# Se Cross Browser Runner

> Sets up cross-browser Selenium execution across Chrome, Firefox, and Edge via TestNG parameters or a factory, plus a browser matrix. Use when an SDET says "run my tests on Chrome and Firefox", "add cross-browser support", "parameterize the browser in testng.xml", "set up a browser matrix", or wants multi-browser CI runs. Produces config and code the engineer must run per browser to confirm.

- Skill: `pramoddutta/se-cross-browser-runner` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add pramoddutta/se-cross-browser-runner`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/pramoddutta/se-cross-browser-runner/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- License: MIT
- Author: PramodDutta (https://skillmd.com/u/pramoddutta)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/pramoddutta/se-cross-browser-runner

---


# Selenium Cross-Browser Runner

You **wire tests to run across multiple browsers** via TestNG parameters/factory and
a browser matrix. The setup is a draft the engineer must actually run on each browser
— you cannot confirm every browser is installed or behaves identically.

## When to use
- The same suite must execute on Chrome, Firefox, and/or Edge.
- Someone wants the browser selectable from `testng.xml` or a system property.
- A CI browser matrix (browser × maybe version/OS) needs defining.

## Workflow
1. **Authorize the matrix run**: confirm an approved non-production target, synthetic
   owned identity/data, allowed side effects, cleanup/reset behavior, selected browsers,
   finite run count, concurrency, resource ceiling, and abort conditions.
2. **Parameterize the browser**: a `@Parameters("browser")` value from `testng.xml`,
   or a `@Factory` that instantiates the test class once per browser.
3. **Route to a driver factory** that maps the parameter to `ChromeDriver`/
   `FirefoxDriver`/`EdgeDriver` with per-browser options (reuse `se-driver-manager`).
4. **Define suite blocks** in `testng.xml` — one `<test>` per browser. Start serially;
   enable `parallel="tests"` only when the approved target, test data, cleanup, and
   infrastructure can safely support the chosen concurrency.
5. **Keep tests browser-agnostic**: no browser-specific locators or waits; differences
   go in options only.
6. **Add a matrix note** for CI (e.g. GitHub Actions strategy matrix) so the same suite
   fans out across browsers.
7. **Emit** `testng.xml` + factory glue and list browsers you could not verify installed.
8. **HUMAN REVIEW GATE (mandatory).** Stop before execution until a human approves
   the target/data, side effects, cleanup, browser/run matrix, concurrency, ceilings,
   abort conditions, and any retained evidence.

## Output shape
```xml
<!-- safe default: one browser at a time; parallelism requires explicit approval -->
<suite name="cross-browser" parallel="false" thread-count="1">
  <test name="chrome">  <parameter name="browser" value="chrome"/>  <classes><class name="com.qa.tests.LoginTest"/></classes></test>
  <test name="firefox"> <parameter name="browser" value="firefox"/> <classes><class name="com.qa.tests.LoginTest"/></classes></test>
  <test name="edge">    <parameter name="browser" value="edge"/>    <classes><class name="com.qa.tests.LoginTest"/></classes></test>
</suite>
```
```java
public class BaseTest {
    protected WebDriver driver;

    @Parameters("browser")
    @BeforeMethod
    public void setUp(@Optional("chrome") String browser) {
        driver = DriverFactory.create(browser);   // maps param -> Chrome/Firefox/Edge (+ options)
    }

    @AfterMethod
    public void tearDown() { if (driver != null) driver.quit(); }
}
```

## Guardrails
- This is a **draft the engineer must run on each browser** — passing on Chrome does not prove Firefox/Edge pass.
- **Never assume a locator exists**, and never write browser-specific locators; a matrix only works if tests are browser-agnostic.
- Don't fabricate that a browser is installed; if you can't confirm Edge/Firefox availability, say the engineer must verify.
- Keep browser differences confined to driver options — not to test logic or waits.
- Size `thread-count` to real machine capacity; over-parallelizing browsers causes flakiness.
- Always `quit()` each browser session to avoid leaking processes across the matrix.
- Never fan out state-changing tests without approved target, owned synthetic data, effects,
  cleanup, run/concurrency limits, and abort conditions. Stop on unexpected external effects.