My 14th Book "Web Test Automation in Action: Volume 1, Hands-On Exercises with Selenium WebDriver and Playwright" Is Out
The best way to learn web test automation is by doing. This book offers a practical, fast, and effective approach to mastering web test automation with two leading automation frameworks.
Over two years in the making, my 14th book, “Web Test Automation In Action: Volume 1, Hands-On Exercises with Selenium WebDriver and Playwright", is published and available on
Leanpub (eBook): https://leanpub.com/web-test-automation-in-action-volume-1
Amazon (printed): https://www.amazon.com/dp/0648064654/
One common question I often receive from conference audiences and attendees at my one-day training sessions is:
“How can I improve my test automation skills after learning the basics?”
My answer has always been the same: “Practice hands-on exercises.” The reasoning is straightforward: testing is light on theory, and mastering it requires consistent practice.
Some attendees leave my one-day training sessions feeling energized and eager to demonstrate their newfound test automation skills at work. However, a single day of training—no matter how thorough or well-structured—rarely provides enough depth to tackle the complexities of real-world challenges beyond a few straightforward scenarios. As a result, they often encounter obstacles they’re unable to overcome on their own. Unfortunately, many hesitate to seek professional help, feeling embarrassed because their colleagues have come to see them as experts based on their initial work on a few test cases. This reluctance often leads to their journey in E2E test automation ending prematurely.
Since universities typically don’t offer dedicated courses on E2E test automation and software companies rarely invest in external training programs, self-learning becomes essential for motivated engineers aiming to master this discipline.
In my opinion, the most practical and efficient way to improve is through guided, high-quality E2E test automation exercises—and that’s the purpose of this book. This book is designed for beginners, with no prior experience in coding or automated testing required.
Long-time readers may already recognize the foundation of this book from the “Selenium Training Workbook” series featured in this Substack newsletter.
Yes, this book (Volume 1) is based on that, covering the first 14 exercises.
A distinctive feature of this book is its step-by-step guidance for creating two sets of automated test scripts for the same test scenarios. These scripts are developed using two leading web automation frameworks—Selenium WebDriver and Playwright—and written in two different scripting languages: Ruby and TypeScript.
The Playwright sections are contributed by Courtney Zhan, who outperformed a senior test automation engineer (a Playwright advocate) at a major telecom company during her internship, three years ago. Check out this article, “An IT Graduate’s Frustration with a Fake ‘Senior Test Automation Engineer’”, an interesting read.
After studying this book series, perceptive readers will gain the insights needed to make informed decisions when selecting test automation frameworks. The real test automation knowledge lies in mastering the following key areas:
Automated Test Design: Developing a thoughtful approach to test creation.
Maintainable Test Design: Crafting tests with maintenance and readability in mind.
Writing Reliable Tests: Managing waits efficiently and simply.
Best Practices: Applying effective methods for development and debugging.
Functional Test Refactoring: Streamlining and optimizing existing tests.
Tool Utilization: Leveraging tools to enhance productivity.
These principles are universal and apply across all E2E test automation frameworks.
A common question from readers might be: "Is it worth purchasing the book if I'm already a premium subscriber to this newsletter?"
My answer: "If you're using Selenium WebDriver for your work, you probably don't need it. However, if you opt for Playwright, this book is definitely worth the $15."
If you're an annual premium subscriber and haven't claimed your free ebook for the year, you're eligible to receive this book at no cost.
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