QA Insights with Vikas

CSS Selectors are one of the most powerful ways to locate web elements in Selenium WebDriver. They are faster and more readable than XPath in many cases, and mastering them is essential for every QA Engineer working on web automation. Why this guide? This blog will help you understand everything about CSS Selectors in Selenium with examples, best practices, and how to handle real-time scenarios. 🔍 What is a CSS Selector? A CSS Selector is a pattern used to select HTML elements based on attributes like ID, class, type, name, etc. In Selenium, it is used with the By.cssSelector() method to locate elements. WebElement element = driver.findElement(By.cssSelector("input#username")); 📚 Basic CSS Selectors 1. ID Selector Use # followed by the ID value. input#email 2. Class Selector Use . followed by the class name. button.btn-primary 3. Tag Selector Selects elements by their tag name. input 4. Attribute Selector Selects elements with specific a...

In software testing, terms like Smoke Testing , Sanity Testing , and Regression Testing are often used interchangeably, but they serve different purposes. Let’s dive into each type of testing with definitions, examples, and a clear comparison. What is Smoke Testing? Smoke Testing is a high-level test to check whether the major functionalities of an application are working after a new build or deployment. It’s often called a “Build Verification Test (BVT)” . Whenever a new build is received, some basic functionality of the application is verified. Purpose: To validate the stability of a build before proceeding to detailed testing. Performed on every new build release. To catch issue early on new build release. Example: Check if the application launches. Check if user login works. Check if main navigation is functional. Think of it as a basic health check before deeper diagnosis. What is Sanity Testing? San...

Bug: A software bug is an unexpected behavior of the system that the user or QA didn't anticipate or intend. The Bug Life Cycle (also known as the Defect Life Cycle) defines the journey of a defect from its initial discovery to its final closure. This process ensures that every bug is tracked, fixed, and verified systematically to maintain software quality. 🔁 Phases of Bug Life Cycle New: When a tester finds a new bug, it's marked as "New". It's waiting for review by the development team or project lead. Assigned: The bug is reviewed and assigned to a developer for fixing. Open: The developer has started working on the bug fix. Fixed: The developer has fixed the bug and the status is updated to "Fixed". Retest: The bug is sent back to the testing team for validation. Testers perform retesting to ensure the bug is really fixed. ...

1. What are the roles and responisibilities you have in your current project? In my current role as a QA Automation Engineer, I’m responsible for both automation and manual testing activities, with a strong focus on ensuring product quality throughout the development lifecycle.I actively participate in requirement grooming sessions to understand user stories and acceptance criteria. I also estimate testing efforts and prepare test plans in alignment with sprint goals. I write and maintain detailed test cases for both manual and automated testing. I develop and maintain automation scripts using Selenium WebDriver with Java, along with TestNG. I’ve implemented frameworks using Page Object Model, and integrated with tools like Maven, Git, and Jenkins for CI/CD. I collaborate with the DevOps team to integrate test suites with Jenkins pipelines for nightly builds and regression runs. I log detailed and reproducible bugs using JIRA, assign them to the respective team members,...

String is a data type in Java which stores sequence of character enclosed by double quotes.. Whether it's verifying APIs, validating UI data, or database testing, QA engineers frequently work with strings. It is also one of the important topic which generally asked in interviews. Let's break it down step-by-step! 🔹What is a String in Java? A String is a sequence of characters enclosed within double quotes (""). Java provides a robust and flexible API for handling strings, allowing for various operations such as concatenation, comparison, and manipulation. In Java, String is a class present in the java.lang package. String str = "Hello World"; Internally, Java strings are backed by a character array ( char[] ). 🔹Types of String Declaration There are two ways to create a string in Java ✅ 1. String Literal When a string is created using double quotes, Java checks the string pool first. If it already exists, it reuses the object. Str...

Test scenarios are high-level descriptions of what needs to be tested. It helps to ensure test coverage, approved by stakeholders, and clarity for creating test cases. But how do you write them effectively — just from the requirements? Let’s break it down step-by-step. What are Test Scenarios? A test scenario is a one-liner that describes what you want to test. It usually answers the question: “What should I verify?” It is also called Test Condition. Example: If you’re testing a login page, a test scenario could be: “Verify user is able to log in with valid credentials.” Step-by-Step: How to Derive Test Scenarios from Requirements Step 1: Read Requirement Read the requirement or user story thoroughly. Clarify any doubts with the BA, Developer, or Product Owner. Focus on “what” the system should do — inputs, outputs, rules. Step 2: Predict Functional Areas Break the requirement into smaller parts or modules (e.g., Login, Registration, Cart, etc.). Eac...