Selenium WebDriver

Selenium WebDriver is the successor to Selenium RC. Selenium WebDriver accepts commands (sent in Selenese, or via a Client API) and sends them to a browser. This is implemented through a browser-specific browser driver, which sends commands to a browser, and retrieves results. Most browser drivers actually launch and access a browser application (such as Firefox or Internet Explorer); there is also an HtmlUnit browser driver, which simulates a browser using HtmlUnit.

Unlike in Selenium 1, where the Selenium RC server was necessary to run tests, Selenium WebDriver does not need a special server to execute tests. Instead, the WebDriver directly starts a browser instance and controls it. However, Selenium Grid can be used with WebDriver to execute tests on remote systems

Advantages of Selenium Web-Driver

1) Support for iPhone and Android testing

2) Implementation of listeners - a much awaited feature

3) Better features for Ajax testing.

4) You can easily simulate clicking on front and back button of browser.

5) You can extract objects in bulk like QTP. For ex - extract all links of page. With RC this was a big hastle

6) Unlike RC you dont have to start a server in webdriver.

7) You can simulate movement of a mouse using selenium.

8 ) Tabs and pops are more or less the same. RC can also handle and Webdriver can also handle.

9) You can find coordinates of any object using Webdriver.

10) You have classes in Webdriver which help you to simulate key press events of keyboard.

11) Keywod driven framework is very easy to build in webdriver.