Playwright
Playwright is an E2E testing framework for modern web applications developed by Microsoft. It enables reliable automated testing with a single API that supports major browser engines: Chromium, Firefox, and WebKit.
Features
The main features of Playwright are as follows:
- Cross-browser testing (Chromium, Firefox, WebKit)
- Cross-platform support (Windows, Linux, macOS)
- Multiple programming language support (JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, .NET, Java)
- Mobile web emulation
- Elimination of flaky tests through auto-waiting
- Support for both headless and headed execution
Playwright includes an auto-waiting feature that automatically waits for elements to be actionable before performing actions. This eliminates the need for artificial timeouts (a major cause of unstable tests) and allows for writing more reliable tests with simplicity.
Installation
Playwright provides its own test runner (Playwright Test). The easiest way to get started is to run:
npm init playwright@latest
Or, for manual installation:
npm i -D @playwright/test
# Install supported browsers
npx playwright install
You can also install specific browsers only.
License
Playwright is open-source software provided under the Apache-2.0 license.
microsoft/playwright: Playwright is a framework for Web Testing and Automation.
Documentation
Playwright provides comprehensive documentation, covering everything from basic usage to advanced features.
API Reference
Playwright also offers detailed API references for each supported language.
MOONGIFT Eye
Playwright is a framework that balances reliability and efficiency in modern web application test automation. Its ability to test multiple browser engines with a single API is particularly valuable for ensuring cross-browser compatibility.
The auto-waiting feature that eliminates flaky tests contributes to improved reliability in CI/CD pipelines. Additionally, support for multiple programming languages makes it easy to integrate into existing projects.
Being developed by Microsoft and having over 72,000 stars on GitHub at the time of writing indicates strong community support and ongoing development. It's a tool worth considering for development teams aiming to improve web application quality.
