Automating Continuous Testing with Playwright and Selenium Grid

Continuous testing has emerged as a crucial technique in the dynamic field of software development. Early problem detection, better code quality, and assurance that new features won’t negatively affect existing functionality are all made possible by this technique. Automation testing has seen a revolution in recent years thanks to the emergence of strong testing frameworks like Playwright and the scalability of Selenium Grid. This has made it possible for teams to deploy and automate continuous testing with increased efficiency and dependability.

We will explore the principles of continuous testing, and the advantages of Playwright and Selenium Grid. Also how to set up an automating continuous testing with playwright and selenium grid in this blog.

1. Understanding Continuous Testing

Firstly, it’s necessary to understand the idea of continuous testing before delving into the technical specifics. Additionally, continuous testing is a methodology that involves running automated tests continuously throughout the duration of the software development life cycle. Therefore, it makes certain that new code modifications are adequately tested before being incorporated into the codebase. This prevents the buildup of bugs and cutting down on the time needed for bug remediation.

2.Playwright: The Rising Star of Automation

Microsoft created Playwright, a potent open-source automation framework. Playwright enables developers to create tests that interact with online applications across a variety of platforms, including mobile devices, and browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc.). We’ll examine the special merits and features of Playwright that make it the best option for automating continuous testing with playwright

// Example Playwright test case
const { chromium } = require('playwright');
(async () => {
const browser = await chromium.launch();
const context = await browser.newContext();
const page = await context.newPage();
await page.goto('https://example.com');
await page.fill('input[name="username"]', 'testuser');
await page.fill('input[name="password"]', 'testpassword');
await page.click('button[type="submit"]');
await page.waitForURL('https://example.com/dashboard');
await browser.close();
})();

3. Selenium Grid: Scalable Testing Infrastructure

The Selenium suite includes Selenium Grid, which enables simultaneous test execution across many settings and browsers. We’ll discuss how Selenium Grid makes it possible to efficiently distribute test cases, reducing testing time as a whole and maximizing resource consumption.

4. Integrating Playwright with Selenium Grid

Even while Selenium Grid and Playwright each offer robust testing capabilities on their own, integrating them can produce an enhanced testing scenario. Moreover, we’ll look into how to mix Selenium Grid and Playwright to benefit from each framework’s strengths. Additionally, Playwright tests may now be run concurrently across many browser configurations thanks to this connectivity, which helps developers get faster feedback on code changes

// Example Playwright test with Selenium Grid integration
const { devices, chromium } = require('playwright');
(async () => {
const browser = await chromium.connect({
browserURL: 'http://localhost:4444/wd/hub', // Selenium Grid hub URL
});
const context = await browser.newContext({
…devices['iPhone 11'],
locale: 'en-US',
});
const page = await context.newPage();
await page.goto('https://example.com');
await page.fill('input[name="username"]', 'testuser');
await page.fill('input[name="password"]', 'testpassword');
await page.click('button[type="submit"]');
await page.waitForURL('https://example.com/dashboard');
await browser.close();
})();

5. Setting up an Automated Continuous Testing Pipeline

1: Set up Selenium Grid

1. Install Docker: If you haven’t already, install Docker on the machine that will host your Selenium Grid hub and nodes. Docker simplifies the process of managing containers for Selenium Grid.
2. Set up Selenium Grid Hub: Pull the Selenium Grid Docker image and run the Selenium Grid hub container. The hub acts as a centralized control point for distributing test execution to various nodes.
   docker pull selenium/hub
docker run -d -p 4444:4444 --name selenium-hub selenium/hub

3. Set up Selenium Grid Nodes: To enable parallel test execution, set up multiple Selenium Grid nodes, each representing a different browser and platform configuration.
   docker pull selenium/node-chrome
   docker run -d -P –link selenium-hub:hub –name chrome-node selenium/node-chrome

2: Install Playwright and Dependencies

1. Install Node.js and npm: Ensure that you have Node.js and npm (Node Package Manager) installed on your system.
2. Create a new Node.js project: Set up a new Node.js project or navigate to an existing one where you’ll write your Playwright test scripts.
3. Install Playwright: Install Playwright and its dependencies.
   npm install playwright

3: Create Playwright Test Scripts

1. Create Playwright test files: Write your test scripts using Playwright. You can create separate test files for different parts of your application or group them as needed.
2. Implement test suites: Organize your test scripts into test suites

6. Best Practices for Successful Continuous Testing

If you want to maximize productivity and profit from continuous testing utilizing Playwright and Selenium Grid, you must adhere to best practices.. We’ll highlight key pointers and tactics that will ensure your automated testing pipeline operates efficiently, delivering feedback in a timely manner, and preserving the integrity of your application.

Useful Links

For any references visit-https://playwright.dev/

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