Configure TestNG with Maven

From Code to Click—Mastering TestNG and Maven Integration Like a Pro!

🧠 Why You Should Care About This Setup

Look—I’ve seen automation frameworks die horrible, slow deaths just because someone thought, “Eh, I’ll manually add JARs… who needs Maven?”

Wrong. You need Maven. You need TestNG. And you need them to work together like best buds.

This setup isn’t just for “best practice” points on your resume. It’s about:

Reusability
Scalability
Zero dependency hell
Automation on Jenkins, Docker, CI/CD—you name it

Quick Story:

A junior in my team once hard-coded the test class path into the testng.xml, ran everything from Eclipse, and swore it was fine.

Then Jenkins showed up, punched that fragile setup in the face, and refused to run a single test.

Let’s not be that guy. Let’s do it right.

🛠️ What You Need (Before You Screw Up Your First `pom.xml`)

Before we dive in, here’s your prep checklist. You don’t want to get halfway through and realize, “Wait—I don’t even have Maven installed.”

✅ Java JDK (8+ is fine)
✅ Maven installed (mvn -v to check)
✅ IDE (Eclipse or IntelliJ – both work)
✅ A little TestNG knowledge (just enough to not cry when you see an XML file)
✅ Coffee, obviously

🚀 Step-by-Step:TestNG and Maven Integration Setup

Let’s get into the real stuff.

🔧 1. Add Maven to Your System

If you’re using Windows:

				
					console.log( 'Code is Poetry' );

Or download from Apache Maven, unzip, set M2_HOME, and update your PATH.

Run this to check:

				
					mvn -v

See version info? You’re golden.

📁 2. Set Up Your Maven Project

In your terminal or IDE:

				
					mvn archetype:generate -DgroupId=com.quantum.test -DartifactId=TestNGMavenDemo -DarchetypeArtifactId=maven-archetype-quickstart -DinteractiveMode=false

Then cd TestNGMavenDemo.

Your project structure should look like this:

				
					TestNGMavenDemo/
├── pom.xml
├── src/
│   ├── main/java/
│   └── test/java/

📦 3. Add TestNG Dependency to `pom.xml`

Crack open that pom.xml like a fortune cookie. Replace the <dependencies> section with:

				
					<dependencies>
  <dependency>
    <groupId>org.testng</groupId>
    <artifactId>testng</artifactId>
    <version>7.9.0</version>
    <scope>test</scope>
  </dependency>
</dependencies>

Pro Tip: Don’t hardcode versions from 2014. Keep it fresh. Use Maven Central to check for the latest.

🧪 4. Write a Basic Test

Create a test class at src/test/java/com/quantum/test/SampleTest.java:

				
					package com.quantum.test;

import org.testng.annotations.Test;

public class SampleTest {

    @Test
    public void sanityCheck() {
        System.out.println("✅ Sanity test is running!");
        assert true;
    }
}

📄 5. Create `testng.xml`

Place this file in the project root:

				
					<!DOCTYPE suite SYSTEM "https://testng.org/testng-1.0.dtd">
<suite name="DemoSuite">
  <test name="BasicTest">
    <classes>
      <class name="com.quantum.test.SampleTest"/>
    </classes>
  </test>
</suite>

🏃 6. Run the Test Using Maven

				
					mvn test

Done. You’ve officially wired up TestNG with Maven locally.

😤 Real Mistakes I’ve Made (So You Don’t Have To)

Let’s get real.

Forgetting testng.xml path in pom.xml → no tests ran, team blamed Jenkins.
Wrong package names in the XML file → TestNG silently ignores your tests. 😑
Not marking test scope in dependency → build bloats like crazy.
Debugging with System.out.println only → yeah, don’t.

⭐ What Makes a Great Setup (Not Just a Working One)

A working setup is like a car that starts.
A great setup? It’s more like a Tesla that auto-parks.

Here’s what you should aim for:

Tests auto-discover with Maven goals
Works on anyone’s machine
Jenkins can execute it
Logging + Reporting baked in
No hardcoded paths, no IDE dependency
Modular structure (Tests, Resources, Reports separated)

🗂️ Sample Template: Project Structure + Files

				
					TestNGMavenDemo/
├── pom.xml
├── testng.xml
├── src/
│   ├── main/java/
│   └── test/java/
│       └── com/quantum/test/SampleTest.java
└── test-output/ (auto-created by TestNG)

🔍 DOs and DON’Ts

✅ DO:

Keep your pom.xml clean and readable
Use latest TestNG version
Organize test classes by feature or module
Validate testng.xml before running on CI
Use Maven Surefire plugin if you want custom test triggers

❌ DON’T:

Don’t copy-paste pom.xml from StackOverflow without checking versions
Don’t run everything manually from Eclipse forever
Don’t hardcode class paths
Don’t ignore that red squiggly in testng.xml—it’s trying to help you

FAQs

Can I skip testng.xml and still run tests?

Yep! Maven Surefire plugin can auto-discover tests using annotations, but it’s better to use testng.xml for custom groupings.

What’s the most common mistake in this setup?

Putting the test class in src/main/java instead of src/test/java.

Will this work on Jenkins or GitHub Actions?

Absolutely. Just trigger mvn test in your build step. That’s the beauty of Maven—it works anywhere.

What if I want to run only smoke tests?

Use groups in your testng.xml or use Maven profiles.

Can I use TestNG without Maven?

Yes, but why would you? It’s like making Maggi without water. You can, but it won’t work right. Maven brings dependency management, build automation, and easy execution to the party. Without it, you’re stuck juggling JARs and command-line hacks.

How do I add a specific version of TestNG in Maven?

Just edit your pom.xml. Drop in the TestNG dependency like this:

<dependency>
<groupId>org.testng</groupId>
<artifactId>testng</artifactId>
<version>7.8.0</version> <!– or whatever version floats your test boat –>
<scope>test</scope>
</dependency>

My tests aren’t running with mvn test. What gives?

Ah, the classic facepalm moment. Make sure:

You’ve created a proper testng.xml
It’s placed in the right location (usually src/test/resources)
You’re using the Surefire plugin in pom.xml with proper configuration.

Do I need a testng.xml file always?

Not strictly. You can run tests based on annotations alone. But with testng.xml, you get fine-grained control over which classes/methods run, group execution, parallel tests, etc. It’s your test suite’s mission control.

What's the best folder structure for a Maven-TestNG project?

Stick with Maven’s standard layout:

src
├── main
│ └── java (for your main code)
└── test
└── java (for your test classes)
└── resources (for testng.xml, config files, etc.)

Don’t get creative here. Let Maven do what it does best.

How can I run only specific groups in TestNG using Maven?

Add this magic to your Maven command:

mvn test -Dgroups=”smoke”

Your testng.xml or test classes must have those groups defined, of course.

What’s the difference between @Test(priority=1) and order in testng.xml?

Oh boy. @Test(priority=...) is used within a class to define method order. testng.xml is used to control the execution order of classes. They don’t override each other — they’re both picky about different things.

How do I skip a test in TestNG when using Maven?

Two ways:

Use enabled = false in your @Test annotation.
Or comment it out in testng.xml.

You can also exclude it dynamically using Maven profiles if you’re fancy like that.

Can I integrate this setup with Jenkins later?

Hell yes. Maven + TestNG is Jenkins’ dream combo. You just run mvn clean test as your build step. And boom – automation.

Is Gradle better than Maven for TestNG projects?

That’s like asking if pizza is better than biryani. Depends on taste. Gradle is faster and more flexible, but Maven is more widespread and stable. For TestNG, Maven’s ecosystem is still smoother to work with.

Why is my Surefire plugin not picking up testng.xml?

Could be:

testng.xml is not in src/test/resources
You didn’t configure the suiteXmlFiles path in your pom.xml
You’re secretly using JUnit in disguise

Double-check paths and plugin setup.

Can I parallelize test execution with TestNG + Maven?

Yep, that’s one of the reasons TestNG exists. Use this in testng.xml:

<suite name=”MySuite” parallel=”tests” thread-count=”4″>

And let Maven do its thing. But make sure your tests don’t fight over shared state.

💥 Call to Action

Testers, devs, and accidental automation engineers—comment below if you’ve seen worse setups or had to debug a broken pom.xml on a Friday night with production breathing down your neck.

I’ve been there. You’re not alone.

Also Don’t forget to check our blogs.

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Configure TestNG with Maven

🧠 Why You Should Care About This Setup

Quick Story:

🛠️ What You Need (Before You Screw Up Your First `pom.xml`)

🚀 Step-by-Step:TestNG and Maven Integration Setup

🔧 1. Add Maven to Your System

📁 2. Set Up Your Maven Project

📦 3. Add TestNG Dependency to `pom.xml`

🧪 4. Write a Basic Test

📄 5. Create `testng.xml`

🏃 6. Run the Test Using Maven

😤 Real Mistakes I’ve Made (So You Don’t Have To)

⭐ What Makes a Great Setup (Not Just a Working One)

🗂️ Sample Template: Project Structure + Files

🔍 DOs and DON’Ts

✅ DO:

❌ DON’T:

FAQs

💥 Call to Action

Table of Contents

One Response

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Configure TestNG with Maven

🧠 Why You Should Care About This Setup

Quick Story:

🛠️ What You Need (Before You Screw Up Your First pom.xml)

🚀 Step-by-Step:TestNG and Maven Integration Setup

🔧 1. Add Maven to Your System

📁 2. Set Up Your Maven Project

📦 3. Add TestNG Dependency to pom.xml

🧪 4. Write a Basic Test

📄 5. Create testng.xml

🏃 6. Run the Test Using Maven

😤 Real Mistakes I’ve Made (So You Don’t Have To)

⭐ What Makes a Great Setup (Not Just a Working One)

🗂️ Sample Template: Project Structure + Files

🔍 DOs and DON’Ts

✅ DO:

❌ DON’T:

FAQs

💥 Call to Action

Table of Contents

One Response

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

🛠️ What You Need (Before You Screw Up Your First `pom.xml`)

📦 3. Add TestNG Dependency to `pom.xml`

📄 5. Create `testng.xml`