Beginner’s Guide to Using Maven for Selenium Test Automation

Maven is a build automation tool primarily used for managing Java projects, developed by the Apache Software Foundation. It is designed to simplify the build process, which includes compilation, testing, packaging, and deployment of Java applications. Maven is especially useful for handling dependencies in large-scale projects, and it works by automating repetitive tasks. It offers a declarative way to manage your project lifecycle and dependencies, ensuring that every part of the process is consistent and traceable.

Maven works with a central repository that stores various dependencies such as libraries and plugins. This means that developers don’t have to manually download and manage these dependencies themselves, which can be especially tedious as the project grows. Instead, Maven automatically handles dependency resolution, allowing developers to focus on the core tasks of development and testing. It is a powerful tool for automating repetitive tasks, reducing the risk of errors, and making project management more efficient.

For a Selenium test automation project, Maven helps by managing all the libraries and tools that are needed, such as Selenium WebDriver and other related dependencies. Instead of manually downloading and linking these dependencies, you can configure Maven to automatically download and integrate them for you, making the entire setup process much more streamlined and less prone to human error.

The Importance of Managing Dependencies

In a test automation project, especially one using Selenium for web automation, managing dependencies effectively is crucial. Over time, the number of libraries and tools you use will grow. This makes manual management of these dependencies increasingly difficult and error-prone. In addition, there might be cases where multiple versions of a library are required for different parts of the project, leading to potential conflicts.

By using a build automation tool like Maven, you can define all of your project dependencies in a pom.xml file. This file acts as a configuration file for Maven, listing all the libraries and versions that the project needs. Once these dependencies are defined, Maven automatically downloads them from a central repository when the project is built. This greatly simplifies the process of dependency management and ensures that the correct versions of libraries are always used.

Maven also offers the advantage of version control. When a new version of a library is released, you can update the version number in the pom.xml file, and Maven will handle downloading the latest version. This helps ensure that your project remains up to date with the latest features and bug fixes, without you needing to manually keep track of these updates.

Maven’s Role in Selenium Test Automation

Selenium is a widely used tool for automating web browsers. It supports multiple programming languages like Java, Python, and C#, but in this case, we will focus on Java. For a Selenium test automation project, managing the dependencies related to Selenium WebDriver, testing frameworks like TestNG, and other utilities can be tedious. This is where Maven comes into play.

By using Maven, developers can specify their dependencies for Selenium WebDriver and other required libraries within the pom.xml file. Maven then automatically downloads the required versions from the central repository. This allows for a faster and more efficient setup of the test automation environment, ensuring that all dependencies are properly linked and up to date.

Additionally, Maven handles tasks like compiling source code, running tests, and packaging the final build. This is especially helpful for test automation, where the build process often includes running tests, generating reports, and deploying the results. Maven automates all these tasks, freeing up time for testers and developers to focus on writing and improving the tests themselves.

Advantages of Using Maven for Selenium Testing

There are several benefits to using Maven for Selenium test automation. Below are some of the most important advantages:

Simplified Dependency Management

As mentioned, one of the primary benefits of Maven is its ability to manage dependencies automatically. In a typical Selenium project, you will need several libraries, such as Selenium WebDriver, TestNG, and others. Maven simplifies this by downloading and linking all the required libraries for you. This ensures that your project is always using the correct versions of each library, and you don’t have to worry about manually managing each one.

Unified Build System

Maven provides a unified system for building Java projects. This system includes standardized phases, such as compile, test, package, and deploy. By using Maven, you can be sure that all your projects are built in the same way, regardless of who is working on the project or where it is being built. This ensures consistency and reduces the risk of errors caused by different developers using different methods for building and testing.

Better Project Structure

Maven imposes a standardized project structure that helps developers organize their code clearly and consistently. This structure is designed to make it easy to understand where specific parts of the project are located. For instance, Maven’s default directory layout ensures that all source code is in the src/main/java folder, while test code is placed in src/test/java. This structure makes it easy to navigate and maintain your project as it grows.

Continuous Integration

Maven integrates well with continuous integration (CI) tools like Jenkins. This allows for automated builds and tests every time code is committed to the repository. This ensures that any changes made to the project are automatically tested, reducing the likelihood of introducing bugs or breaking existing functionality. Maven helps streamline the CI process by automatically handling dependencies, running tests, and generating reports as part of the build process.

Easy Integration with Other Tools

Maven can easily integrate with other testing and reporting tools, such as TestNG for test execution and Surefire for generating test reports. It also supports plugins for integrating with version control systems, deployment tools, and other project management utilities. This makes Maven an excellent choice for teams that need to integrate their test automation processes into a larger DevOps pipeline.

How Maven Works

Maven follows a project lifecycle, which is divided into several phases. Each phase represents a specific task, such as compiling code, running tests, or packaging the project. The build lifecycle is divided into three main lifecycles: the clean lifecycle, the default lifecycle, and the site lifecycle.

Each lifecycle consists of a series of phases that are executed sequentially. For example, the default lifecycle includes phases like compile, test, package, and install. You can execute these phases individually, or you can run them together by executing the full lifecycle.

Maven uses a configuration file called pom.xml (Project Object Model), which contains all the information about the dependencies, plugins, and goals that the project requires. This file is at the heart of Maven’s functionality, as it defines how the project is built, what libraries are needed, and which tasks should be performed. The pom.xml file is what allows Maven to automate many of the tedious and error-prone aspects of the build process.

Installing Maven on Windows

To get started with Maven, you first need to install it on your system. Maven can be installed on Windows through two primary methods: via Eclipse IDE or through the command line. Both methods are straightforward, but they differ in how they integrate Maven into your development environment.

Installing Maven Using Eclipse IDE

Eclipse IDE provides an easy method for integrating Maven into your development environment. Here’s how you can install Maven within Eclipse:

Step 1: Open Eclipse IDE

Launch Eclipse and go to the top menu. From there, select the Help option and then choose Install New Software.

Step 2: Add the Maven Plugin

A new window will open. In the Work with text box, enter the URL for the Maven plugin repository:
http://download.eclipse.org/technology/m2e/releases/.
This repository contains the necessary Maven tools for Eclipse.

Step 3: Select Maven Plugin

Click on the Add button to add the repository. In the next window, select the checkboxes corresponding to the Maven plugin and click Next.

Step 4: Accept Terms and Conditions

Eclipse will display a list of the components to be installed. Accept the terms and conditions, and click Finish to begin the installation.

Step 5: Restart Eclipse

Once the installation is complete, you will be prompted to restart Eclipse. After restarting, Maven will be fully integrated into your Eclipse IDE.

Now you can start creating Maven-based projects directly within Eclipse.

Installing Maven Using the Command Line

If you prefer to install Maven manually and use it from the command line, follow these steps:

Step 1: Download and Install Java

Ensure that Java is installed on your system. If Java isn’t installed, download and install it from the official Java website. After installing Java, check the version by opening the command prompt and typing java -version. If the installation was successful, it will display the version of Java installed on your system.

Step 2: Set Up Java Environment Variables

To set up Java for Maven, you need to configure the environment variables:

• Right-click on This PC (or Computer) and select Properties. 
• Click on Advanced System Settings and then Environment Variables. 
• In the System Variables section, click New. Set the variable name to JAVA_HOME and the value to the location where Java is installed, for example:
  C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.8.0_20. 

Step 3: Download and Install Maven

Download the latest version of Maven from the official Apache Maven website. After downloading, extract the contents of the ZIP file to a directory of your choice, such as C:\apache-maven.

Step 4: Set Up Maven Environment Variables

You need to set up Maven’s environment variables, similar to Java’s:

• Open System Properties and click on Advanced System Settings. 
• Click Environment Variables. 
• Under System Variables, click New. Set the Variable Name to MAVEN_HOME and the Variable Value to the directory where Maven was installed, for example:
  C:\apache-maven-3.6.1. 

Step 5: Update the Path Variable

Now, update the Path system variable to include Maven’s bin directory. Find the Path variable, select Edit, and append the following directory to the end of the value:
C:\apache-maven-3.6.1\bin.

Step 6: Verify the Installation

After configuring the environment variables, you need to verify that Maven was installed correctly. Open the Command Prompt and type the following command:
mvn -version.
This command should display the installed Maven version. If everything is set up correctly, Maven is now ready for use on your system.

Creating Your First Maven Project

Now that Maven is installed, you can create a Maven project. There are two ways to create a project: through Eclipse IDE or via the command line.

Creating a Maven Project in Eclipse

Step 1: Create a New Project

Open Eclipse and navigate to File > New > Maven Project. Choose the default workspace for your new project.

Step 2: Select a Template

Eclipse provides several templates for Maven projects. Select the Maven Project option, which creates a basic Maven project structure.

Step 3: Configure Project Information

Next, you will need to provide the necessary information for the project. This includes the Group Id, which defines the group of your project (such as com.example), and the Artifact Id, which uniquely identifies your project (such as selenium-automation). You can leave other options, like the Version, as default for now.

Step 4: Finish the Project Setup

After entering the project information, click Finish to create your project. Eclipse will automatically generate the basic Maven project structure, including the pom.xml file.

The pom.xml file is where you define the project dependencies, such as Selenium WebDriver, TestNG, and other libraries.

Creating a Maven Project via Command Line

If you prefer to use the command line, you can create a Maven project using the archetype: generate goal. This command will generate a new project based on a template.

Step 1: Open Command Prompt

Navigate to the directory where you want to create your Maven project.

Step 2: Use the Maven Archetype Command

In the command prompt, enter the following command to generate the project:

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mvn archetype:generate -DgroupId=demoProject -DartifactId=DemoMavenProject -DarchetypeArtifactId=maven-archetype-quickstart -DinteractiveMode=false

 

This will generate a Maven project named DemoMavenProject with the basic directory structure.

Step 3: Navigate to Your Project

After the command finishes, navigate to the project directory (DemoMavenProject). You will see the pom.xml file, which defines the project’s dependencies and build configuration.

Selenium Maven Dependencies

Once the Maven project is created, you can add the necessary dependencies for Selenium WebDriver and other libraries like TestNG, Apache POI, etc., to the pom.xml file. Maven will automatically download these dependencies when you build the project.

Selenium WebDriver Dependency

To use Selenium WebDriver in your Maven project, you need to add the following dependency to your pom.xml file:

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<dependency>

    <groupId>org.seleniumhq.selenium</groupId>

    <artifactId>selenium-java</artifactId>

    <version>3.141.59</version>

</dependency>

 

This will allow Maven to download Selenium WebDriver and all its dependencies when you build the project.

TestNG Dependency

If you are using TestNG for your test framework, add the following dependency to the pom.xml file:

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<dependency>

    <groupId>org.testng</groupId>

    <artifactId>testng</artifactId>

    <version>7.3.0</version>

    <scope>test</scope>

</dependency>

 

TestNG provides a testing framework for your Selenium scripts, allowing you to organize and execute your tests efficiently.

Apache POI Dependency

If your tests need to interact with Excel or other Microsoft Office files, you can add Apache POI dependencies as well. Here’s the dependency for handling Excel files:

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<dependency>

    <groupId>org.apache.poi</groupId>

    <artifactId>poi-ooxml</artifactId>

    <version>5.2.3</version>

</dependency>

 

This dependency will allow your Maven project to access and manipulate Excel files as part of your test automation framework.

Maven Lifecycle Overview

Maven follows a specific set of lifecycles to manage the build and deployment process. These lifecycles consist of a series of phases that define different tasks in the project lifecycle, such as compiling code, testing it, packaging the project, and finally installing it. Understanding Maven’s lifecycle is essential for automating your build and testing processes, especially in a Selenium test automation project.

Maven’s lifecycles are divided into three major categories:

Clean Lifecycle

The clean lifecycle handles the process of cleaning up the project’s environment before starting a fresh build. It removes previously compiled files, artifacts, and reports to ensure that the build starts from a clean state. This is particularly useful when you need to ensure that no residual files from a previous build are included in the current build.

The clean lifecycle contains the following phases: Pre-cleaning: Executes tasks before cleaning.

 

• Clean: Cleans up the project, removing previous build files. 
• Post-clean: Executes tasks after the cleaning is done. 

To trigger the clean lifecycle, you can run the following Maven command:

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mvn clean

 

This will remove the target directory, which contains the compiled files and output from the previous build.

Default Lifecycle

The default lifecycle is the most commonly used in Maven. It consists of the phases involved in compiling, testing, packaging, and installing the project. This lifecycle includes tasks such as compiling code, running tests, and creating a deployable artifact (like a JAR or WAR file).

The default lifecycle contains the following important phases:

• Validate: Ensures that the project is valid and all required information is available. 
• Compile: Compiles the source code. 
• Test: Runs the unit tests using the testing framework (such as TestNG or JUnit). 
• Package: Packages the compiled code into its distributable format (e.g., JAR, WAR). 
• Install: Installs the packaged artifact into the local Maven repository. 
• Deploy: Deploys the artifact to a remote repository (such as a Nexus or Artifactory server). 

For Selenium test automation, you will frequently use the test phase, where Maven will trigger the execution of your tests. Additionally, you may use the package and install phases to prepare the final build and install the test artifacts into the local repository.

You can trigger the default lifecycle with the following command:

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mvn clean install

 

This command will clean the previous build, compile the project, run tests, and install the artifact into the local repository.

Site Lifecycle

The site lifecycle is focused on generating project documentation and reports. It is less commonly used than the clean and default lifecycles, but can help generate detailed reports about your project, such as test reports or code coverage reports.

The site lifecycle consists of the following phases:

• Pre-site: Executes tasks before the site is generated. 
• Site: Generates the site documentation for the project. 
• Post-site: Executes tasks after the site is generated. 
• Site-deploy: Deploys the generated site to a remote server. 

Although not typically part of the everyday build process for Selenium test automation, the site lifecycle can be useful for generating reports about your test execution and project status.

Key Phases for Selenium Test Automation

When working with Selenium and Maven, the most critical phases of the Maven lifecycle will be from the default lifecycle, particularly compile, test, package, and install.

Compile Phase

During the compile phase, Maven compiles your project’s source code. If your project includes both main and test code, Maven compiles both the main code and the test code. It ensures that your source code is ready for testing and packaging. This phase is crucial because any issues with compiling the code will prevent the tests from being executed.

Maven will compile the code in the src/main/java directory and place the compiled classes in the target/classes directory.

You can run the compile phase using the following command:

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mvn compile

 

Test Phase

The test phase is where Maven runs the tests defined in your project. For a Selenium test automation project, this is where all your test scripts (written using frameworks like TestNG or JUnit) are executed. During this phase, Maven will:

• Compile your test classes. 
• Execute the tests defined in the src/test/java directory. 
• Run the tests based on the testing framework you are using (e.g., TestNG). 
• Produce test reports (if configured). 

In a typical Selenium project, you will define your Selenium test scripts in the src/test/java folder, and Maven will automatically execute them during the test phase. For instance, if you are using TestNG, Maven will run the TestNG tests and generate the associated reports.

You can run the test phase using the following command:

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mvn test

 

Package Phase

The package phase takes the compiled code and packages it into a distributable format, such as a JAR, WAR, or EAR file. This phase is critical when preparing your Selenium test automation project for distribution or deployment. After tests have been executed successfully, Maven packages the code into a deployable unit.

For instance, after running Selenium tests and verifying their success, you might want to package your test results, logs, and artifacts together into a final package.

You can trigger the package phase using the following command:

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mvn package

 

This command will generate the packaged artifact in the target directory.

Install Phase

The install phase installs the built artifact into the local Maven repository. This allows other projects or components that use Maven to reference the artifact for further use or deployment. After the tests are executed and the project is packaged, the artifact is stored in the local repository so it can be accessed by other parts of the system.

This phase is useful when you want to make the generated artifact available for other local projects or future builds.

You can trigger the install phase with the following command:

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mvn install

 

This command will package your project and install the artifact in your local Maven repository, making it available for future use.

Understanding Goals and Phases in Maven

In Maven, goals represent specific tasks that can be executed during the build process. A goal is a single unit of work that Maven can execute, such as compiling code, running tests, or packaging artifacts. Goals are often bound to specific phases in the lifecycle.

For example:

• The compile goal is associated with the compile phase. 
• The test goal is associated with the test phase. 
• The install goal is associated with the install phase. 

You can also execute specific goals independently of the full lifecycle. For example, if you only want to run tests without packaging the project, you can run:

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mvn test

 

This will only execute the tests, leaving the rest of the build process untouched.

Summary of Maven Phases in Selenium Test Automation: clean– Clears out previous build files.

 

• Compile: Compiles the project’s source code. 
• Test: Runs the unit tests (such as Selenium tests using TestNG or JUnit). 
• Package: Packages the compiled code into a deployable format (e.g., JAR). 
• Install: Installs the packaged artifact into the local Maven repository for further use. 

By understanding the various phases and goals in Maven, you can automate the build and testing process for your Selenium projects, ensuring that your tests are consistently run and that your project is always in a deployable state.

Setting Up Selenium WebDriver in Maven

Once Maven is installed and your project is created, the next step is to configure it for Selenium WebDriver. Selenium WebDriver is a tool for automating web browsers, and it is one of the most important dependencies for any Selenium-based test automation project. To use Selenium WebDriver with Maven, you need to specify it as a dependency in your pom.xml file.

Adding Selenium WebDriver Dependency

To add the Selenium WebDriver dependency to your Maven project, you will need to edit the pom.xml file, which is located at the root of your project. The pom.xml file is the central place where you define all your project dependencies.

Here is the dependency code you need to include in your pom.xml file to use Selenium WebDriver:

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<dependency>

    <groupId>org.seleniumhq.selenium</groupId>

    <artifactId>selenium-java</artifactId>

    <version>3.141.59</version>

</dependency>

 

This dependency specifies that your project should use the selenium-java package, version 3.141.59. Maven will automatically download this library and all of its dependencies when you build your project.

Adding Other Required Dependencies

Apart from Selenium WebDriver, you might need additional libraries such as TestNG (a testing framework) and Apache POI (for working with Excel files). These dependencies must also be included in the pom.xml file.

TestNG Dependency

To integrate TestNG with Maven, add the following dependency to your pom.xml file:

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<dependency>

    <groupId>org.testng</groupId>

    <artifactId>testng</artifactId>

    <version>7.3.0</version>

    <scope>test</scope>

</dependency>

 

TestNG is a popular testing framework used in Java for running tests, generating reports, and managing test configurations. The scope element is set to test, meaning that this dependency will only be used in the testing phase of your project.

Apache POI Dependency

If your tests require interaction with Excel files, such as reading data from Excel to feed into tests, you can use Apache POI. Here’s how to add the dependency for Apache POI:

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<dependency>

    <groupId>org.apache.poi</groupId>

    <artifactId>poi-ooxml</artifactId>

    <version>5.2.3</version>

</dependency>

 

This library allows you to read, write, and manipulate Excel files, which is often needed in test automation scenarios where input data or expected results are stored in Excel files.

Managing Multiple Versions of Dependencies

Maven makes it easy to manage and update project dependencies. If you want to upgrade or change the version of a dependency (e.g., Selenium WebDriver), you simply need to update the version number in your pom.xml file. Maven will handle downloading the correct version and ensuring that the dependency is correctly integrated into your project.

For instance, if a newer version of Selenium WebDriver is released, you can update the version in your pom.xml:

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<dependency>

    <groupId>org.seleniumhq.selenium</groupId>

    <artifactId>selenium-java</artifactId>

    <version>4.0.0</version>

</dependency>

 

This ensures that your project always uses the latest compatible version of Selenium WebDriver.

Setting Up TestNG for Selenium Test Automation

TestNG is a powerful testing framework that integrates well with Maven and Selenium WebDriver. It allows you to organize tests, manage test suites, and generate test reports. Here’s how you can set up TestNG in your Selenium Maven project.

Configuring TestNG in Maven

TestNG is already included as a dependency in the pom.xml file, as shown earlier. To use TestNG in your project, create a new Java class under the src/test/java directory. This class will contain your Selenium tests.

Here is an example of a simple Selenium WebDriver test using TestNG:

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import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;

import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver;

import org.testng.annotations.Test;

 

public class GoogleSearchTest {

 

    @Test

    public void testGoogleSearch() {

        // Set the system property for the Chrome driver

        System.setProperty(“webdriver.chrome.driver”, “path/to/chromedriver”);

 

        // Create an instance of the Chrome WebDriver

        WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();

 

        // Navigate to Google

        driver.get(“https://www.google.com”);

 

        // Verify that the title contains ‘Google’

        assert driver.getTitle().contains(“Google”);

 

        // Close the browser

        driver.quit();

    }

}

 

In this example, we create a simple Selenium test that opens the Google website and checks whether the title contains “Google”. This test is annotated with the @Test annotation provided by TestNG, marking it as a test method to be executed.

Running the Tests

Once you’ve created your test class and configured everything, you can run your tests using Maven. To do this, use the following command:

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mvn test

 

Maven will compile the code, run the TestNG tests, and generate the appropriate test reports. By default, TestNG test reports are stored in the target/surefire-reports directory.

Generating Reports

TestNG integrates with Maven to generate comprehensive test reports. These reports contain information about test execution, such as passed/failed tests, execution time, and detailed error messages for failed tests.

You can also customize the report format by modifying the testng.xml configuration file, which allows you to define your test suite, test groups, and parallel test execution.

Running Tests in Parallel with Maven and TestNG

One of the powerful features of TestNG is its ability to run tests in parallel. This can significantly speed up the execution of tests, especially when you have a large test suite. To enable parallel test execution in TestNG, you need to modify your testng.xml file.

Here’s an example of how to configure parallel test execution in TestNG:

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<?xml version=”1.0″ encoding=”UTF-8″?>

<suite name=”Selenium Suite” parallel=”tests” thread-count=”2″>

    <test name=”Test1″>

        <classes>

            <class name=” com.example.tests.TestClass1″/>

        </classes>

    </test>

    <test name=”Test2″>

        <classes>

            <class name= “com.example.tests.TestClass2″/>

        </classes>

    </test>

</suite>

 

In this configuration, the parallel=”tests” attribute tells TestNG to run the tests in parallel, and the thread-count=”2″ attribute specifies the number of threads to use. TestNG will now run the tests in the specified number of threads, which can greatly reduce the time required to run all tests.

Configuring the Maven Surefire Plugin

The Maven Surefire Plugin is used to run your tests during the Maven build process. It works seamlessly with TestNG and JUnit. To configure Surefire for parallel test execution, you need to add a plugin configuration to the pom.xml file.

Here’s an example of how to configure the Surefire Plugin in your pom.xml:

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<build>

    <plugins>

        <plugin>

            <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>

            <artifactId>maven-surefire-plugin</artifactId>

            <version>2.22.2</version>

            <configuration>

                <parallel>tests</parallel>

                <threadCount>2</threadCount>

            </configuration>

        </plugin>

    </plugins>

</build>

 

This configuration ensures that tests are run in parallel during the Maven build process, with the specified number of threads.

Conclusion

In this section, we covered how to configure Maven for Selenium test automation. We added dependencies for Selenium WebDriver, TestNG, and Apache POI, and we learned how to set up and run Selenium tests using TestNG. Additionally, we explored parallel test execution to speed up test execution and configured the Maven Surefire Plugin to integrate with TestNG.

With Maven properly configured, you can now automate the build, testing, and reporting processes for your Selenium-based test automation projects. This setup will help ensure that your test automation framework is scalable, efficient, and easy to maintain.

In the next part, we will explore advanced configurations, including integrating Maven with continuous integration tools like Jenkins, and how to manage dependencies for larger projects.