Switching Tabs in Selenium WebDriver Using Java

Selenium WebDriver provides several methods to switch between tabs in a web browser. This article will cover different approaches to handle tab switching in Selenium WebDriver using Java.

• Switching to a New Tab Using Window Handles

When a new tab is opened, it is assigned a unique window handle. You can switch to this new tab using the getWindowHandles() method and the switchTo().window() method.

import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;

import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver;

import java.util.Set;

public class SwitchTabExample {

  public static void main(String[] args) throws InterruptedException {

    System.setProperty(“webdriver.chrome.driver”, “path/to/chromedriver”);

    WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();

    // Open a website

    driver.get(“https://example.com”);

    // Open a new tab

    driver.executeScript(“window.open(‘https://google.com’, ‘_blank’);”);

    Thread.sleep(2000); // Wait for the new tab to open

    // Get the window handles

    Set<String> handles = driver.getWindowHandles();

    String currentHandle = driver.getWindowHandle();

    // Switch to the new tab

    for (String handle : handles) {

      if (!handle.equals(currentHandle)) {

        driver.switchTo().window(handle);

        break;

      }

    }

    System.out.println(driver.getTitle()); // Should print the title of the new tab

    // Close the new tab

    driver.close();

    // Switch back to the original tab

    driver.switchTo().window(currentHandle);

    System.out.println(driver.getTitle()); // Should print the title of the original tab

    // Close the driver

    driver.quit();

  }

}

• Using Keyboard Shortcuts to Switch Tabs

You can simulate keyboard shortcuts to switch tabs using the Robot class in Java.

import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;

import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver;

import java.awt.Robot;

import java.awt.event.KeyEvent;

public class SwitchTabWithRobot {

  public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {

    System.setProperty(“webdriver.chrome.driver”, “path/to/chromedriver”);

    WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();

    // Open a website

    driver.get(“https://example.com”);

    // Open a new tab

    driver.executeScript(“window.open(‘https://google.com’, ‘_blank’);”);

    Thread.sleep(2000); // Wait for the new tab to open

    // Use Robot to switch tabs

    Robot robot = new Robot();

    robot.keyPress(KeyEvent.VK_CONTROL);

    robot.keyPress(KeyEvent.VK_TAB);

    robot.keyRelease(KeyEvent.VK_TAB);

    robot.keyRelease(KeyEvent.VK_CONTROL);

    Thread.sleep(2000); // Wait for the tab switch

    System.out.println(driver.getTitle()); // Should print the title of the new tab

    // Close the driver

    driver.quit();

  }

}

• Switching Tabs by Title

If you know the title of the tab you want to switch to, you can loop through the window handles and switch to the tab with the matching title.

import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;

import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver;

import java.util.Set;

public class SwitchTabByTitle {

  public static void main(String[] args) throws InterruptedException {

    System.setProperty(“webdriver.chrome.driver”, “path/to/chromedriver”);

    WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();

    // Open a website

    driver.get(“https://example.com”);

    // Open a new tab

    driver.executeScript(“window.open(‘https://google.com’, ‘_blank’);”);

    Thread.sleep(2000); // Wait for the new tab to open

    // Function to switch to a tab by title

    switchToTabByTitle(driver, “Google”);

    // Close the driver

    driver.quit();

  }

  public static void switchToTabByTitle(WebDriver driver, String title) {

    Set<String> handles = driver.getWindowHandles();

    for (String handle : handles) {

      driver.switchTo().window(handle);

      if (driver.getTitle().equals(title)) {

        System.out.println(“Switched to the ” + title + ” tab.”);

        return;

      }

    }

    System.out.println(“Tab not found.”);

  }

}

• Closing Tabs

import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;

import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver;

import java.util.Set;

public class CloseTabExample {

  public static void main(String[] args) throws InterruptedException {

    // Set the path for the ChromeDriver

    System.setProperty(“webdriver.chrome.driver”, “path/to/chromedriver”);

    WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();

    // Open a website

    driver.get(“https://example.com”);

    // Open a new tab

    driver.executeScript(“window.open(‘https://google.com’, ‘_blank’);”);

    Thread.sleep(2000); // Wait for the new tab to open

    // Get the window handles

    Set<String> handles = driver.getWindowHandles();

    String originalTab = driver.getWindowHandle(); // Store the original tab handle

    // Switch to the new tab

    for (String handle : handles) {

      if (!handle.equals(originalTab)) {

        driver.switchTo().window(handle);

        break;

      }

    }

    // Print the title of the new tab

    System.out.println(“New Tab Title: ” + driver.getTitle());

    // Close the new tab

    driver.close();

    // Switch back to the original tab

    driver.switchTo().window(originalTab);

    System.out.println(“Original Tab Title: ” + driver.getTitle()); // Should print the title of the original tab

    // Close the driver

    driver.quit();

  }

}

Conclusion

Switching tabs in Selenium WebDriver can be accomplished using various methods, including using window handles, keyboard shortcuts, and tab titles. Understanding these methods will enhance your ability to automate complex web applications effectively. Always remember to manage your tabs and windows properly to avoid memory leaks and ensure smooth test execution.