9. File Upload and Download

In Selenium WebDriver, file upload and file download are essential tasks often encountered in automated testing. While Selenium doesn’t have built-in methods for file downloads, it provides capabilities to handle file uploads and automate browser behavior for downloading files.

File Upload

Selenium automates file uploads by interacting with HTML file input elements (<input type="file">). The sendKeys() method allows testers to simulate selecting a file from the system and uploading it to the web application. This is typically used in scenarios where files need to be uploaded as part of form submissions or testing the functionality of file upload features on websites.

File Download

For handling file downloads, Selenium allows configuring the browser settings (e.g., using ChromeOptions or FirefoxProfile) to control download behavior, such as specifying a download directory. Selenium can be used to click a download link or button, trigger the download, and monitor the download process. Although Selenium doesn’t directly support waiting for downloads to complete, testers can check the file system to verify if the download was successful by checking the specified download directory.

Both actions are crucial for automating tests that interact with file-based workflows, such as uploading documents, images, or downloading reports and logs, ensuring that the web application performs correctly in handling file-related functionalities.