Why Run Selenium Tests in Docker Containers?

Using local browsers is useful when writing and testing the automated tests on the development computer, but when the automated tests run in CI/CD environments, they typically run in Docker containers.

Advantages of executing tests in Docker containers

Executing Selenium tests in Docker containers provides multiple benefits:

1. Easy set up of environment: The environment is defined in a text file named Dockerfile.
2. The environment is always in the same, clean state.
3. The environment can use any operating system and any browser version.
4. Using Docker containers simplifies the tests’ parallel execution.

How can Selenium tests be executed in Docker containers?

This is done in 4 steps:

1. Create the Dockerfile for the JAVA test container:
   The automation code will be hosted in the container. Maven and Java JDK will be part of the container. The Chrome browser will also be hosted in the container
2. Create the image of the JAVA test container from the Dockerfile.
3. Run the JAVA test container from the image.
   This will execute the Selenium tests within the container.
4. Get the automation artifacts from the container. The most common artifacts are test reports, screenshots, and logs.