5 Best Python Frameworks for WebView Testing

Python has become one of the most widely used programming languages. The reason behind its popularity is that it is extremely easy to use and allows you to create platform independent programs.

It is a high-level language and has all the important features that make a good programing language. It also supports OOPs, i.e. Object Oriented Programming concepts. The syntax of Python is very different from C or C++ and simpler too. This makes it easy to learn and understand.

Python language is mainly used for server-side web development, software development, mobile app development, and many other purposes. However, it is best used to create hybrid applications.

What Are Hybrid Applications?

Hybrid applications are a combination of native mobile applications and web applications. These applications are available for download in mobile stores like any other mobile application. Hybrid applications contain a built-in web browser and allow you to see web content from within the mobile application itself. This is called a WebView.

Developers use Python frameworks in order to create the most optimized hybrid applications. There are many advantages of using frameworks to create a Python application. Frameworks provide you with tons of additional functionalities which help in efficient coding. This lets you focus on the logic of the program instead of other things like connectivity.

Another important feature that many frameworks offer is WebView testing. WebView testing for a website is as important as cross-browser testing. But you have to take help of some frameworks to perform WebView testing.

Here is a list of the best python frameworks for WebView Testing:

Selenium

Selenium is the most popular and widely used automation testing tool for web applications. The reason behind its popularity is that it is considered as the industry standard for web application testing. According to surveys, 9 out of 10 web application testers use Selenium.

It is an open source framework which supports many different languages, including Python, Java, C#, PHP, Ruby, and more. Another feature that this framework offers is the ability to test applications made for multiple platforms like Mac, Windows, and Linux. You can even use the test cases build for Windows on Linux or any other platform. Selenium tests can also be implemented on multiple devices like Android, iOS, or Blackberry.

Selenium has a user-friendly interface, however, in order to use this framework perfectly, you require advanced programming skills. You also need to develop the libraries and automation frameworks to conduct tests. This makes the Selenium Framework hard to use and is a huge drawback.

Appium Python

Appium is a mobile application testing tool used for automation testing. It is an open source framework and allows you to perform tests on native applications, hybrid applications as well as simple mobile applications.

Appium helps you conduct automated tests for different platforms, i.e. both iOS and Android. You can perform tests for both these platforms using the same API. This saves a lot of time as well as the cost involved in testing for different platforms.

The Appium server is written using Node.js and also uses the Selenium WebDriver. It allows you to reuse code iOS in Android and vice versa. The tests can also be conducted on either the real device, emulators, or simulators.

Katalon Studio

Another popular automation testing tool, Katalon Studio has amazing features which help testers perform tests on web applications, mobile applications, and APIs. It also supports multiple platforms including Windows, Linux, Mac, Unix, and more.

It uses Selenium and Appium engines and makes it easier for testers to integrate and deploy different frameworks and libraries. Katalon Studio records and maintains test scripts and cases which allow the test scripts to work on other applications as well. This framework supports SOAP as well as RESTful APIs. It has a ton of built-in test cases which make the tester’s job very easy.

The best part about Katalon Studio is that it can be used by professionals as well as people who have little to no knowledge of testing.

TestComplete

This framework is well known by testers around the world for its comprehensive set of features which can be used to automate tests for mobile, web as well as desktop applications. TestComplete framework can work with a number of different languages including python, JavaScript, C++, and more.

The framework has the capability to recognize dynamic user interfaces by using its object recognition engine. This helps with the testing of applications which are continuously changing, for example, dynamic UIs.

Just like Katalon Studio, TestComplete also has a test recording and playback feature which helps you maintain your previously implemented test cases.

Tricentis Tosca

Tricentis Tosca is a framework which allows for comprehensive testing with the help of its toolset. It supports all activities including test case designing, test automation, and even test analytics and reports.

This framework has a very friendly user interface and a rich set of features that allows you to develop, implement, execute, and maintain tests. It is compatible with multiple protocols like HTTP, HTTPS, RabbitMQ, TIBCO, REST, SOAP, IBM MQ, and more. The test can be performed on different devices like mobile, browsers, and desktops.

Conclusion

There are many Python frameworks available which allow you to perform automation testing for hybrid applications, specifically WebView. All the aforementioned frameworks have their own set of pros and cons. It all comes down to the level of knowledge you need to work on different frameworks and the features that they offer.