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unittest vs WebdriverIO comparison of testing frameworks
What are the differences between unittest and WebdriverIO?

unittest

https://docs.Python.org/3/library/unittest.html

WebdriverIO

https://webdriver.io/
Programming language

Python

JavaScript

Category

Unit Testing

Browser Automation, Unit Testing, Functional Testing

General info

unittest is a unit testing framework for Python

The unittest test framework is Python’s xUnit style framework. It is a standard module that is bundled with Python and supports the automation and aggregation of tests and common setup and shutdown code for them.

WebdriverIO is the next-gen WebDriver test framework for Node.js made upon Selenium

WebdriverIO is written in JavaScript and uses Selenium under the hood. It also comes with its own inbuilt test runner and supports other testing frameworks like Jasmine, Cucumber, and Mocha
xUnit
Set of frameworks originating from SUnit (Smalltalk's testing framework). They share similar structure and functionality.

Yes

unittest is a xUnit style frameworkfor Python, it was previously called PyUnit.

Yes

Client-side
Allows testing code execution on the client, such as a web browser

Yes

Front-end functionality and behaviour can be tested by unittest.

Yes

WebdriverIO allows the use of advanced CSS selectors and makes it easy to find elements for front-end testing
Server-side
Allows testing the bahovior of a server-side code

Yes

Since the webserver funtionalities have their own features and each feature has its own functions, we can write tests with unittest to test each function

Yes

It can be used to test server side behaviour and functionality
Fixtures
Allows defining a fixed, specific states of data (fixtures) that are test-local. This ensures specific environment for a single test

Yes

By use of the 'setUp()' function which is called to prepare the test fixture

Yes

WebdriverIO supports the creation of fixtures
Group fixtures
Allows defining a fixed, specific states of data for a group of tests (group-fixtures). This ensures specific environment for a given group of tests.

Yes

unittest allows you to group your initialization code into a setUp function and clean up code in a tearDown function

Yes

WebdriverIO supports the creation of group fixtures
Generators
Supports data generators for tests. Data generators generate input data for test. The test is then run for each input data produced in this way.

Yes

unittest contains generator methods in the module 'unittest.TestCase'

N/A

Licence
Licence type governing the use and redistribution of the software

MIT License

MIT License

Mocks
Mocks are objects that simulate the behavior of real objects. Using mocks allows testing some part of the code in isolation (with other parts mocked when needed)

Yes

Mocks are available from the library unittest.mock which allows you to replace parts of your system under test with mock objects

Yes

It contains a mocking service called 'wdio-wiremock-service'
Grouping
Allows organizing tests in groups

Yes

One can build suites either manually or use test discovery to build the suite automatically by scanning a directory

Yes

WebdriverIO allows one to build test suites, you can run these test in parallel and organize them by adjusting the 'maxInstances' property in your config file
Other
Other useful information about the testing framework