Hybrid Automation Framework

Building a Scalable Hybrid Automation Framework in Java: A Step-by-Step Guide

Why You Should Build Your Own Framework

Ever tried using just TestNG or just Cucumber or just plain old Selenium?
Yeah, me too. My soul aged 5 years.

See, real-world projects aren’t that polite.

You’ve got APIs yelling in the back
UI flakiness dancing up front
And test data that’s as stable as my coffee addiction

A hybrid automation framework is like your testing Swiss army knife. It blends the best of:

Data-driven testing (for all your CSV-Excel-JSON-madness)
Keyword-driven (because sometimes testers don’t code)
Modular + POM (because spaghetti code is for interns)
BDD (if your team’s into Given-When-Then love affairs)

What is a Hybrid Framework, Really?

Hybrid ≠ Complex.
Hybrid = Smart reusability + flexibility.

You write common code once. Then reuse it across:

UI tests
API tests
Data validations
Smoke/regression suites
All plugged into one lean setup. That’s it. No fairy dust.

Tools We’ll Use (No Bloatware)

Here’s the no-nonsense stack:

Java 17 — because we’re in 2025, bro
Maven — dependency management, not sorcery
Selenium 4 — UI automation
Java.net.http — for lean API testing
TestNG — test execution
Extent Reports — for pretty test reports
Log4j2 — because debugging is life
Jenkins (Optional) — for CI/CD fun
Docker (Optional) — if you’re into pain-turned-glory

🧱 Core Components of a Hybrid Framework

A well-structured hybrid framework typically includes:

Modular Framework (Page Object Model – POM): Encapsulates page elements and actions to promote reusability and maintainability.
Data-Driven Testing: Externalizes test data using files like Excel, CSV, or JSON.
Keyword-Driven Testing: Uses keywords to represent actions, making test cases more readable.
Function Libraries: Houses reusable functions for common actions.
Object Repository: Centralizes locators for UI elements.
TestNG Integration: Manages test execution and reporting.
Reporting Tools: Generates comprehensive test reports (e.g., ExtentReports).
CI/CD Integration: Facilitates continuous testing through tools like Jenkins.

🔧 Setting Up the Framework Structure

Here’s a suggested directory structure for Hybrid Automation Framework in Java

				
					HybridFramework/
├── src/
│   ├── main/
│   │   ├── java/
│   │   │   ├── base/
│   │   │   ├── pages/
│   │   │   ├── keywords/
│   │   │   ├── utilities/
│   ├── test/
│   │   ├── java/
│   │   │   ├── tests/
├── testdata/
├── reports/
├── drivers/
├── pom.xml
├── testng.xml

base/: Contains base classes for setup and teardown operations.
pages/: Houses Page Object Model classes.
keywords/: Contains keyword action classes.
utilities/: Includes utility classes for data handling, logging, etc.
tests/: Contains test classes.
testdata/: Stores external test data files.
reports/: Stores generated test reports.
drivers/: Contains browser driver executables.

📝 Sample Test Scenario: User Login

Let’s walk through automating a simple login scenario using the hybrid framework.

Setup Maven + Project Skeleton

pom.xml — don’t make it a dumping ground
Add dependencies for Selenium, TestNG, ExtentReports

				
					<project xmlns="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0" 
         xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" 
         xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0 http://maven.apache.org/xsd/maven-4.0.0.xsd">
    <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>
    <groupId>com.hybrid</groupId>
    <artifactId>HybridFramework</artifactId>
    <version>1.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
    <dependencies>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.seleniumhq.selenium</groupId>
            <artifactId>selenium-java</artifactId>
            <version>4.9.1</version>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.testng</groupId>
            <artifactId>testng</artifactId>
            <version>7.8.0</version>
            <scope>test</scope>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>com.aventstack</groupId>
            <artifactId>extentreports</artifactId>
            <version>5.0.9</version>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>io.github.bonigarcia</groupId>
            <artifactId>webdrivermanager</artifactId>
            <version>5.6.2</version>
        </dependency>
    </dependencies>
    <build>
        <plugins>
            <plugin>
                <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
                <artifactId>maven-surefire-plugin</artifactId>
                <version>3.0.0-M7</version>
                <configuration>
                    <suiteXmlFiles>
                        <suiteXmlFile>testng.xml</suiteXmlFile>
                    </suiteXmlFiles>
                </configuration>
            </plugin>
        </plugins>
    </build>
</project>

TestNG.xml

				
					<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE suite SYSTEM "https://testng.org/testng-1.0.dtd" >
<suite name="HybridFrameworkSuite">
    <test name="LoginTest">
        <classes>
            <class name="tests.LoginTest"/>
        </classes>
    </test>
</suite>

Base Test Class

				
					package base;
import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;
import org.testng.annotations.AfterMethod;
import org.testng.annotations.BeforeMethod;
import utilities.DriverManager;
import utilities.ExtentManager;
import com.aventstack.extentreports.ExtentReports;
import com.aventstack.extentreports.ExtentTest;

public class BaseTest {
    protected WebDriver driver;
    protected ExtentReports extent;
    protected ExtentTest test;

    @BeforeMethod
    public void setUp() {
        extent = ExtentManager.getInstance();
        driver = DriverManager.initDriver();
    }

    @AfterMethod
    public void tearDown() {
        DriverManager.quitDriver();
        extent.flush();
    }
}

Login Page

				
					package pages;
import org.openqa.selenium.By;
import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;

public class LoginPage {
    private WebDriver driver;
    private By usernameField = By.id("username");
    private By passwordField = By.id("password");
    private By loginButton = By.id("login");

    public LoginPage(WebDriver driver) {
        this.driver = driver;
    }

    public void login(String username, String password) {
        driver.findElement(usernameField).sendKeys(username);
        driver.findElement(passwordField).sendKeys(password);
        driver.findElement(loginButton).click();
    }
}

Driver Manager

				
					package utilities;
import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver;
import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver;
import io.github.bonigarcia.wdm.WebDriverManager;

public class DriverManager {
    private static WebDriver driver;

    public static WebDriver initDriver() {
        WebDriverManager.chromedriver().setup();
        driver = new ChromeDriver();
        driver.manage().window().maximize();
        return driver;
    }

    public static void quitDriver() {
        if (driver != null) {
            driver.quit();
        }
    }
}

Extent Manager

				
					package utilities;
import com.aventstack.extentreports.ExtentReports;
import com.aventstack.extentreports.reporter.ExtentHtmlReporter;

public class ExtentManager {
    private static ExtentReports extent;

    public static ExtentReports getInstance() {
        if (extent == null) {
            ExtentHtmlReporter htmlReporter = new ExtentHtmlReporter("reports/extent-report.html");
            extent = new ExtentReports();
            extent.attachReporter(htmlReporter);
        }
        return extent;
    }
}

Test Class

				
					package tests;
import org.testng.annotations.Test;
import base.BaseTest;
import pages.LoginPage;

public class LoginTest extends BaseTest {

    @Test
    public void testValidLogin() {
        driver.get("https://example.com/login");
        LoginPage loginPage = new LoginPage(driver);
        loginPage.login("testuser", "testpass");
        test = extent.createTest("Valid Login Test").pass("Login successful");
    }
}

Logging Utility

				
					package utilities;

import org.apache.log4j.Logger;

public class Log {
    private static Logger Log = Logger.getLogger(Log.class.getName());

    public static void startTestCase(String testCaseName) {
        Log.info("Starting Test Case: " + testCaseName);
    }

    public static void endTestCase(String testCaseName) {
        Log.info("Ending Test Case: " + testCaseName);
    }

    public static void info(String message) {
        Log.info(message);
    }

    public static void error(String message) {
        Log.error(message);
    }
}

🔄 Continuous Integration with Jenkins

Integrate your framework with Jenkins for continuous testing:

Create a Jenkins Job: Configure a new job for your project.
Source Code Management: Connect your Git repository.
Build Triggers: Set up triggers for code commits or schedule.
Build Steps: Use Maven to clean and test your project.
Post-build Actions: Publish test reports and send notifications.

✅ Do’s and Don’ts

Do’s:

Modularize your code using POM.
Externalize test data for flexibility.
Implement comprehensive logging.
Integrate with CI/CD pipelines.

Don’ts:

Avoid hardcoding values.
Don’t mix test logic with page actions.
Refrain from duplicating code.
Don’t neglect exception handling.

Bad Framework vs. Great One

Feature	Bad Framework 🧨	Great Framework 🚀
Driver handling	Global/static	ThreadLocal, managed cleanly
Page Actions	Mixed with TestLogic	Cleanly separated
Reports	Console prints 🤡	Extent/Allure with logs
Data source	Hardcoded	Externalized (CSV, JSON)
Reusability	Nah	Modular & DRY
Parallel execution	Nightmare	Seamless

Checklist: Your Sanity Guide

✅ Use Maven for dependency hell
✅ Organize tests by feature
✅ Separate PageObject from Actions
✅ Use TestNG groups (@smoke, @regression)
✅ Log every step that matters
✅ Avoid hardcoding anything
✅ Run tests in Docker or Jenkins
✅ Keep test data separate
✅ Keep your code dry (Don’t Repeat Yourself)

FAQs

What is a hybrid automation framework?

A hybrid automation framework is a blend of multiple testing frameworks (like Data-Driven, Keyword-Driven, and Modular). It gives the flexibility to reuse components and structure the tests logically.

Why should I build a hybrid framework instead of using an existing one like SeleniumBase or TestNG alone?

Prebuilt frameworks are great—but building your own means full control, better learning, and tailored functionality for your project’s needs (plus fewer bloated dependencies!).

What tools and libraries are commonly used in a Java hybrid automation framework?

Java
Selenium WebDriver
TestNG
Apache POI (for Excel support)
ExtentReports or Allure
Maven or Gradle
WebDriverManager
Git, Jenkins (for CI/CD)

How do I manage test data in a hybrid framework?

You can externalize test data in:

Excel (via Apache POI)
JSON/YAML/Properties files
Databases (for advanced scenarios)
Use a utility class to read the data dynamically and plug it into your test methods using DataProviders.

What’s the ideal folder structure for a hybrid framework?

A clean structure may look like:

HybridFramework/
├── base/
├── pages/
├── tests/
├── keywords/
├── utilities/
├── testdata/
├── reports/
├── drivers/
├── pom.xml
├── testng.xml

Can I use BDD (like Cucumber) inside a hybrid framework?

Yes! Cucumber can be layered on top of your framework. The glue code (step definitions) can call your keyword or page action methods—bridging BDD with the hybrid model.

How do I handle browser drivers and compatibility?

Use WebDriverManager — no more hunting for driver binaries or managing path issues. It auto-downloads and sets up the correct drivers.

Can I run tests in parallel with this hybrid framework?

Yes, TestNG makes it simple. Just configure parallel="tests" or parallel="methods" in testng.xml, and ensure your driver is thread-safe (hint: use ThreadLocal<WebDriver>).

How do I generate test execution reports?

Integrate ExtentReports for beautiful, interactive HTML reports. Each test class can start and flush its own ExtentTest instance.

What if I want to run this framework from Jenkins or a Docker container?

Make sure:

Your pom.xml has clean test execution via mvn test
Jenkins pipeline calls your testng.xml
Use headless mode for browser execution in Docker containers

What are some common mistakes when building a hybrid framework?

Mixing logic and locators in test classes
No separation of concerns (no base/utility layers)
Hardcoded data instead of externalized
No proper reporting or logging
No reusability—copy-pasting steps across tests 😖

How long does it take to build a hybrid framework from scratch?

If you know the tools, 2–5 days is reasonable for a usable base. If you’re learning as you go, give it a week or two. Either way, the ROI is 💯 worth it.

📌 Final Thoughts

Building a Hybrid Automation Framework might seem daunting, but with a structured approach, it becomes manageable. Remember, the goal is to create a scalable, maintainable, and efficient testing solution that adapts to your project’s evolving needs.

Feel free to reach out if you need further assistance or have specific questions about implementing this framework. Happy testing!

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