Encapsulating interface interaction.
WHAT IT IS
A class representing a screen, exposing what a user can do there.
WHAT IT CONTAINS
Element locators Methods performing actions Methods retrieving state
WHAT IT DOES NOT CONTAIN
Assertions.
WHY NOT
Assertions belong in tests, where the expectation lives.
WHAT IT PROVIDES
Interface changes confined to one place.
WHAT A METHOD SHOULD REPRESENT
A user action, not a click.
WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE
Signing in, rather than typing into two fields and clicking.
WHAT METHODS SHOULD RETURN
The page object for wherever the action leads.
WHY
It makes navigation explicit and catches unexpected destinations.
WHAT TO NAME LOCATORS
After what they represent, not their selector.
WHAT SELECTORS TO USE
Attributes added specifically for testing.
WHY
They survive design changes and translation.
WHAT TO AVOID
Page objects with dozens of methods Objects representing fragments of pages inconsistently Waits scattered through methods
WHAT ALTERNATIVES EXIST
Screenplay and similar patterns, organising by actor and task.
WHAT MATTERS MORE THAN THE PATTERN
That interaction detail is not in tests.
