Troubleshooting CDP Version Compatibility in Java Selenium

Troubleshooting Selenium WebDriver Issues with Latest Chrome Version

Recently, I upgraded my Chrome browser to version 124.0.6367.119 in hopes of taking advantage of the latest features and performance improvements. However, this upgrade came with its own set of challenges while working with Selenium WebDriver. Initially, I found myself facing an error message during my Selenium automation scripts execution. Let me explain in detail what issues I encountered and how I resolved them, which might help you if you find yourself in a similar situation.

Understanding the Error

Upon running my Selenium script, I encountered a warning followed by an exception. The warning from Selenium read:

WARNING: Unable to find an exact match for CDP version 124, returning the closest version; found: 122

This indicates that the Chromedriver in use did not have the exact Chrome DevTools Protocol (CDP) version required by the latest Chrome version I had installed.

Following that, I faced a NoSuchWindowException with the message:

no such window: target window already closed from unknown error: web view not found

This type of exception typically suggests that the browser window or tab my script was trying to interact with had been closed or wasn’t found at the time of execution.

Steps Toward Resolution

To troubleshoot these issues, I followed several steps:

1. Verify and Update Chromedriver: Since the initial warning mentioned a mismatch in the CDP version supported by Selenium, my first step was to check the version of Chromedriver. The error indicated I was using a version close but not completely compatible. I visited the Chromedriver download page and downloaded the version corresponding to Chrome 124. Ensuring that the driver matches the browser version is crucial for Selenium to function correctly.

1. Update Selenium WebDriver: Even with the correct Chromedriver, compatibility issues can arise if the version of Selenium WebDriver is outdated. I checked for the latest updates in my project’s dependencies and updated Selenium to the newest version available.

1. Review Code for Potential Errors: With updates done, I also reviewed my script to ensure there were no commands that might inadvertently close the browser window or navigate away from the context where the interaction was supposed to happen. This included reviewing any driver.close() or driver.quit() statements that might be prematurely terminating the session.

1. Handling Driver Sessions: Another key aspect was to ensure that the driver session was properly managed. This involved setting up appropriate wait times or polling intervals to ensure that elements are available and interactable when the script attempts to access them.

1. Test with a Simplified Script: As a final step, I ran a simplified version of my script to isolate the problem from any script-specific complexities. This helps in pinpointing if the issue is with the environment setup or the specific commands in the script.

Practical Experience

By following the steps described above, I was eventually able to resolve the issues. Updating the Chromedriver to exactly match the version of the Chrome browser and ensuring that Selenium WebDriver was up-to-date were the critical steps. Moreover, double-checking the script for any erroneous commands that could disrupt the browser session proved beneficial.

Handling automation with Selenium in an ever-evolving web environment can be challenging due to frequent updates in browsers and drivers. However, staying vigilant about component versions and maintaining a robust error handling and session management strategy within scripts can significantly ease the process. This experience also reminded me of the importance of thorough testing after any major environment changes such as browser or driver updates.