Test remote browsers

Tosca Cloud allows you to test web applications on remote machines and cloud environments. You can create test cases to run on remote browsers and playlists that run remotely from start to finish, or switch between remote and local tests.

Run tests on a remote machine

To test a browser on a remote machine, you must design a test case that steers web application controls. You need to use the OpenUrl module to open the website you want to test and we recommend that you use CloseBrowser module to close your browser or tab at the end of your test.

There are a few exceptions to the controls you can steer remotely, such as:

You must also set test case parameters in your test case or playlist. Different parameter configurations are necessary depending on the technology you use for your remote machines.

To run a test case on BrowserStack, set up the following test case parameters:

Parameter

Value

Optional

HubAddress

BrowserStack

No

Browser

The browser you want to use for this test case. The default value is Chrome.

Possible values: InternetExplorer, Firefox, Chrome, Edge.

No

BrowserVersion

Version of the browser.

Yes

OperatingSystem

Operating system on which you want to run the test case.

Yes

WebDriverJson_<ProviderOptionsTag>

Specify the cloud provider specific capabilities you want to use.

Name syntax:

  • Replace <ProviderOptionsTag> with the options tag of your cloud provider.

  • Replace any periods in the capability name with two underscores.

  • Replace any colons in the capability name with three underscores.

For example: WebDriverJson_bstack___options for BrowserStack's bstack:options tag.

The value of this parameter must be a JSON string that can contain multiple capabilities and uses the following syntax:

  • Curly brackets to open and close strings.

  • Semicolons to define a capability's specific value.

  • Commas to separate the capabilities.

  • Double quotation marks to escape special characters.

  • Our value expressions for any other specifications.

For example: "{""userName"": ""<UserName>"", ""accessKey"": ""<accessKey>"", ""browserVersion"": ""136"", os"": ""OS X"", ""osVersion"": ""Monterey"", ""acceptInsecureCerts"": true, ""timeouts"": {""implicit"": 10000, ""pageLoad"": 30000}}"

For information on their options tag, capability names, and capabilities' specific values, check out your cloud provider documentation.

Yes

BrowserStack_<CapabilityName>

Specify the BrowserStack capability you want to use.

Name syntax:

  • Replace <CapabilityName> with a BrowserStack capability.

  • Replace any periods in the capability name with two underscores.

  • Replace any colons in the capability name with three underscores.

For example: BrowserStack_Example__name___1 for the Example.name:1 capability.

For information on BrowserStack capabilities and their values, check out the BrowserStack documentation (opens in new tab).

Yes

You can choose to use test case parameter WebDriverJson_<ProviderOptionsTag> or Browserstack_<CapabilityName> to define your BrowserStack capabilities. We recommend to use parameter WebDriverJson_<ProviderOptionsTag> as it is a lot more versatile than Browserstack_<CapabilityName>.

To run a test case via WebDriver, set up the following test case parameters:

Parameter

Value

Optional

HubAddress

The IP address of the grid hub where you want to run the test case.

For example: localhost for running tests on your local machine, http://<hubaddress>/wd/hub for remote hubs.

Open the URL http://<IP:portnumber>/grid/console to check out information on the connection nodes.

No

Browser

The browser you want to use for this test case.

Possible values: InternetExplorer, Firefox, Chrome, Edge

No

BrowserVersion

Version of the browser

Yes

OperatingSystem

Operating system on which you want to run the test case

Yes

WebDriverHubProxyAddress

IP address of the proxy server on which you want to run the test case.

Use it with WebDriverProxyUsername and WebDriverProxyPassword.

Yes

WebDriverProxyUsername

User name to authenticate with the proxy server.

Use it with WebDriverHubProxyAddress and WebDriverProxyPassword.

Yes

WebDriverProxyPassword

Password to authenticate with the proxy server.

Use it with WebDriverProxyUsername and WebDriverHubProxyAddress.

Yes

Fibermode

Improve test run time by setting its value to True.

Yes

WebDriverUserProfilePreference_<PreferenceName>

Applies browser-specific user profile preferences to WebDriver remote tests for Chrome, Edge, or Firefox.

Name syntax:

  • Replace <PreferenceName> with a browser preference.

  • Replace any periods in the capability name with two underscores.

  • Replace any colons in the capability name with three underscores.

For example: WebDriverUserProfilePreference_Preference__name___1 for the preference Preference.name:1.

Check out your web browser documentation for information on preferences and their values.

Yes

WebDriver_<CapabilityName>

Specify the WebDriver capability you want to use.

Name syntax:

  • Replace <CapabilityName> with a WebDriver capability.

  • Replace any periods in the capability name with two underscores.

  • Replace any colons in the capability name with three underscores.

For example: WebDriver_Example__name___1 for the Example.name:1 capability.

For information on WebDriver capabilities and their values, check out the WebDriver documentation (opens in new tab) or the BrowserStack documentation (opens in new tab).

Yes

WebDriverJson_<ProviderOptionsTag>

Specify the cloud provider specific capabilities you want to use.

Name syntax:

  • Replace <ProviderOptionsTag> with the options tag of your cloud provider.

  • Replace any periods in the capability name with two underscores.

  • Replace any colons in the capability name with three underscores.

For example: WebDriverJson_bstack___options for BrowserStack's bstack:options tag.

The value of this parameter must be a JSON string that can contain multiple capabilities and uses the following syntax:

  • Curly brackets to open and close strings.

  • Semicolons to define a capability's specific value.

  • Commas to separate the capabilities.

  • Double quotation marks to escape special characters.

  • Our value expressions for any other specifications.

For example: "{""userName"": ""<UserName>"", ""accessKey"": ""<accessKey>"", ""browserVersion"": ""136"", os"": ""OS X"", ""osVersion"": ""Monterey"", ""acceptInsecureCerts"": true, ""timeouts"": {""implicit"": 10000, ""pageLoad"": 30000}}"

For information on their options tag, capability names, and capabilities' specific values, check out your cloud provider documentation.

Yes

You can choose to use test case parameter WebDriverJson_<ProviderOptionsTag> or WebDriver_<CapabilityName> to define your WebDriver capabilities. We recommend to use parameter WebDriverJson_<ProviderOptionsTag> as it is a lot more versatile than WebDriver_<CapabilityName>.

After you set up a test or playlist to run on BrowserStack or via WebDriver, you can switch to running on XBrowser. The switch method is different whether you set up your remote testing parameters in a test case or on a playlist level:

  • To switch a test case before a new test run, remove the HubAddress test case parameter. This deactivates the hub connections and activates the default run type, which is XBrowser.

  • To switch during a playlist run, set the HubAddress test case parameter to WebDriver execution off in every test case in your playlist that you want to run on XBrowser. This is especially useful when working with SAP controls.

You can run your test case in a headless Chrome, Chromium, or Firefox browser instance via WebDriver. The procedure changes if you run your test in a new browser instance or an already running one.

Run a test in a new headless Chrome, Chromium, or Firefox browser instance

To run in a new headless Chrome, Chromium, or Firefox browser instance, follow these steps:

  1. Set up a test via WebDriver.

  2. Use the OpenUrl module to open your website. In the BrowserArguments > Argument module parameter, specify the following:

    • The argument that starts the browser in headless mode, such as: --headless

    • The argument that specifies a suitable window size, such as: --window-size=1024x640

Run a test in an already running headless Chrome browser instance

To run in an already running headless Chrome browser instance, follow these steps:

  1. Set up a test via WebDriver.

  2. Connect to the already running headless Chrome browser instance with the module Connect to Chrome/Chromium application. In the Debug Port module parameter, specify the debug port under which the application runs.

You cannot run your test in an already running headless Firefox browser instance.