The overall performance and stability of any application is determined through a testing process. In case of web applications, the testing stage before a new release is the main factor that determines the success of a certain web application. The elaboration of testing strategies and practical results interpretation could take a lot of time in many situations. Fortunately, automatic testing alternatives, like Selenium, exist.

In comparison with units testing which have the role to simulate a web browser, Selenium testing tool runs in browser alongside the web application.

Selenium Core runs in Javascript and is compatible with multiple web browsers across many operating systems. As Selenium is made in Javascript, it cannot run independently of a web browser. The Selenium Core usage for testing is suitable for beginners, but some certain limitations exist in this mode.

Selenium is designated for functional testing, such as user interface and application features (integration or acceptance testing). Practically, the results of tests will show the overall application compatibility with a certain web browser.

For rapid testing, Selenium IDE Firefox plugin contains the Selenium Core and is a suitable alternative to record and play tests in the application environment. This integrated development environment is compatible with Firefox versions higher than 1.5 and provides you the possibility to edit and save tests as HTML, Ruby or other file type.

After you install the Selenium IDE Firefox plugin and restart the browser, when you need to perform tests, the IDE graphical user interface allows you to start the recording of your browsing actions by pushing the red button. The recorded actions can be replayed through the corresponding scripts in other web browsers. There is also the option to run the tests at different speeds and to debug and set break points.

The usage of this testing tool will help you to improve the quality of your web applications and to ensure an optimal level of compatibility with various web browsers.