Protractor vs Selenium: What are the differences?

Introduction:

Protractor and Selenium are popular automation testing frameworks used for web application testing. While both tools serve the same purpose, there are several key differences between them that make each tool unique in its own way.

1. Selenium is a generic automation framework, while Protractor is specifically designed for Angular applications: One of the main differences between Protractor and Selenium is their target applications. Selenium is a generic automation framework that can be used to test any web application, regardless of the technology stack. On the other hand, Protractor is primarily designed for testing Angular applications. It has built-in support for Angular-specific elements and features, making it easier to write and maintain tests for Angular applications.

2. Protractor uses a different locator strategy for elements: Selenium primarily relies on CSS selectors and XPath to locate elements on a web page. Protractor, however, introduces a new locator strategy called "ng-model", which specifically targets elements in Angular applications. This locator strategy makes it easier to locate and interact with Angular-specific elements, such as input fields bound to Angular models.

3. Protractor has built-in support for Angular synchronization: Angular applications often rely on asynchronous operations, such as AJAX requests and data binding. Protractor has built-in support for automatic waiting and synchronization with Angular, ensuring that tests are executed at the right time when the application is in a stable state. Selenium, on the other hand, requires explicit waits and synchronization to handle such scenarios.

4. Protractor has better integration with Angular-specific testing utilities: Protractor provides seamless integration with Angular-specific testing utilities such as "ByAngular" and "ExpectedConditions". These utilities make it easier to write tests that interact with Angular-specific elements and features. Selenium, being a generic framework, does not have these Angular-specific utilities available out of the box.

5. Protractor supports the Page Object pattern: Protractor promotes the use of the Page Object pattern, which helps in creating modular and maintainable test scripts. The Page Object pattern encapsulates the elements and functionalities of a web page into reusable classes, making test code more readable and maintainable. While Selenium also supports the Page Object pattern, Protractor has better inbuilt support for it.

6. Selenium supports a wider range of browsers: Selenium supports a wider range of browsers compared to Protractor. Selenium WebDriver has official support for popular browsers like Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Internet Explorer. Protractor, being an Angular-centric tool, has limited support for non-Angular applications and may not provide the same level of cross-browser compatibility as Selenium.

In summary, Protractor is specifically designed for testing Angular applications and offers built-in support for Angular-specific elements and features. It uses a different locator strategy, provides better integration with Angular-specific testing utilities, and promotes the use of the Page Object pattern. Selenium, on the other hand, is a generic automation framework that supports a wider range of browsers and can be used to test any web application.