Using Selenium's PageObject pattern and an Open() method

Question

Here is an example of some C# WebDriver code I'm using to model a registration page:

public class RegistrationPage : BasePage
{
    private IWebDriver driver;
    private String URL = "http://mydomain.com/registration.aspx";
    // private String pageTitle = "Registration";

    public RegistrationPage(IWebDriver driver) : base(driver)
    {
        this.driver = driver;

        /*
        // if we are not on the Registration page
        if (!(driver.Title.ToString().Equals(pageTitle)))
        {
            throw new Exception(); // Need a more relevant exception
        }*/
    }

    override public String URLproperty
    {
        get { return URL; }
        set { URL = value; }
    }

// CODE OMITTED ...
}

Here is a method from my BasePage, which RegistrationPage uses:

    // Open the URL specified in the implementation of the class
    public virtual void Open()
    {
        driver.Navigate().GoToUrl(this.URLproperty);
    }

And finally here is an example of my test code:

[Test]
    public void SubmitRegistrationWithBlankUserDetails()
    {
        RegistrationPage regPage = new RegistrationPage(driver);
        regPage.Open();
        regPage.ClickRegisterButton();
        Assert.IsTrue(regPage.SearchForText("You must enter a first name"));
    }

The issue I'm having is implementing the title "sanity check" in the constructor (currently commented out) for RegistrationPage. I've seen this used on the WebDriver wiki (here, code in Java I think: http://code.google.com/p/selenium/wiki/PageObjects), but I'm unsure how to go about it.

I see two possible scenarios when running my tests:

1. My test's [SetUp] points the driver to mydomain.com. A link clicked by WebDriver (for example a link to my Registration page, above) passes the driver to the constructor of whatever page I am visiting. Job done, title sanity check can work.
2. Let's say instead of clicking links to get to a certain page I want to start my test at the Registration page. I don't have a neat way of visiting that page without navgiating from the domain specified in [Setup]. My [SetUp] doesn't help (unless I navigate manually to the page) and creating a new PageObject of the Registration page doesn't take me anywhere unless I call the Open() method.

Should I simply create a new test plan for the second scenario, one where [Setup] points me to mydomain.com/registration.aspx? Am I misunderstanding something fundamental here?

Answer 1

I don't think that you should be defining the URL to the page inside the pageObject. The methods in your page object should actions/ journeys that your pageObjects can take.

For example a login pageObject may have 3 methods in it:

Login(String username, String password) {
// fill in login form
// Submit login form
return new landingPage(driver);
}


LoginUnsuccessfully(String username, String password) {
// fill in login form
// submit login form
return new loginPage(driver, lookForLoginFailMessage);
}

ForgotPassword() {
// click forgot password
return new ForgotPasswordPage();
}

At the start of your page your test should use the driver.get(); (or C# eqivalent) method to navigate to the correct URL, then use the methods in your pageObjects to navigate around your application.

TestLogin() {
driver.get(app.com/login);
Login page login = new LoginPage(driver);
LandingPage landingPage = login.login("joebloggs", "password1");

}

The 'basePage' class that you have should contain 'journeys' that are common to many pages like a navigation menu.

A different 'journey' through the app should be written in another test. But will be able to use the same page objects.

---

Page Object organisation

PageObjects

• one for each page in the website / application
• Contain all the logic about interacting the page
  • how to fill in a form etc
• All the public methods should be a function that the page can perform

Tests

• Should only call methods on the page object
• Each test is a journey through a part of the app

This structure allows for logic of the what you are testing to be separate from the WebDriver interactions with the page