Send keys without specifying element in java Selenium webdriver

Selenium webdriver gives us the power to interact with the web elements by locating the specific web element on the web page and performing intended actions on it. The Sendkeys method is one of the common methods that lets you send some keyboard inputs to specific web elements. However, it is not the best practice as Selenium is designed to interact with methods web elements.

While dealing with complex UI elements that lack identifiable attributes, sometimes it is necessary to send keys directly to the browser window without selecting an individual element. So our main motive is to simulate keyboard actions without specifying an element on a webpage. So let's get started -

What is SendKeys in Selenium?

As I mentioned earlier send keys is a method in Selenium WebDriver used to simulate keyboard actions on a webpage. In websites we see login pages where users need to put their username, password, etc. for authentication.

Send Keys Without Specifying the Element

We can send keys without specifying elements in Java Selenium in different ways. Let's discuss these approaches one by one.

1. Using JavaScript Executor

With the help of javascript, we can interact with a web element directly. JavaScriptExecutor bypasses the overlays and send keys directly into the DOM. It's not entirely "without specifying element" as we need to focus on the input box with the traditional approach.

// Use JavaScript to get the focused element
JavascriptExecutor jsExecutor = (JavascriptExecutor) driver;
jsExecutor.executeScript("document.querySelector('input').focus();");

The above line of code will set the focus on the input field. The executeScript will focus on the first input element on the page with the help of querySelector.

Actions actions = new Actions(driver);
actions.sendKeys("1234").perform();

Then with the help of actions.sendKeys, the keys will be sent to the currently focused element.

Example

import org.openqa.selenium.JavascriptExecutor;
import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver;
import org.openqa.selenium.interactions.Actions;

public class Send_Keys {
    public static void main(String[] args) throws InterruptedException {
        System.setProperty(
                "webdriver.chrome.driver",
                "D:\\chromedriver-win64\\chromedriver-win64\\chromedriver.exe");

        WebDriver driver = new ChromeDriver();
        driver.manage().window().maximize();

        driver.get("https://the-internet.herokuapp.com/inputs"); // URL

        // Use JavaScript to get the focused element
        JavascriptExecutor jsExecutor = (JavascriptExecutor) driver;
        // Sets the focus to the input element
        jsExecutor.executeScript("document.querySelector('input').focus();");
        Actions actions = new Actions(driver);
        actions.sendKeys("1234").perform();

        Thread.sleep(2000); // putting some delay to see the output
        // Close the browser
        driver.quit();
    }
}

Output

Conclusion

In conclusion, sending keys without specifying an element in Java Selenium WebDriver opens up new possibilities for automation, especially in complex user interfaces. By leveraging techniques such as JavaScript Executor, Robot Class, and switchTo().activeElement(), you can efficiently simulate keyboard actions without directly targeting individual elements.

This flexibility enhances your test scripts, making them more robust and adaptable to different scenarios. Now, you can confidently implement these methods in your Selenium automation tasks and improve your testing efficiency.