How will you debug your Playwright tests? Here, we have listed top tips for debugging your Playwright tests. Playwright is an open-source tool widely used in automated tests and is provided under an Apache license. Playwright has introduced browsers in the headless mode, but it can use them in headless mode. It uses one of the recent and growing headless automation libraries. Introduced by Microsoft in January 2020, the Playwright is a part of the Node.JS library.
Many different browsers are compatible with Playwright.
- One of the factors contributing to its rising popularity is that it supports several languages, including Node.js, C#, Java, and Python.
- Playwright tests can run smoothly on Webkit, Firefox, and Chromium-based browsers.
- It is compatible with Linux, Windows, and macOS.
What is Debugging?
You found some flaws in the software after creating it and running it through all of its tests. What now? In any case, after the completion of testing phase, the debugging process will begin. Debugging is the process of fixing the problems found during the testing period. You can perform automated testing, but debugging is a manual process and requires the intervention of the software development teamsThe bugs can be located and rectified with the help of specialized software called a debugger.
The testers’ report carries out the process of repairing bugs. The code is sent to the tester for further testing after the bug has been fixed, and it is then decided if it is ready or not for release. Also, the resulting product must be on par with the expected output.
In other words, Debugging is the root cause of errors, followed by resolving them. The process is essential for any testing process as it:
- Eliminates all complexities.
- Identifies the exact error.
- Helps in resolving issues faster.
- Mentions the evidence for analyzing the software quality further.
- It also hands over the right way to validate the functionalities of dynamic values.
The debugging process includes the below-stated steps:
- Write down the error.
- Suppose the location of the error is based on expertise.
- Put up the debugger breakpoints.
- Now analyze the code step by step while running.
- Look for the exact location causing the error.
- Resolve the line of code.
- Now validate the code and take it further for release.
How to Debug Playwright Tests?
Here we are listing the critical features for Playwright to debug tests:
- Playwright Inspector: It is a GUI tool with an in-built framework. There is no need for additional configuration to use the tool.
- Playwright Trace Viewer: Playwright debugging uses the Trace Viewer functionality. Also, it is a GUI tool that showcases all the instances put down when executing the tests. The Trace Viewer can be used on the browser or using CLI.
- Browser Developer Tools: DevTools, an important browser part, is used for easy debugging. Browser Developer Tools, called DevTools, are available for running Playwright tests. Many browsers have this functionality, but the shortcut keys can differ from one browser to another.
- Visual Studio Code Debugger: Visual Studio Code and Playwright work with each other well. Assume you know how to operate C# or Java and aspire to debug by applying the traditional debugging style of unsetting and setting breakpoints or IDE breakpoints. Playwright can help you by providing the same debugging points for the issue.
- Verbose API logs: It is one of the other ways to debug the Playwright test, which allows the QA expert to look at verbose logs followed by analyzing scripts.
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Top 8 Tips for Debugging Your Playwright Tests
Many developers face many issues in their careers, and it becomes pretty frustrating when you have to spend nights cleaning up the mess. Developers and testers spend much time debugging the code, sometimes taking weeks. Debugging is always about identifying the source of error, looking for its causes, examining the hypothesis, and trying all possible solutions to remove the error. Let’s discuss some of the tips for debugging your Playwright tests:
Have a look at the below tips for debugging the Playwright tests:
1. Error Codes
When a user tries to visit a specific address but cannot do so, HTTP errors occurs. HTTP error codes usually indicate the type of error that occurs. If you are familiar with these codes, you will save time because they will help you diagnose the issues more quickly and accurately.
It is beneficial to be aware of some more frequent events, even though memorizing all the codes is impossible. You’ll get a long way with this. When you have trouble, look up the error code because this will give you a better understanding of the problem’s nature and how to fix it.
2. Prioritization
Any developer must get knowledgeable about the characteristics and capabilities of their software. Everyone involved should know how a reported point may affect the software. The developer can keep it at the preferred rate until they get instructions for the next build. This makes it possible to prioritize which bugs need to be fixed first.
3. Bug Reproduction
Always replicate a copy of the bug before making the changes to the application if you are a debugger. This is important to avoid repeating tasks. You will lose your progress on the topic if someone simultaneously opens the same ticket. This way, you will lose all progress in no time. Therefore, to avoid such happening, it is recommended to reproduce the code to be modified before being put together into the actual application.
4. Usage of comments
For any language, the comment section is not just to mention a code in your coding or to explain it. Here you can mention how to debug the code with Playwright Testing. Many developers and testers in their start years overpass the importance of using comments to debug the code. You can temporarily pick up a piece of code and analysis, but remember that you must run that code at that time. Check the other part of the code to know which is causing the error. It is pretty easy to identify the remaining code and see the mistake.
5. Binary Search
Identifying a complicated error in one of the buggy files is challenging, exceptionally when thousands of code lines are already executed. In this scenario, you had to check at many places. So, to avoid this issue, the other best thing is to implement a binary search. The process lets you bifurcate the whole code into two parts. You can comment on one of the parts and run the other part. You can identify the position with an error and repeat the process with the piece until you find the actual code causing the error.
6. Use Print Statements
It is one of the favorite and great tools for testers and developers, especially if you are a beginner just debugging the code. Upon executing it, you will find that most debugging issues are already solved by inserting the relevant print statement in the code. Print the object, variables, and array; if there is an issue, check the data values. Now print the variable, and you can check the console for the values stored correctly.
7. Look for Help
If you have been trying for a long time and have implemented everything but cannot identify them, then it can be a complex issue, and in such a scenario, you should look for help. Speak to your senior, explain everything, including solutions you have already tried and assumptions, and show the code giving an error. Seek help from others to get the solution. Since they may suggest another scenario, you have forgotten to implement it and can help you resolve the issues.
8. Automate Tests
The procedure is quite popular and is used by many companies to identify bugs. Unite and Automate tests are applied to check if the output matches the expected one. You can perform this using a debugging tool or implying some test scripts where we have executed the software with a particular input. Write a unit test and check its outcome to see if you have the assumptions or hypotheses. Mentioning these tests will traverse the code, and their behavior will help identify the bug.
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Things to Remember for Debugging Your Playwright Tests
- Always put your attention on one problem at a time. You must discover another flaw when trying to solve the first one. Therefore you should be cautious not to break the other code.
- Always pick one issue at a time, deal with it, and then go on to the next issue. Otherwise, you risk becoming confused, and the situation can be impossible to handle.
- You may find small mistakes by carefully scanning your code, like omitted commas, semicolons, or brackets. You should always read your code carefully because there is a bigger chance that your code will not exactly match what your instructor is trying to teach you if you are starting and learning how to code.
- You must maintain the most recent version if you use any framework. Stay current on changes the businesses you work with may have made to such frameworks.
- Get up from your computer and walk around the room to clear your thoughts if your patience wanes or you are tired. Alter your course of action for a while.
- Please spend some time relaxing your eyes by doing something like listening to music, drinking some water, or giving them a break. You must develop a different way to debug your code or realize that restarting everything after a brief break helps you identify a fix.
LambdaTest offers a great solution to all your testing and debugging requirements. LambdaTest is a cloud-based testing platform that allows developers to perform cross-browser testing of web and mobile applications, providing several tools and features to support tasks, including support for over 3000+ browsers and device combinations.
Also Check: How to Coordinate the Automated and Manual Testing?
Wrapping Up!
Automation Testing and debugging Playwright tests are accessible and compatible with LambdaTest. It allows developers to write scripts in different programming languages to automate the testing of web applications. To use Playwright with LambdaTest, you must set up an account with LambdaTest and install the Playwright library in your development environment. Once you are done, you can use Playwright to write scripts running on the LambdaTest platform in different environments. Debugging and testing are the two critical phases of the Software Development Life Cycle. They will help you build your confidence in the web app or website you are making before you can release it in the market or if you are making changes to the existing one. Every application and website undergoes debugging and testing, and until the application is alive, the process is ongoing.
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