the login page of a web application. We first load the URL of the login page, then input a username and password, click the submit button, and finally verify that the URL contains „/dashboard“.

Step 3: Running the Test Script

Once the test script has been created, we can execute it using the Karate Runner. Navigate to the folder containing the Test.feature file and open a terminal or command prompt. Run the following command:

„`
java -jar path/to/karate.jar Test.feature
„`

This will execute the test script and display the results in the terminal or command prompt. If any errors occur during the execution of the script, they will be displayed here.

Conclusion

Karate Framework makes UI automation testing easy and accessible for developers of all levels. By following the steps outlined above, you can easily install, set up, and run Karate tests for your web application. Give it a try today and see how it can improve the efficiency and accuracy of your UI testing.