Playwright

Playwright is a powerful end-to-end testing framework developed by Microsoft that automates browser interactions for web applications. It supports multiple programming languages, including JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, C#, and Java. Playwright works seamlessly with major browsers such as Chromium, Firefox, and WebKit, providing robust tools for functional testing, web scraping, and automation.

Also known as : Browser automation framework.

Comparisons

• Playwright vs. Selenium : Playwright offers more modern and consistent APIs and natively supports multiple browser contexts and devices. Selenium, while older and widely used, may require additional configurations for features like parallel testing.

• Playwright vs. Puppeteer : Playwright supports cross-browser automation, whereas Puppeteer is primarily limited to Chromium-based browsers.

Pros

• Cross-browser support : Automates testing on Chromium, Firefox, and WebKit.

• Multi-language support : Flexible for developers familiar with various languages.

• Powerful tooling : Features like headless mode, network interception, and screenshot capabilities enhance productivity.

• Parallel testing : Enables running multiple tests simultaneously for faster results.

Cons

• Learning curve : Requires familiarity with browser contexts and asynchronous programming.

• Heavy setup : May require installation of browser drivers or dependencies.

Example

Here’s an example of using Playwright to test a web page:

const { chromium } = require('playwright');

(async () => {
  const browser = await chromium.launch();
  const page = await browser.newPage();
  await page.goto('https://example.com');

  const title = await page.title();
  console.log(`Page title: ${title}`);

  await browser.close();
})();