Explore Advanced Playwright Techniques for Flawless Testing with Debbie O’Brien | Testμ 2024

What is the best practice or strategy to implement mocks so that they can easily be implemented and used by other QAs?

Does this solution work well with Java?

Is there a way to do conditional assertions? Asking if a date being returned is ‘current daste’?

When set up fails does it mark the test as failed in the reports ?

Can Playwright work equally well with Python as Java/Script, .NET, et al?

What are the limitations of playwright ?

Is there a way to use --last-failed in CI?

As PW has patch browsers, does this patch only add cdp protocol to other browsers and not modify the browser sandbox?

How does Visual Testing work with Playwright? Does it work like AppliTools?

Thank you @LambdaTest and Debbie for the Amazing session

I will surely try to give the Answer:-

Answer:- Playwright is highly beneficial when used with both Java and JavaScript. JavaScript, being Playwright’s native language, allows you to leverage all of its features seamlessly. It integrates well with modern JavaScript frameworks, making it a go-to choice for many web developers. Java support, while relatively newer, provides robust capabilities for Java developers who want to use Playwright in environments where Java is dominant. This versatility makes Playwright a great choice for teams working in either language.

Here is the Answer to the Question:-

Yes, Playwright supports parallel test execution in Docker containers. You can easily configure Playwright to run tests in parallel across multiple Docker containers by setting up isolated environments for each test. This setup ensures maximum utilization of resources and speeds up test suites, making it highly scalable for CI/CD pipelines that rely on containerized infrastructures. Additionally, Playwright’s ability to support multiple browsers within Docker containers enhances testing flexibility and reliability.

Answer:- Playwright is leading the automation tool landscape because of its comprehensive feature set and multi-browser support, which includes Chromium, Firefox, and WebKit. It excels with modern testing needs like cross-platform support, API mocking, and automatic waiting for elements, eliminating the need for manual retries in scripts. Playwright also ensures reliable and stable tests by isolating each test execution and simplifying the debugging process with tools like the Playwright Inspector. The parallelism support further boosts efficiency, making it ideal for both small and large-scale projects.

From my point of view I think this will be the answer:-

  • Leverage Auto-Waiting: Playwright automatically waits for elements to be ready, reducing the need for manual waits and retries.
  • Use API Mocking: Instead of relying on external APIs, mock them to reduce test flakiness and speed up execution.
  • Keep Tests Isolated: Ensure that each test runs in its own context to avoid cross-test interference.
  • Test Parallelization: Utilize Playwright’s built-in parallelism features to run multiple tests concurrently for faster feedback.
  • Headless Mode: Use headless mode for faster test execution in CI environments, but also toggle headful mode when debugging locally.

Answer:- Currently, Playwright does not natively support Rust, but there are community-driven projects that aim to bridge this gap. Since Playwright is continually evolving, it is possible that official support for Rust may come in the future. For now, developers using Rust can explore third-party integrations, although JavaScript and TypeScript remain the primary languages for Playwright usage.

Here are the some important points why Playwright is emerging as a leading automation tool for several reasons:

  1. Cross-Browser Support: Playwright allows testing across multiple browsers (Chromium, Firefox, and WebKit) with a single API, making it easier to ensure compatibility across different platforms.
  2. Robust API: Its simple and powerful API facilitates easy writing and maintenance of tests. Features like auto-waiting for elements to be ready reduce flakiness in tests.
  3. Headless and Headful Modes: Playwright supports both headless and headful testing, allowing teams to choose their preferred testing environment based on needs.
  4. Parallel Execution: It enables parallel test execution, significantly speeding up the testing process, which is crucial for continuous integration and delivery pipelines.
  5. Support for Multiple Languages: Playwright supports JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, Java, and C#, making it accessible to a wide range of developers.
  6. Integration with CI/CD: Its seamless integration with CI/CD tools enhances the automation workflow, enabling efficient deployment processes.
  7. Rich Features: Playwright offers features like network interception, video recording, and screenshot capturing, providing developers with powerful debugging tools.
  8. Active Community and Support: With strong community support and continuous updates from the maintainers, users can expect ongoing improvements and robust documentation.

These attributes make Playwright a compelling choice for teams looking to enhance their automation testing capabilities while ensuring high-quality software delivery.

Thank you for the Fruitful session, Here is the answer from my point of view

When comparing Playwright and Cypress in terms of parallelism, Playwright generally has the edge:

  1. Built-in Parallelism: Playwright natively supports parallel test execution, allowing tests to run concurrently across multiple browser instances. This can significantly reduce overall test execution time, especially in large test suites.
  2. Flexible Test Runner Integration: Playwright can be easily integrated with various test runners like Jest, Mocha, or its own test runner, which also supports parallel execution out of the box.
  3. Resource Utilization: Playwright manages resources efficiently, enabling teams to maximize their CI/CD pipelines’ performance by running tests in parallel without significant overhead.

Cypress does support parallel test execution, but it requires a paid account to access this feature and is more focused on running tests in a single browser instance at a time. While Cypress can handle parallelism to some extent, it may not achieve the same level of scalability and flexibility as Playwright.

In summary, for teams prioritizing parallelism in their testing strategy, Playwright is generally considered the better choice.

In Playwright, you have the flexibility to structure your tests in a way that allows for pre-setup scenarios without needing to create extensive methods for reuse. Here are a few approaches to handle this:

  1. Test Hooks: You can use test hooks like beforeAll or beforeEach to set up conditions or state before executing a test. This allows you to run specific code once before all tests or before each test, respectively.

    beforeAll(async () => {
        // Code to set up preconditions
    });
    
  2. Parameterized Tests: Playwright supports parameterized tests, enabling you to define a test with different scenarios. This can allow one test to depend on another’s outcome.

  3. Test Suites: You can group related tests in a single suite and control their execution order. This way, you can run a setup test before the dependent tests.

  4. Function Reusability: While it’s beneficial to keep tests independent, if you have a common setup, you can create utility functions to encapsulate that logic. This allows you to call these functions where needed without repeating code.

  5. Context Management: Playwright’s context management allows you to maintain different states or setups for your tests. You can create a context in one test and use it in another, ensuring that you maintain separation while still allowing shared setups.

By leveraging these features, you can manage dependencies between tests effectively while maintaining the independence of individual test cases.

Playwright offers several features to help control and reduce flaky test cases:

  1. Auto-Waiting: Playwright automatically waits for elements to be ready before performing actions, which helps prevent tests from failing due to timing issues. This includes waiting for elements to be visible, enabled, or attached to the DOM.
  2. Retries: Playwright allows you to configure retries for test cases. If a test fails, it can automatically retry a specified number of times, which is useful for overcoming transient failures.
  3. Timeouts: You can set explicit timeouts for actions and assertions. This helps manage expectations for how long a test should wait for certain conditions, reducing the likelihood of flakiness caused by slow responses.
  4. Isolation of Tests: Playwright runs tests in isolated browser contexts, which prevents tests from affecting each other and helps maintain a clean state between tests.
  5. Network Interception: By intercepting network requests, you can simulate different server responses, making tests more predictable and reducing flakiness due to external factors.
  6. Detailed Logging and Reporting: Playwright provides extensive logging capabilities, allowing you to analyze failures and understand why tests might be flaky.

By leveraging these features, you can significantly reduce the occurrence of flaky test cases in your Playwright testing suite.

When it comes to using Playwright for testing, several programming languages are well-suited for different needs. Here’s a breakdown of the most commonly accepted languages:

  1. JavaScript/TypeScript:
  • Popularity: As Playwright was initially designed for JavaScript, using it with JavaScript or TypeScript provides the most seamless experience.
  • Ecosystem: It integrates well with popular testing frameworks like Jest and Mocha, making it a top choice for web application testing.
  1. Python:
  • Ease of Use: Python’s readability and simplicity make it an excellent choice for teams familiar with this language.
  • Framework Compatibility: Playwright has strong support for pytest, allowing for effective test structuring and execution.
  1. Java:
  • Enterprise Adoption: Java is widely used in enterprise environments, making it a suitable option for teams working within such frameworks.
  • Robust Ecosystem: It integrates well with testing frameworks like JUnit and TestNG, offering extensive support for structured testing.
  1. C#:
  • .NET Integration: For teams using the .NET ecosystem, C# is an ideal choice, allowing for seamless integration with existing applications and tools.
  • Framework Support: Playwright works well with NUnit and xUnit, facilitating organized testing.

Here is the Answer

The “clock” feature in Playwright allows you to manipulate time within your tests, enabling precise control over time-dependent scenarios. This feature can be particularly useful for testing applications that rely on timers, timeouts, or any scheduled events like cron jobs.

How It Works

  1. Controlling Time: By using the playwright API, you can manipulate the system clock in your tests. This means you can fast-forward time, rewind it, or set it to a specific date and time.
  2. Time Manipulation Functions: You can use functions such as page.evaluate() to modify the clock. For example, you can set a specific time or increment the clock by a certain duration.
  3. Mocking Timers: If your application uses functions like setTimeout, setInterval, or requestAnimationFrame, Playwright allows you to control these timers. This means you can trigger these events on demand, making it easier to test functionalities that rely on timing.

Use Case for Cron Jobs

Using the clock feature, you can simulate specific time events that would typically be triggered by cron jobs on the backend. For instance:

  • Testing Scheduled Tasks: You can advance the clock to a time when a scheduled task is expected to run. This helps ensure that your application behaves correctly when these tasks are triggered.
  • Avoiding Real-Time Dependencies: By manipulating time, you can test how your application responds to events without waiting for real time to pass, which enhances test speed and reliability.