What are the differences between 'Selenium-server-standalone.jar' and 'Selenium Client & WebDriver'?

Question

What are the Implementations differences between 'Selenium-server-standalone.jar' and 'Selenium Client & WebDriver'. Following is the link from SeleniumHQ.org website [http://www.seleniumhq.org/download/]..

1. http://selenium-release.storage.googleapis.com/2.44/selenium-server-standalone-2.44.0.jar
2. "http://selenium-release.storage.googleapis.com/2.44/selenium-java-2.44.0.zip"

I know first one is Formerly known as Selenium RC and second one is Selenium 2.0(Webdriver). But Is the latest version supporting all the jars in Webdriver in Selenium Server. I have only Selenium Server available, Did all the method's in Selenium Webdriver supports in Selenium Server? likewise, what are the differences between the jars in it?

could pls help

/Thanks

Answer 1

I see a bit of confusion here... Regarding "Selenium WebDriver" & "Selenium Server"

Selenium WebDriver 2.0 - helps to write scripts for automating browsers..this package provides us with classes & methods to achieve automation. After writing scripts we can run them on LOCAL MACHINE and see automation ourselves. WebDriver projects were merged with selenium RC to overcome the drawbacks of selenium RC making it selenium WebDriver 2.0

Selenium Server: Now once i have my scripts (as mentioned above),To run scripts on REMOTE MACHINES (Test Beds) and NOT ON LOCAL MACHINE we do it using selenium server. So in short Selenium Webdriver works together with Selenium Server..they co-exist to help and not to replace each other.

I hope this helps