How to Download Secure Files

Intro

Previously, we've gone over how to test file downloads without a browser by leveraging Selenium Webdriver and an HTTP library in tandem.

This approach is great for testing general file downloads, but what if the file you want to download is behind authentication?

A Solution

To access secure files with our HTTP library we'll need to pull the authenticated session information out of Selenium's cookie store and pass it into the HTTP library when we perform the request.

Let's continue with some examples.

About The Author

Dave Haeffner is the original writer of Elemental Selenium -- a free, once weekly Selenium tip newsletter that's read by thousands of testing professionals. He also created and maintains the-internet (an open-source web app that's perfect for writing automated tests against).

Dave has helped numerous companies successfully implement automated acceptance testing; including The Motley Fool, ManTech International, Sittercity, and Animoto. He is also an active member of the Selenium project and has spoken at numerous conferences and meetups around the world about automated acceptance testing.