Can a valid selector identify different elements on the screen at the same time?

A valid selector is typically designed to target a specific element within the Document Object Model (DOM) of a web page or an application interface. In most cases, a selector, such as an ID or class name, aims at a single, unique element or the first occurrence of a set of elements that share a common characteristic, which aligns with standard practices in both web development and automation testing.

When you think about selectors in the context of automation tools or web testing frameworks, the general behavior is that they isolate individual elements for interaction, rather than group multiple elements simultaneously without additional configuration. For example, using an ID selector will match only one element because IDs are expected to be unique within a page.

While there are selectors that can potentially match multiple elements (like classes or more generic element types), this usually results in a collection of elements rather than targeting them individually. Thus, the cleaner approach in automation is to focus on one element at a time, ensuring precise interaction and reducing the chance of errors in the automation scripts.

In summary, the statement that a valid selector can only identify one element is accurate in the context of common practice in selecting elements for automation purposes, ensuring clarity and precision in the execution of robotic processes.