When it comes to testing through automation on a web application, Selenium is probably one of the primary choices for a tester. The rich library of methods that can detect and perform an action on any web element makes us wonder whether giving Selenium a try should be worth the effort. 



In addition, when the <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/why-how-to-contribute-to-open-source-projects/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">open-source</a> flag is seen waving high on a cloud repository, we are sure about our next steps and which way we are going through. This is not only my analysis of test automation and open-source inclination, but <a href="https://www.zarantech.com/blog/makes-selenium-hot-favorite-automation-tool-among-enterprises/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">a lot of surveys</a> also point toward the same results:



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img loading="lazy" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/6dQPOUX4lAs1NfLM_onCz_rEJFVGb8biUUEbVzdRDt2lIntuEmKIRsHvZBrQrx68KvN9fEqTY1xnBalh29g5OLur48aF9ysVVRfZPf1jK9xwHMxDmZjfPt24AGl6ygZDCrHOBMFHMCZ32IgJQZ87ZklZuTcX_tevxvh_K5E7W88LUFnW030I6RzRSA" alt="Automation Tools Usage" width="600" height="400"/></figure></div>



If we start discussing Selenium and its properties and everything it offers, we might end up covering up one book&#8217;s worth of material. Therefore, it is better to pick one of the most favorite and most used methods from the Selenium library and see how it helps us identify elements on a web page and take action on the results it returns. To demonstrate this and explore the process, we will use Selenium’s isDisplayed() method that tells us whether the element is displayed or not.&nbsp;



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<div id="toc_container" class="no_bullets">Table Of Contents<ul class="toc_list"><li><a href="#isDisplayed_Method_in_Selenium">1 isDisplayed() Method in Selenium</a></li><li><a href="#Do_We_Require_isDisplayed_Method_in_Selenium">2 Do We Require isDisplayed() Method in Selenium?</a></li><li><a href="#How_to_Use_isDisplayed_Method_in_Selenium">3 How to Use isDisplayed() Method in Selenium?</a></li><li><a href="#isEnabled_Method_in_Selenium">4 isEnabled() Method in Selenium</a></li><li><a href="#isSelected_Method_in_Selenium">5 isSelected() Method in Selenium</a></li><li><a href="#Conclusion">6 Conclusion</a></li><li><a href="#Suggested_Readings">7 Suggested Readings</a></li></ul></div>
<h2 id="h-isdisplayed-method-in-selenium">isDisplayed() Method in Selenium</h2>



Unlike biologists and anthropologists, computer software developers and scientists name concepts extremely close to what they would achieve. So, navigate().to would navigate us to the specified URL, findElement() will find an element, and switchTo().window() will switch to another window. 



Similarly, as you might have already guessed, isDisplayed() method in Selenium returns a boolean value telling us whether the element we are enquiring about is being displayed on the web page or not.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-do-we-require-isdisplayed-method-in-selenium">Do We Require isDisplayed() Method in Selenium?</h2>



The first question that comes to mind is, do we need to dedicate one post to this method? Is this that important? I mean, not that I question the ability of Selenium Waits and the sense of relief it provides for the elements that load at different times, but can we rely on it entirely?<gwmw style="display:none;"></gwmw>



Let me rephrase the above sentence. If you have an element that does not load at the start, isn’t Selenium Waits enough to check if the element is available in the limited timeout we define in the method?&nbsp;



Selenium Waits let you wait for an element until it is visible (taking reference of a single use case out of many) on the web page. By its core nature, you have to wait for some time if you want to utilize this use case. I know you can implement waits with 0 value also, but calling internal functions and accessing multiple layers would increase the time of script execution.



As far as isDisplayed() is concerned, the method is instant and covers its own use case. Moreover, Selenium Waits do not return the boolean value as can be directly returned by the isDisplayed method in Selenium.



Know More: <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/selenium-wait-for-page-to-load/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Page Loading in Selenium</a>



<h2 id="h-how-to-use-isdisplayed-method-in-selenium">How to Use isDisplayed() Method in Selenium?</h2>



The isDisplayed method is a simple to learn and execute method. This section will demonstrate how to use it inside your scripts and check for an element on the web page. As a prerequisite, you need to be familiar with the concepts of Selenium and basic working around it, such as initializing a web driver and using the web driver for accessing the web-related elements.



The syntax for isDisplayed method in Selenium is as follows:



&lt;webdriver instance&gt;.&lt;method to find element&gt;(&lt;property used&gt;(&lt;property symbol&gt;)).isDisplayed();



I know it looks a bit intimidating due to many variables, especially for people just starting their Selenium journey. But no need to worry about that. It becomes much simpler when we boil this down to individual elements and understand the syntax more clearly.



&lt;webdriver instance&gt;



The webdriver instance is the instance of the webdriver you are using in Selenium. The webdriver instance is declared as:



WebDriver driver = new FirefoxDriver();



If you are using a Firefox driver or:



WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();



If you are using a Google Chrome driver.



&lt;method to find element&gt;



Here, we will ask Selenium to find an element. For this, we will use a method built into the Selenium library for finding an element such as findElement.



&lt;property used&gt;



After writing the method to find an element, we need to tell Selenium the property by which we are looking for that particular element. So, if I am finding an element with “div-header,” is it an ID? A class? Or a name property? Therefore, this is important to distinguish the two elements. In Selenium, you can use the following properties to find the element:



<ul><li>Id</li><li>ClassName</li><li>CSS</li><li>Name</li><li>TagName</li><li>Xpath</li><li>LinkText</li><li>PartialLinkText</li></ul>



After placing each of the values in the above attributes, our line of code for isDisplayed() method in Selenium would look as follows:



boolean isElementVisible = driver.findElement(By.id(&#8220;myHeaderDiv&#8221;)).isDisplayed();



Combining all the elements of code, we get the following snippet:



import org.junit.Test;



import org.openqa.selenium.By;



import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;



import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver;



public class TestSigma {



&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;protected WebDriver driver;



&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;@Test



&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;public void check_if_displayed()



&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;{



&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;driver = new ChromeDriver();



&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;driver.navigate().to(&#8220;https://testsigma.com/blog/strings-in-javascript&#8221;);



&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;boolean isElementVisible = driver.findElement(By.linkText(&#8220;Harish Rajora&#8221;)).isDisplayed();



&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;System.out.println(&#8220;We found the element – &#8221; + isElementVisible);



&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;driver.close();



&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;}



&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;}



Here, I am using the linkText through findElement, which can find the text of a link. As expected, the result shown is true. Please note that we have used @Test annotations to work out this test. If you are unfamiliar with this, do read a detailed explanation on Parameterization in the TestNG post.



<h2 id="h-isenabled-method-in-selenium">isEnabled() Method in Selenium</h2>



Since we are talking about finding elements on a web page, we may as well touch upon two more methods that are implemented with the same intentions.&nbsp;



The isEnabled() method in Selenium is used to find out whether an element is enabled on the web page (in the current browsing context) or not. The syntax of this method is as follows:



&lt;webdriver instance&gt;.&lt;method to find element&gt;(&lt;property used&gt;(&lt;property symbol&gt;)).isEnabled();



All the parameter attribute values remain the same as in isDisplayed method.



In the previous section, we verified whether the link text is displayed or not. Since it is a link, we can use the same code with the isEnabled() method in Selenium as follows:



import org.junit.Test;



import org.openqa.selenium.By;



import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;



import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver;



public class TestSigma {



&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;protected WebDriver driver;



&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;@Test



&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;public void check_if_enabled()



&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;{



&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;driver = new ChromeDriver();



&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;driver.navigate().to(&#8220;https://testsigma.com/blog/strings-in-javascript&#8221;);



&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;boolean isElementEnabled = driver.findElement(By.linkText(&#8220;Harish Rajora&#8221;)).isEnabled();



&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;System.out.println(&#8220;We found the element – &#8221; + isElementVisible);



&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;driver.close();



&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;}



&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;}



This will also return the value true. This method is generally used for elements that are disabled depending on situations such as disabling the submit button unless the form is completely filled.



<h2 id="h-isselected-method-in-selenium">isSelected() Method in Selenium</h2>



The final element that we will consider in this post is the isSelected() method in Selenium. As its name suggests, the isSelected() method is used to find out whether an element is selected on the web page or not. With reference to the above two stated methods, this method resembles a lot in the syntax and the working. The syntax of the isSelected() method in Selenium is as follows:



&lt;webdriver instance&gt;.&lt;method to find element&gt;(&lt;property used&gt;(&lt;property symbol&gt;)).isSelected();



The meaning of various attributes defined in the syntax remains the same. The usage of isSelected is also extremely similar to the above:



import org.junit.Test;



import org.openqa.selenium.By;



import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;



import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver;



public class TestSigma {



&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;protected WebDriver driver;



&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;@Test



&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;public void check_if_selected()



&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;{



&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;driver = new ChromeDriver();



&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;driver.navigate().to(&#8220;https://testsigma.com/blog/strings-in-javascript&#8221;);



&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;boolean isElementSelected = driver.findElement(By.cssSelector(&#8220;input[type=&#8217;checkbox&#8217;]:indian-national&#8221;)).isSelected();



&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;System.out.println(&#8220;We found the element – &#8221; + isElementVisible);



&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;driver.close();



&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;}



&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;}



Since the element differs from the one used in isEnabled() method, we have used cssSelector instead. If there are any doubts about the program execution, do let us know in the comment section, and we will be happy to clarify them.



Also, please note that the primary use case of the isSelected method in Selenium is around the elements that can be selected or are “checkable.” For example, this method will be most suitable to find out if a radio button is checked or a checkbox is checked or not, etc.



<h2 id="h-conclusion">Conclusion</h2>



Selenium is inarguably one of the best platforms for scripted testing in the market. Even though credit goes out to its open-source nature and the large community that supports us in every hurdle, a lot of other things contribute to its success too. 



For instance, developers have always maintained a habit of listening to testers and implementing the most demanding features as soon as possible. They have also kept the concepts and the working of each method considerably simple compared to other frameworks. In this post, we tried to pick out three such things from the large pool and see how they can help us in testing web applications faster and more efficiently.



The isDisplayed() method in Selenium is used to test whether the referenced element is displayed on the web page or not. It returns a boolean value and can be used with any locator found in Selenium. Unlike Selenium Waits, the result is instant and requires fewer calls within. 



In addition, we discussed two more similar functions that are used exactly the same way as isDisplayed method with specific use cases. For instance, if you are using isEnabled() method in Selenium, its expertise falls within links, buttons, etc., that can be enabled. 



Similarly, isSelected() method works best where there are checkable elements on the web page. Apart from these three methods, you can use getTagName, getRect, etc. methods to get element-specific information. However, their motive deviates us from the essence of this post, and so we would like to wrap things up here.



Please let us know in the comment section if you have any suggestions, queries, or comments. Thank you for giving this post your valuable time.&nbsp;



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<h2 id="suggested-readings">Suggested Readings</h2>



<a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/sendkeys-selenium/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Selenium SendKeys: A Detailed Usage Guide</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;



<a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/selenium-get-current-url/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Selenium Get Current URL using Java: Tutorial</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;



<a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/selenium-headless/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Selenium Headless Tests on Browsers</a>



<a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/python-selenium-example/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Selenium with Python Tutorial</a>

How does Selenium isDisplayed() method work?

How Does Selenium isDisplayed() Method Work?

A Complete Guide to ETL Test Automation

How to Wait For Page to Load using Selenium

How to Get Selenium Wait for Page to Load [Updated]

It has often been observed that a manual tester does not really know the direction he should take to start his career in automation testing. With many tools available today, getting distracted and unable to decide how to start learning test automation is obvious. In this blog, we shall see how to streamline things so that you can learn automation testing at ease and without any Stress.



It is evident that because of a lack of clarity on such things, you cannot take that first step towards learning test automation. If you are new to automation testing, you can relate to what I am saying here. But, if you already have some experience in automation testing, this would help your fellow aspiring testers who aim to make their career in automation testing, or you can refer them to this article so that it will be beneficial for them.



<div id="toc_container" class="no_bullets">Table Of Contents<ul class="toc_list"><li><a href="#Mandatory_Steps_to_Become_an_Automation_Tester">1 Mandatory Steps to Become an Automation Tester </a></li><li><a href="#Software_Testing_Concepts">2 Software Testing Concepts</a></li><li><a href="#Programming_Languages">3 Programming Languages</a></li><li><a href="#Automation_Toolsnbsp">4 Automation Tools:&nbsp;</a></li><li><a href="#Web_Automation_Testing">5 Web Automation Testing:</a></li><li><a href="#Mobile_Automation_Testing">6 Mobile Automation Testing:</a></li><li><a href="#Performance_Testingnbsp">7 Performance Testing:&nbsp;</a></li><li><a href="#CICD_Pipeline">8 CI/CD Pipeline:</a></li><li><a href="#Approach_to_Learning_Automation_Testing">9 Approach to Learning Automation Testing:</a></li><li><a href="#Conclusion">10 Conclusion:</a></li></ul></div>
<h2 id="mandatory-steps-to-become-an-automation-tester">Mandatory Steps to Become an Automation Tester </h2>



To start learning automation testing, first, you must believe that you can do it. Nothing is impossible in this world if we are determined to do so. I know you won&#8217;t believe me. Keep reading, and you will see the answer. So, make up your mind before you continue reading the article.



Start your career in automation testing, and switch from a manual testing career to an automation testing profile by referring to this blog.&nbsp;



In this article, you&#8217;ll learn the tips, techniques, and approaches to learning test automation. Based on my real-time experience working in Software Test Automation Industry, I will be jotting down all the points for you to take care of, which will help you make a start and make you confident.&nbsp;



Get your tester horse to work! Take up the challenge.



<h2 id="software-testing-concepts">Software Testing Concepts</h2>



Software Testing concepts are a MUST to know for any tester, whether you are a manual tester or an automation tester. It includes the below:



<ol><li>Manual Testing concepts&nbsp;</li><li>Agile methodology, Scrum framework (widely used and known)</li><li>Defect tracking tool</li><li>Test Management tool</li></ol>



<h2 id="programming-languages">Programming Languages</h2>



Being a&nbsp; tester, you must know at least one programming language. One such language is Java which is widely used worldwide. Learning the basics completes the first step.



If you know the basics of any programming language or if you have created a project in your college, you can prepare more on that specific language and get expertise. If you know Java already, it is suggested to learn another programming language which will act as a bonus for you.&nbsp;



Having said that, if you are new to the programming world, then you can choose Python as your choice as it’s easy to learn comparatively.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-automation-tools">Automation Tools:&nbsp;</h2>



Now, you must consider which tool you should learn to start your automation testing journey.



When you want to learn automation testing, you can go to any specific area like web automation, mobile application, API, Cloud, Performance, etc. There are automation tools available for each particular type of testing.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-web-automation-testing">Web Automation Testing:</h2>



For web automation testing, I can suggest going with Selenium or Cypress. Depending on your chosen programming language, you can pick up the tool. You can go with Selenium with Java or Selenium with Python etc. Similarly, you can decide on other combinations as per your learning pace.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-mobile-automation-testing">Mobile Automation Testing:</h2>



If you are inclined toward Mobile automation, you can start learning the Appium tool. But, again, if you are serious about making a career in mobile automation, you must understand mobile application testing (manually) before moving to mobile automation testing.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-performance-testing">Performance Testing:&nbsp;</h2>



For Performance testing, we have JMeter, Neoload, etc. In contrast, NeoLoad is a powerful load and performance testing software solution designed for web and mobile applications. Jmeter is used for application&#8217;s load or performance testing. It is used to identify the bottleneck in the performance and improve the user experience.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-ci-cd-pipeline">CI/CD Pipeline:</h2>



To be good at automation testing, you must know what CI/CD is. What does it entail? The purpose and the requirement should be clear to you first before understanding the basics of these tools. We have Jenkins available with us for CI. You also need to know about Maven, Gradle, GitHub, Git, Docker, etc.



<h2 id="h-approach-to-learning-automation-testing">Approach to Learning Automation Testing:</h2>



Let me share my approach, which I implemented when learning automation testing.&nbsp;Please note that the below points are not in order, and try to follow them daily.&nbsp;



1. Be strongly determined that you want to learn it.



2. Dedicate 1–2 hrs. each day to learn it.



3. Start from the very basics of any tool because when your basics are strong, you can quickly learn all advanced concepts.



4. While learning some concepts, make notes and explore more learning materials on the <a href="https://www.studocu.com/in" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">StuDocu</a> platform parallelly irrespective of whether it is basic knowledge, a programming language, or any automation tool, for example, Selenium.



5. If you are not working, then you can&#8217;t complain about timings. Spend 2–4 hrs. daily to learn.



6. After you learn, do hands-on on your personal computer without looking into a solution. It&#8217;s okay to go slow but don&#8217;t cheat. Remember, you are learning for yourself, not for others.



7. Next day, when you start a new topic, practice and revise what you learned on day 1. Check your hands-on exercises.



8. Keep following the same routine until you feel confident about yourself or for a minimum 3–4 months (religiously study).



9. Be serious about it. Have a goal in life and achieve it. It&#8217;s your life. Design the way you want it to be.



<h2 id="h-conclusion">Conclusion:</h2>



You can save these tips and share them with your friends looking to make a career in automation testing or who want to be automation testers. This will serve as a guide to you and them too. Also, please do not forget to come back to this blog after 4-5 months when you are prepared to embark on a test automation journey, and leave a comment for me to share your experience of becoming an automation tester.&nbsp;



I would be happy to hear all your success stories. Good Luck!&nbsp;

How to become an automation tester with no stress?

How to Become an Automation Tester with No Stress?

The Step After Automation: Top 6 Reasons to Invest in DevOps Orchestration

Automation and Orchestration: 6 Reasons Why to Invest in DevOps Orchestration

4 Best TestRail Alternatives List to Look for

Top 5 Tricentis Tosca Alternatives List to Look For

Top 5 Mabl Alternatives [In-depth Comparison]

Software testing is the process of evaluating and confirming a software program to ensure it functions as intended. It is designed to ensure that a program works as intended and to discover flaws before it is used. There are two main methods for testing software,- Negative and Positive Testing.



In this article, we will clearly distinguish between these two tests with examples to help you write good test cases for your software programs.



<div id="toc_container" class="no_bullets">Table Of Contents<ul class="toc_list"><li><a href="#Difference_Between_Negative_and_Positive_Testing">1 Difference Between Negative and Positive Testing</a></li><li><a href="#Negative_vs_Positive_Testing_Examples_of_Test_Scenarios">2 Negative vs Positive Testing – Examples of Test Scenarios</a></li><li><a href="#Negative_vs_Positive_Testing">3 Negative vs Positive Testing</a></li><li><a href="#Positive_Testing_vs_Negative_Testing-_Similarities">4 Positive Testing vs Negative Testing- Similarities</a></li><li><a href="#Conclusion">5 Conclusion</a></li></ul></div>
<h2 id="difference-between-negative-and-positive-testing">Difference Between Negative and Positive Testing</h2>



Positive testing ensures that software performs as it is expected to. When writing test cases for positive testing, only legitimate (valid) inputs are provided as inputs.&nbsp;



In Negative testing, a software program is evaluated against false or incorrect data. This testing is also known as error path testing or failure.



<figure class="wp-block-table aligncenter"><table><tbody><tr><td>Read More on <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/negative-testing/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Negative Testing</a></td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



<h2 id="negative-vs-positive-testing-examples-of-test-scenarios">Negative vs Positive Testing – Examples of Test Scenarios</h2>



Let’s test a software program with a Password text box field allowing users to enter passwords between 8 and 15 alphanumeric characters.



See the table below for various<a href="https://testsigma.com/guides/test-scenario/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> test scenario</a> examples.



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>Positive Test Scenarios</td><td>Negative Test Scenarios</td></tr><tr><td>The Password text box should allow 8 characters of input.</td><td>The Password text box should throw an error or should not be accepted when less than 8 characters are entered.</td></tr><tr><td>The Password text box should allow 15 characters of input.</td><td>The password text box should throw an error or should not be accepted when more than 15 characters are entered.</td></tr><tr><td>Any values between 8 and 15 characters long should be accepted by the Password text box.</td><td>The password text box should not accept special characters as input</td></tr><tr><td>It should accept any combination of letters and numbers in the Password text box.</td><td>The password text box should not accept a combination of numbers only or a combination of letters only.</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



<h2 id="negative-vs-positive-testing">Negative vs Positive Testing</h2>



In this session, let us discuss some key differences. &nbsp;



<h2><img loading="lazy" alt="Positive and negative testing flow chart" src="https://lh7-us.googleusercontent.com/docsz/AD_4nXceHutfkGRVX5e-DyT8loU34BcymsmcTD_wTDhzOD22h-eL_SaEJ5ZhX3kf255cdfgXrO10Yk_We0j2BnJ1BHs3qLdkQ9YMQH8Bta50HjF1oHvGeSzYW3xTgt5M3YPRcWpJabYnEEPYmdXx9-s0W9TEEQw2?key=EFDOdEb5zUls68Ysu_lSdQ" width="500" height="333"></h2>



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>Positive Testing</td><td>Negative Testing</td></tr><tr><td>This testing examines a software program’s response with the help of a valid input data set.</td><td>This testing means checking the software program’s response using the invalid/incorrect input data set.</td></tr><tr><td>Positive testing is not a guarantee of high-quality software.</td><td>It ensures that the software product is of high quality.</td></tr><tr><td>Positive testing is executed quickly.</td><td>It takes more time to execute compared to positive testing.</td></tr><tr><td>Positive testing is used consistently to validate the set of test cases that are currently available.</td><td>It is used consistently to break the software program (product) with an unidentified set of test cases we will use.</td></tr><tr><td>Positive testing’s primary goal is to ensure that the <a href="https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/what-is-application-software/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">software application </a>consistently complies with the developer’s software requirements specifications (SRS)</td><td>This testing’s primary goal is to evaluate a software program’s consistency in the face of erroneous validation data sets.</td></tr><tr><td>Positive testing does not cover all possible scenarios.</td><td>It encompasses all possible scenarios.&nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>It is a process where the program is validated against a reliable input data set.</td><td>It is a process where the program is validated against the invalid input data set.</td></tr><tr><td>Positive testing has less impact comparatively.</td><td>It is more crucial and significant than Positive testing.</td></tr><tr><td>Positive testing can be implemented on all kinds of applications.</td><td>It can also be performed on all kinds of applications.</td></tr><tr><td>Someone with less knowledge can carry out the positive testing.</td><td>Professional software testers mainly use this testing.</td></tr><tr><td>It makes sure that the software program meets the required standard.</td><td>It makes sure the software works even if it meets unexpected situations.</td></tr><tr><td>Positive testing is implemented only for the predicted conditions.</td><td>It ensures that the software works for conditions that are tough predict but can happen in real life.</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



These two tests are two opposing test methods—as the name suggests—but they are also very effective at producing high-quality and bug-free software in the end.



<h2 id="positive-testing-vs-negative-testing-similarities">Positive Testing vs Negative Testing- Similarities</h2>



Both are important parts of a whole software examination. Even though they have different priorities, both are similar in some major aspects and should be done together to make strong and easy-to-use software at the end.&nbsp;



Let&#8217;s take a look at these two testing techniques and see where they meet.



Commonalities:



Purpose: Both negative as well as positive testing share the same goal — to catch defects, ensuring better quality of the software system.



Life Cycle Integration is possible for them to be integrated throughout the software development life cycle (SDLC), from early requirement stages to post-release maintenance.



Documentation: Both require clear documentation of test cases, expected results and identified bugs.



Test Case Design: Both involve designing <a href="https://testsigma.com/guides/what-is-test-case/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">test cases</a> with specific inputs and expected outcomes.



Positive Testing (Happy Path Testing) emphasizes the verification that the software functions as intended under normal conditions with valid inputs.



There is a difference between doing negative and positive testing, which are based on the idea that they supply invalid or unexpected inputs deliberately. This helps identify any error, crash or security issues that would occur as a result.&nbsp;



You can read details on <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/negative-testing/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">negative testing</a> 



The approach to testing is the following:



Testing boundary values (for example, in a field expecting a small integer, you are expected to put down a very large number), invalid data formats and situations of error, which is not described explicitly in documentation requirements. For example, test that inputting special characters or overreaching character limit in a username field brings about an error and check if the application handles it properly.



Balancing Negative with Positive Testing:&nbsp;



In the context of the project phase and risk assessment, both strategies hold value — though the weightage accorded to each can differ. For instance, during the early stages positive testing might take precedence as a means of confirming core functionality.&nbsp;



However, as development evolves, negative testing gains more importance: it helps unearth those elusive edge cases which may pose security threats later down the line.



Additional Resources:



This blog post from Testsigma provides a more detailed explanation of <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/negative-testing/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">negative testing</a> and its various techniques.



<figure class="wp-block-table aligncenter"><table><tbody><tr><td>Read More &#8211; <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/the-different-software-testing-types-explained/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Different Software Testing Types Explained</a></td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



<h2 id="conclusion">Conclusion</h2>



Negative and Positive testing go hand in hand and yet when used effectively, both methods can enhance software quality to a great extent.&nbsp;



It is important for testers to be aware of the advantages and limitations of both approaches so that they are able to develop a thorough testing strategy that ensures user satisfaction throughout the use of the product as well as a strong final output from development.



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What is positive and negative testing scenarios

Negative Testing vs Positive Testing – Top Key Differences

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Uncaught TypeError: Cannot Read Property of Undefined in JavaScript

The Most Useful 16 Chrome Extensions for Web Developers

<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">“If you&#8217;re not paying for the product, you are the product.”<cite>Andrew Lewis</cite></blockquote>



When the 2020 documentary, ‘<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11464826/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">The Social Dilemma</a>,’ directed by Jeff Orlowski, dropped on Netflix, it sounded the alarm bell that was already ringing loudly. It highlighted the familiar quote among millions of viewers globally by driving the point of how Big Tech has been misusing our data without our consent.



The documentary came in a backdrop of tumultuous times &#8211; with the CEOs of Google, Facebook, and Twitter questioned by the US Senate Judiciary and Senate Commerce Committees. If you had followed the Facebook hearings minutely, you must have frequently come across the term ‘cross-website tracking’. 



During one such grilling session, Missouri Senator Josh Hawley questioned Facebook (now Meta) CEO Mark Zuckerberg about a tentative internal tool named ‘Centra.’ The tool purportedly tracked all Facebook users across the internet.&nbsp;



While tracking user activity was not an alien concept, very few could grasp its implications and the extent to which it is used. With the Facebook hearings and the viral Netflix documentary, suddenly, it was out in the open. The practice of cross-site tracking ushered in serious privacy concerns and rightly so among the billions of internet users worldwide. In this article, we will try to understand cross website tracking, its impact on user privacy, and how to minimize its effects.







<div id="toc_container" class="no_bullets">Table Of Contents<ul class="toc_list"><li><a href="#What_is_Cross_Website_Tracking">1 What is Cross Website Tracking?</a></li><li><a href="#How_Does_Cross_Website_Tracking_Work">2 How Does Cross Website Tracking Work?</a><ul><li><a href="#Cookies">2.1 Cookies</a></li><li><a href="#Web_Beacons">2.2 Web Beacons</a></li><li><a href="#Canvas_Fingerprinting">2.3 Canvas Fingerprinting</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="#What_is_the_Purpose_of_Cross_Website_Tracking">3 What is the Purpose of Cross Website Tracking?</a><ul><li><a href="#Website_Analytics">3.1 Website Analytics</a></li><li><a href="#Website_Performance">3.2 Website Performance</a></li><li><a href="#Advertising">3.3 Advertising</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="#When_Does_it_Become_Potentially_Problematic">4 When Does it Become Potentially Problematic?</a></li><li><a href="#How_to_Stop_Cross_Website_Tracking">5 How to Stop Cross Website Tracking?</a></li><li><a href="#To_Conclude">6 To Conclude</a></li></ul></div>
<h2 id="h-what-is-cross-website-tracking">What is Cross Website Tracking?</h2>



It is precisely what its name entails! Cross website tracking refers to the practice of advertisers, businesses, and other digital agencies and entities tracking your online activity to monitor your browsing habits. The website visited by the user primarily does the tracking, but third-party apps can also gather and access this data. There are multiple reasons to justify this practice &#8211; product improvement, personalized user experience, and targetted advertising. Cross website tracking eases your experience by remembering basic information, like your language preferences. It also makes browsing easier and publisher service better.&nbsp;



While Big Tech and other agencies portray cross website tracking as an innocuous marketing act, it also poses some serious privacy threats. For one, it is a breach of privacy when websites engage in cross-site tracking without seeking consent from the users. Secondly, very few websites offer information in layman’s terms regarding how they will use the collected user data. Hence, unless you are willing to wade through the technical terms of every website you visit, it might be impossible to understand where your data might end up.&nbsp;&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-how-does-cross-website-tracking-work">How Does Cross Website Tracking Work?</h2>



So, how exactly do websites track your browsing behavior? Well, any user browsing the web often has trackers pursuing them and keeping a log of every activity. This is achieved with the help of widgets, scripts, or minuscule images embedded on any website user visits. While visiting many websites, you have surely noticed those social media buttons embedded there. Sure, most of the time, they are included for the sites to gain useful analytics regarding their content. But the concerning issue is they also send your data back to those platforms to create user profiles for targeted advertisements.&nbsp;



Some of the most commonly used web tracking systems and web trackers are:&nbsp;



<h3 id="h-cookies">Cookies</h3>



Cookies are the primary tools used by websites in the process of cross-website tracking. It is quite an ingenious concept. You visit a website, and a small packet of data is transferred to your device’s browser courtesy of your <a href="https://www.hostinger.in/tutorials/what-is-a-web-server" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">web server</a>. This small packet is called a computer cookie aka web, internet, browser, or HTTP cookie. Cookies are designed specially to memorize your browsing information and online activity. 



Cookies work in a simple manner:



<ul><li>The browser requests a web page from the web server</li><li>The server transmits the page along with a cookie</li><li>The cookie gets stored in the hard drive of your device</li></ul>



There are three different types of cookies:



<ul><li>Persistent cookie</li><li>First-party or session cookie</li><li>Third-party cookie</li></ul>



While the first two types of cookies are generally used to boost your browsing experience by remembering your passwords and language preferences, it is the third type you should be wary of. Persistent cookies come with an expiration date, and session cookies are temporary ones that get deleted with the closing of your browser. But the third-party cookie that keeps track of your online behavior is the tracking cookie.



<h3 id="h-web-beacons">Web Beacons</h3>



Web beacons are used as a single-pixel transparent graphic image by a website to log user behavior. They work similarly to cookies to monitor user browsing habits and navigation for advertising and analytics purposes. One such web beacon is the Facebook Pixel, enjoying a ubiquitous presence in your browsing activities. It tracks almost every aspect of your web browsing activity and aids advertisers in putting up targeted ads for you or others exhibiting similar behavior. Beacons also enable IP address tracking in emails by logging the exact time and date as well as your IP address when you open any mail embedded with a beacon.&nbsp;



<h3 id="h-canvas-fingerprinting">Canvas Fingerprinting</h3>



The practice of websites deciphering how the user’s browser responds to graphical instructions is known as canvas fingerprinting. Any website with this feature can direct your browser to draw a hidden image. This particular image varies with the individual’s device, graphics card, and hardware settings, resulting in the rendition of a unique image for every user. The distinctive image acts as a unique digital fingerprint for every user and can provide accurate information when coupled with other tracking data.&nbsp;



HTML5, the latest version of the coding language HTML, was developed for animations and drawing graphics on websites. However, it includes canvas fingerprinting, resulting in its co-opting of it as an effective tracking and fingerprinting tool.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-what-is-the-purpose-of-cross-website-tracking">What is the Purpose of Cross Website Tracking?</h2>



There are many legit reasons for websites to keep track of user activity. Most sites do it to boost website performances and personalize user experience. Let’s say that you are into reading books and watching movies at leisure. So, won’t you prefer advertisements from streaming services and publishing houses over furniture and bedsheets? This is exactly achieved through cross website tracking that allows targeted advertising based on the browsing behavior of any user.&nbsp;



Some of the primary reasons behind cross-website tracking are:



<h3 id="h-website-analytics">Website Analytics</h3>



Almost all websites glean user information by using analytics software to gauge how customers use their site and get visitors&#8217; demographics. Information like how visitors arrive on the site and the number of pages they visit help the owners make important business decisions and optimize the site.&nbsp;



For easier understanding, let us take the example of any news publishing website. When publishers notice that most visitors are hitting upon one story only, they opt for better interlinking between posts. It will make the other stories easily accessible too and increase the website’s overall views and footfalls.&nbsp;



Google Analytics makes for the most commonly used analytics software on the internet. With an estimated client base of 29 million sites, Google Analytics is in use in <a href="https://trends.builtwith.com/analytics/Google-Analytics">88.5%</a> of the top 10,000 sites.&nbsp;



<h3 id="h-website-performance">Website Performance</h3>



Many websites require some tracking to perform the intended way. YouTube might make the best case for this. When you are watching YouTube videos, you will find the algorithm recommending videos you might want to view next. This feature is only possible because YouTube tracks your behavior on the platform and on other sites to recommend the best possible options for you.&nbsp;



<h3 id="h-advertising">Advertising</h3>



User-based target advertising is possibly the primary reason behind cross-website tracking. The adverts you come across on the internet are primarily because of the <a href="https://leadgenapp.io/data-collection-form/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">data collection</a> by websites based on your location, search interests, browser history, and even the time of the day you prefer to visit certain sites. Retargeting is another common practice where you see a barrage of adverts for products similar to something you might have searched for a while ago. To make your ads stand out and capture your audience&#8217;s attention, consider using After Effects templates from Videvo. These <a href="https://www.videvo.net/after-effects-templates/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">professionally designed templates</a> can help create visually stunning and engaging advertisements for your brand. By incorporating eye-catching animations and motion graphics, you can elevate your advertising efforts and make a lasting impression on your target audience.



Again, Google has cemented its place at the top with Google AdSense, the largest web-advertising network.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-when-does-it-become-potentially-problematic">When Does it Become Potentially Problematic?</h2>



While cross-website tracking essentially has its list of pros, security and privacy concerns are a major red flag. Not knowing how much of your data is being collected or its purpose can be a legitimate concern in today&#8217;s digital world. Third-parties like affiliate and advertising networks and data brokers often use cookies and web beacons to collect our data without consent. Lack of transparency in the process and often without the consent of users are some serious concerns that need to be addressed immediately when it comes to this practice.&nbsp;



However, <a href="https://gdpr-info.eu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)</a> in Europe and California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) are taking heed of these grave concerns and have developed a set of regulations. GDPR requires websites to provide users with opt-in consent forms before collecting personal user data. The websites cannot use pre-ticked boxes in such consent forms, which ensures users take positive steps to provide permission. Also, websites are required to provide users with the option to withdraw their consent any time they want, even if they have initially consented to use their personal data. 



CCPA, while not making it necessary to provide opt-in consent forms, mandates websites to mention upfront how the collected user data will be used and the parties they will be available to. Upcoming regulations will also allow users to view the data collected and the right to get them deleted if they feel so.



<h2 id="h-how-to-stop-cross-website-tracking">How to Stop Cross Website Tracking?</h2>



Well, yes, there are steps you can take to fight this practice and even prevent websites from tracking and storing your data. While if you are based in the European Union (EU) or California, USA, there are strong regulations that prohibit tracking user data without explicit consent. However, if you are from a country that does not have strict regulations in place, you can optimize your browser settings to prevent cross-website tracking.&nbsp;



If you are someone who has legitimate privacy concerns regarding cross-site tracking and finds it intrusive, here are some of the steps you can take to prevent cross-site tracking:



<ol><li>How to prevent cross-site tracking in Chrome?</li></ol>



For computers and laptops &#8211;



<ul><li>Open the Chrome browser and go to Settings</li><li>Click Cookies and other site data under the Privacy and security option</li><li>Turn Send a “Do not track” request with your browsing traffic off</li></ul>



For mobile phones &#8211; 



<ul><li>Open the Chrome app on your android device and go to Settings</li><li>Tap Do Not Track under Privacy and security</li><li>Turn the setting off</li></ul>







<ol start="2"><li>How to prevent cross-site tracking in Firefox?</li></ol>



Firefox has an in-built Private Browsing with Tracking Protection feature that prevents third parties from tracking your browsing activity across multiple websites. You can enable it with the following steps:



<ul><li>Open the Firefox browser and go to Settings</li><li>Tap on the Privacy and Security panel</li><li>Select the Custom radio button under Enhanced Tracking Protection to select what to block</li><li>Tick the Cookies checkbox (Cross-site and social media trackers is the default setting)</li><li>Close the about: preferences page</li></ul>







<ol start="3"><li>How to prevent cross-site tracking in iOS devices?</li></ol>



For Macbooks and PCs &#8211; 



<ul><li>Open the Safari browser on your Mac</li><li>Go to Safari &gt; Preferences and tap on Privacy</li><li>Select Prevent cross-site tracking</li></ul>



For iPhone and iPad &#8211; 



<ul><li>Go to Settings on your iPhone/iPad</li><li>Scroll down until you find Safari and tap on it</li><li>Tap the slider and turn on Prevent Cross-site Tracking under PRIVACY &amp; SECURITY</li></ul>







<h2 id="h-to-conclude">To Conclude</h2>



It is often claimed that data is possibly the most valuable resource today. As aptly put by the Former Global Head of Research and Senior Vice-President of Gartner, Inc., Peter Sondergaard, “Information is the oil of the 21st century, and analytics is the combustion engine.” While the debate whether data has surpassed oil or gold in value and importance is raging on, it is undeniable that data plays a major role in today’s world of digital information.&nbsp;



Hence, it is imperative that billions of internet users worldwide pay attention to their data being tracked and stored. Even though cross-website tracking may have a lot of things going for it, tracking and making your data available to third parties without any transparency or consent is a legitimate concern. To ensure a healthy trade-off, it is critical that the concerns of users are acknowledged, fully informed regarding the use of their personal information, and given a choice to not opt for sharing any data.&nbsp;