Playwright Introduction Lecture

Jun 24, 2024

Playwright Introduction

Presenter

  • Pavan from SDA Channel

Overview

  • New series on Playwright
  • Comparison with Selenium and Cypress

What is Playwright?

  • Official website: playwright.dev
  • Enables reliable end-to-end testing for modern web applications
  • Automates web applications, APIs, browser-based mobile apps (not native mobile apps)

Key Features

  • Multi-OS Support: Windows, Linux, Mac
  • Multi-Language Support: JavaScript, TypeScript, Java, Python, .NET
  • Multi-browser Support: Chrome, Chromium-based browsers (Opera, Edge, Brave, etc.), WebKit (Safari), Firefox
  • Free and Open Source: No need for licenses, customizable

Supported Architectures

Applications

  • Web applications
  • Mobile web apps
  • APIs

Programming Languages

  • JavaScript, TypeScript
  • Java
  • Python
  • .NET

Browsers

  • Chromium-based (e.g., Opera, Edge, Brave)
  • WebKit (Safari)
  • Firefox
  • Both headed and headless modes

Operating Systems

  • Windows
  • Linux
  • Mac

Features of Playwright

  • Free and Open Source: No license required, customizable
  • Multi-Language, Multi-Browser, Multi-OS Support
  • Easy Setup and Configuration
  • Automates Functional Tests and APIs
  • Supports Accessibility Testing (via third-party plugins)
  • Built-in Reporters: Generate custom reports effortlessly
  • CI/CD Compatibility: Supports Docker, Jenkins
  • Parallel Testing: Built-in support, no need for TestNG
  • Auto-Wait Mechanism: Solves synchronization problems, reduces need for explicit waits
  • Built-in Assertions: Reduces flaky tests
  • Multi-Tab and Multi-Window Support
  • Iframe and Shadow DOM Support
  • Parameterization: For flexible test execution
  • Mobile Emulation: Test mobile web browsers
  • Fast Execution: Faster than Selenium and Cypress

Documentation and Community

  • Comprehensive Documentation: Available for all supported languages (Node.js, Python, Java, .NET)
  • Community Support: GitHub, StackOverflow, YouTube, blogs

Comparison with Selenium and Cypress

Browser Supported

  • Playwright: Chromium, WebKit, Firefox
  • Selenium: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, etc.
  • Cypress: Chrome, Firefox, Edge

Programming Languages Supported

  • Playwright: JavaScript, TypeScript, Java, Python, .NET
  • Selenium: Multiple via WebDriver
  • Cypress: JavaScript, TypeScript

Operating Systems Supported

  • All three tools: Windows, Mac OS, Linux

Headless Mode

  • All three tools: Supported

Cross-Browser Testing

  • All three tools: Supported
  • Selenium: Requires TestNG for multi-browser

Parallel Execution

  • Playwright and Cypress: Built-in support
  • Selenium: Requires TestNG

Auto-Wait Mechanism

  • Playwright and Cypress: Built-in
  • Selenium: Uses implicit/explicit waits

Multi-Tab and Multi-Window Support

  • Playwright and Selenium: Supported
  • Cypress: Not supported

Real-Time Test Execution

  • Cypress: Only tool supporting this

Debugging

  • Playwright and Cypress: Built-in debuggers, DevTools integration
  • Selenium: Uses browser developer tools and Java debugger

API Testing

  • Playwright and Cypress: Built-in support
  • Selenium: Requires third-party libraries

Community Support

  • Selenium: Established community
  • Playwright and Cypress: Growing communities

Testing Frameworks

  • Playwright: Jest, Mocha
  • Selenium: Requires integration with TestNG, etc.
  • Cypress: Uses Mocha internally

Performance

  • Playwright and Cypress: Faster than Selenium

Conclusion

  • Playwright supports multiple operating systems, browsers, and languages, similar to Selenium.
  • Open-source and customizable.
  • Popularity growing because of ease of use and comprehensive features.
  • Recommended to learn JavaScript for Playwright.

Next Steps

  • Next session: Playwright installation and writing basic tests

Thanks for watching, see you in the next video!