How To Perform Localization Testing Using Selenium WebDriver?

Meaning of Localization Testing and Selenium WebDriver

Localization testing is non-functional testing in which the product’s localized version is cross-checked for a given cultural or locale setting. In most cases, the functionality of a non-translated product is the same as that of the localized product; thus, UI and content are the key areas affected by localization testing.

Cross-browser testing can be carried out using the Selenium WebDriver web framework. This program automate web-based application testing to ensure that it functions as planned.

Difference between localization and globalization

Many engineers and testers confuse localization testing and globalization testing, yet there is a major distinction between the two. Localization focuses on specific consumers belonging to a given culture or area, whereas globalization focuses on the product’s global (or worldwide) capabilities.

As there is no misunderstanding between localization and globalization, now we discuss the pros and cons of using Selenium WebDriver for localization testing.

The Pros of Using Selenium WebDriver for Localization Testing

1. It aids in the building of scalable test code that can be extended to other locales (or regions).
2.  While the initial release of translated tests may take some time, later releases and tests to handle more locales will save significant time. 

Cons of Using Selenium WebDriver for Localization Testing

1. Linguist professionals or localization businesses with demonstrated translation expertise must be involved in the localization testing process.
2. DBCS (Double-Byte Character Set) storage differs by country and location. These additional difficulties can cause testing to be delayed. 
3. Using a local translation business or linguistic expertise raises the entire budget.

Checklist for Localization Testing with Selenium WebDriver

1. Linguists who are fluent in the local language or a localization firm with a track record of success in ‘i10n’ engineering should be included in the testing and review process.
2. Internationalization of existing text should be done before translation for DBCS.
3. When creating the Selenium web automation script, you can use web locators such as Name, ID, Link Text, Class Name, XPath, and others.
4. Choose the best-suited web location that is consistent (or remains consistent) across different locales.
5. This guarantees that code changes are kept to a minimum when the same code is used for localization testing in different locales.
6. It is best to avoid duplicating efforts while coding distinct test cases.
7. It is advised to keep locales distinct from implementation (no hard coding of locale-related information) so that adding (or removing) a locale or area is simple. This technique will result in few (if any) changes to the implementation, lowering the maintenance effort.

Conclusion

Localization testing is one of the most crucial exercises for tailoring the content and interface according to the needs of the target location. Localization requires the involvement of a linguistic specialist or localization agency to prevent errors from affecting the user experience. When combined with a cloud-based Selenium Grid, localization testing using Selenium WebDriver can be quite effective in speeding up the testing process.Selenium test automation engineers can use parallel testing and the test framework to accelerate localization testing.