If developer talks about automated testing for web applications, the first thing that comes to their minds is Selenium.
Currently, there are many famous web automation tools on the market such as Selenium, Puppeteer, Cypress, Playwright, etc. Among this, Playwright becomes another new evolution of Test Automation. It has emerged from the storm like this new tool will rule through Test Automation. Many people question, Will the playwright be the next selenium? Let’s see…
Looking into selenium, what makes it popular? – Selenium is an open-source web browser automation tool probably a widely used one. It has been around for over a decade and has become the de facto standard for browser automation.
Selenium can run its test cases against any web browser and supports multiple programming languages. Its versatile API supports multiple operating systems, Cross-browser testing, and parallel testing. Still, it plays a role very well in the field. Hence, it became an evergreen testing tool.
Starting with Playwright
Now looking into Playwright, a new open-source test automation tool runs against any operating system like Windows, macOS, or Linux. It is a web browser testing framework that supports multiple languages, so there is no need to switch programming languages to work on it.
As Playwright is well documented, we can learn everything about this tool which is an amazing thing. The first release of Playwright was in 2020. Microsoft hired the people who created Puppeteer to create a playwright tool. It provides better cross-browser testing coverage since it supports Chrome, Firefox, and WebKit, while Puppeteer only supports Chrome and Chromium. Hence, this has a long way to go and can be the future…
Let’s Probe Features
Automated Test Creation – Playwright provides an API that enables developers to easily create automated tests for web applications without requiring complex coding. It allows them to quickly define test scenarios and run them in different browsers for cross-browser compatibility.
Automated Visual Verification – It can automatically detect visual differences between browsers and versions, making it easier to identify and fix issues.
Performance Testing – Playwright allows developers to measure web application performance by testing web page responsiveness and comparing the performance of different browsers and versions.
Automated Debugging – Playwright makes debugging easier by providing an API that can be used to set breakpoints, pause and step through code, and view logs.
Cross-Browser Compatibility – It is designed to be cross-browser-compatible, allowing developers to write tests and run them in different browsers without having to rewrite code. This makes it easier to ensure that web applications are compatible with different browsers and versions.
Headless execution – Playwright also supports headless execution, allowing developers to run tests without a visible browser window. This is useful for running tests on server-side applications or when testing performance in an automated way.
Why Playwright?
Playwright provides modern browser architecture and helps in the end-to-end testing process. Some of the features which make the playwright brighter
Speed of Execution – The speed of the execution is going to be super-fast which is 40% faster than selenium.
Less flakiness – Tracing ability and Test retry strategy eliminates 70% of Flakiness
Easy to code – Playwright is extremely easy to learn and aside from that, you can use it without adding complexity to your test code.
Inbuild waits – As the flakiness is less there are no artificial time outs, hence it is 60% better than other open-source frameworks.
Developer Tools and videos – It is useful for a better understanding of execution.
API integration – Single framework and One API to automate multiple operating systems.
The Transition from Selenium to Playwright
The migration process from Selenium to Playwright is very straightforward.
As technology advances, new tools are being developed to simplify and automate testing user interfaces (UI). Selenium, one of the most popular tools for UI automation, has been around for a while but is now it moving to Playwright, as a modern alternative. Selenium has served its purpose, but Playwright is ushering in a new era of automated UI testing with its advanced features and capabilities.
Playwright also has powerful features such as automatic screenshots and detailed reports, making it easier to debug tests. It has a simple API that is easy to learn, making it accessible to developers of all levels. It will be easier to learn playwright if you know selenium well.
Conclusion
There is no doubt, the playwright is a great Framework for Automation Testing, and that has a long way to go. Yes, Selenium is still great, but the future is going to be a playwright.
Get updated on the playwright with us…
Author's Bio:
As CEO of TestLeaf, I’m dedicated to transforming software testing by empowering individuals with real-world skills and advanced technology. With 24+ years in software engineering, I lead our mission to shape local talent into global software professionals. Join us in redefining the future of test engineering and making a lasting impact in the tech world.
Babu Manickam
CEO – Testleaf
