How to Switch Between Multiple Windows using Selenium?

When using Selenium for automated testing, you frequently encounter scenarios requiring switching between multiple browser windows or tabs. Selenium provides a straightforward method to handle this. Below are the basic steps and examples for switching between multiple windows:

Step 1: Obtain the Current Window Handle

First, obtain the current window handle. This handle is a unique identifier that Selenium uses to manage the window.

python
current_window_handle = driver.current_window_handle

Step 2: Open a New Window and Obtain All Window Handles

When Selenium operations open a new window or tab, you must retrieve all window handles.

python
# Assuming clicking a link opens a new window
link = driver.find_element_by_link_text("Open a new window link")
link.click()

# Obtain all window handles
all_window_handles = driver.window_handles

Step 3: Switch to the New Window

Next, iterate through all window handles and switch to a window other than the current one.

python
for window_handle in all_window_handles:
    if window_handle != current_window_handle:
        driver.switch_to.window(window_handle)
        break

Step 4: Perform Actions in the New Window

Once switched to the new window, you can perform actions as you would with the original window.

python
# Perform actions in the new window, for example:
new_window_title = driver.title
print(new_window_title)

Step 5: Close the New Window and Switch Back to the Original Window

After completing operations, close the new window and switch back to the original window if necessary.

python
# Close the new window
driver.close()

# Switch back to the original window
driver.switch_to.window(current_window_handle)

Example

Assume a webpage containing a link that opens a new window, and we need to verify the title in the new window is correct, then close it and return to the original window.

python
from selenium import webdriver

# Initialize WebDriver
driver = webdriver.Chrome()

# Open webpage
driver.get("http://example.com")
current_window_handle = driver.current_window_handle

# Perform action to open new window
link = driver.find_element_by_link_text("Open a new window link")
link.click()

# Switch to new window
all_window_handles = driver.window_handles
for window_handle in all_window_handles:
    if window_handle != current_window_handle:
        driver.switch_to.window(window_handle)
        break

# Verify new window title
assert "Expected title" in driver.title

# Close new window and switch back
driver.close()
driver.switch_to.window(current_window_handle)

# Close browser
driver.quit()

With this approach, you can easily manage multiple windows in Selenium tests and switch between them for operations.