Watir (Web Application Testing in Ruby) is an open-source Ruby library for automating web browsers. It is used for automated testing of web applications and allows you to simulate interactions with a web browser, such as clicking buttons, filling out forms, and validating text. Watir is particularly well-suited for testing web applications that are built with Ruby on Rails.
Here are some key points about Watir:
Language: Watir is primarily used with Ruby, but it also has implementations in other languages like Watij (Java), WatiN (C#), and WatirSharp (.NET).
Cross-Browser Testing: Watir supports multiple browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Safari, allowing you to perform cross-browser testing.
Simple and Human-Readable Syntax: Watir’s syntax is designed to be simple and easy to read, making it accessible to both developers and testers.
Interaction with Web Elements: Watir provides methods to interact with various web elements such as buttons, text fields, checkboxes, and more.
Assertions and Verifications: Watir allows you to verify the state of the web page by making assertions on elements. This is crucial for validating that the application behaves as expected.
Page Objects Pattern: Watir can be used with the Page Objects pattern, which helps organize code and make it more maintainable by encapsulating the functionality of each page in a separate class.
Integration with Test Frameworks: Watir can be integrated with various testing frameworks like RSpec, Test::Unit, or Cucumber, allowing you to structure and run your tests systematically.
Remember to install the necessary gems (watir and rspec) before running the script.
Watir provides a powerful and flexible framework for web automation testing, and its ease of use makes it a popular choice for many developers and testers.