Welcome to the exciting world of test automation using Java 8 and Selenium WebDriver 3.x. Throughout this book, we will get up to speed with Selenium and its surrounding technologies. Selenium is a browser automation tool that has progressed tenfold since its initial inception. Along with tools such as AutoIt, it can be used for automating desktop applications. Selenium is getting used extensively in mobile automation nowadays. The most important point is that it is open source, has a vast developer community, and is constantly evolving. With Selenium Grid, we can simulate different browsers on a single machine. 

First, we will start with understanding the basics. This chapter is a gentle introduction to Selenium, and we will be covering the following topics:

• The need for test automation and its advantages
• Java 8 (briefly)
• Selenium RC
• Selenium WebDriver
• Various drivers in Selenium
• Preparing for the first script