SelenideElement

SelenideElement is a core abstraction in the Selenide framework for web UI testing in Java. It represents a web element located in a document object model (DOM) and extends the functionality of Selenium's WebElement. The primary advantage of SelenideElement is its concise API that combines element retrieval, waiting, and interaction into a single fluent interface.

A SelenideElement is obtained through selectors such as $("#id"), $(".class"), $x("//xpath") or by calling $ on a parent element. Once retrieved the element can be interacted with using methods like click(), setValue(), sendKeys(), clickDown(), clickUp() and submit(). In addition, SelenideElement provides assertion methods such as should(Condition visible), shouldNot(Condition disappeared), shouldHave(Condition exactText), and should(Condition valueMatches). These assertions implicitly wait for conditions to be met, making test scripts shorter and more readable.

Importantly, SelenideElement automatically handles stale element reference issues by refreshing the lookup before each action. It also offers convenience methods for scrolling into view (scrollTo()), getting DOM attributes (getAttribute(), getCssValue()), and checking visibility or existence (isDisplayed(), exists()). For JavaScript-enabled features, methods like executeJavaScript, dragAndDropTo, and uploadFile are available.

Compared to Selenium’s WebElement, SelenideElement hides explicit wait logic, reduces boilerplate code, and provides a richer set of convenience methods for common UI testing tasks. The element’s state is lazily evaluated; each operation re-queries the element, which simplifies handling dynamic pages. SelenideElements are integral to writing concise, maintainable test suites and are a key component of the Selenide ecosystem.