WebElement

A WebElement represents an HTML element on a web page. It is a fundamental concept in web automation and testing frameworks like Selenium. When interacting with a web page programmatically, the first step is typically to locate a specific WebElement. This is done using various locator strategies such as ID, name, class name, tag name, CSS selector, or XPath.

Once a WebElement is identified, it can be manipulated. Common actions performed on a WebElement include clicking it, entering text into input fields, retrieving its text content, checking its visibility or enabled state, and submitting forms. Each of these actions is invoked as a method on the WebElement object.

WebElements are dynamic. Their presence, state, and content can change as the user interacts with the page or as JavaScript executes. Therefore, automation scripts often need to incorporate waits to ensure that a WebElement is available and in the desired state before attempting to interact with it. Error handling is also crucial, as a WebElement might not be found on the page, leading to exceptions. The concept of a WebElement is central to bridging the gap between programmatic instructions and the visual structure of a web page.