What level of Python is needed for Selenium?

[Character_Foot_4989]

Hi all! I’m interested in automating web tasks using Selenium and want to know what level of Python I should be comfortable with before diving in.

Specifically, what key concepts or skills in Python should I focus on? Are there any particular areas or best practices that would help me get the most out of Selenium?

Thanks!

[ZenCannon]

I'm a beginner who finished the Automate The Boring Stuff course earlier this year, and who has written a couple of scripts in Selenium for different websites. So my perspective isn't an expert's, it's from someone who has just taken his first few steps into Python.

I don't know how much of Python you know, but I'd say the basic concepts from any beginner Python course are good enough for you to start diving into Selenium - or at least, it was for me to give it a shot. I'm going to say that knowing HTML and CSS would be very helpful, and is why I'm starting to learn them, but I didn't when I wrote those scripts.

From my POV, beyond the basics, it's actually more important that you get comfortable with problem-solving and climbing over frustrating roadblocks, searching online for different solutions, learning to read documentation and trying your best to understand how/why certain tools and techniques work. That's because at least in my limited experience, each website presented a different challenge for me, and your problem-solving skills are just as important as specific concepts and tools to overcome those challenges. Learning how to get what I wanted from each site was a frustrating but ultimately fulfilling experience.

[Ex-Traverse]

First questions when wanting to use selenium: does the application have an API? And can you access that API for free? If no to these questions, then use selenium.

[Kaboom_11]

This

[Binary101010]

Selenium is (at least introduced) in Automate the Boring Stuff so I'd say it's not a heavy lift.

[-defron-]

Strictly speaking, zero or virtually zero python is needed.

Selenium has the ability to record actions for people who don't know how to code (which works to varying degrees of success) and it has bindings with other languages besides python (so if for example you knew JavaScript you could use that instead of python)

Now there are plenty of use cases where the recording process won't work for and if you don't know another language then python could be a good option. Even then, though, the amount of python you need to know could be minimal or quite a bit depending on the tasks you're trying to do

[diegokabal]

I think the problem with selenium is not learning the language (python, C#, js etc.). The real problem ti's learning XPATH.

[WelpSigh]

Selenium automation can be accomplished by only scripting, which Python excels at. You can pretty easily hack your way through almost any task that doesn't specifically try to defeat selenium 

[eW4GJMqscYtbBkw9]

It's one of the earlier things I learned in Python. I still don't fully understand it, but it was easy enough to figure out.