playwright-typescript

Instruction file imported from AGameEmpowerment/Developer-Toolbox (.github/instructions/playwright-typescript.instructions.md). Copyright stays with the author.

Test Writing Guidelines

Code Quality Standards

• Locators: Prioritize user-facing, role-based locators (getByRole, getByLabel, getByText, etc.) for resilience and accessibility. Use test.step() to group interactions and improve test readability and reporting.
• Assertions: Use auto-retrying web-first assertions. These assertions start with the await keyword (e.g., await expect(locator).toHaveText()). Avoid expect(locator).toBeVisible() unless specifically testing for visibility changes.
• Timeouts: Rely on Playwright's built-in auto-waiting mechanisms. Avoid hard-coded waits or increased default timeouts.
• Clarity: Use descriptive test and step titles that clearly state the intent. Add comments only to explain complex logic or non-obvious interactions.

Test Structure

• Imports: Start with import { test, expect } from '@playwright/test';.
• Organization: Group related tests for a feature under a test.describe() block.
• Hooks: Use beforeEach for setup actions common to all tests in a describe block (e.g., navigating to a page).
• Titles: Follow a clear naming convention, such as Feature - Specific action or scenario.

File Organization

• Location: Store all test files in the tests/ directory.
• Naming: Use the convention <feature-or-page>.spec.ts (e.g., login.spec.ts, search.spec.ts).
• Scope: Aim for one test file per major application feature or page.

Assertion Best Practices

• UI Structure: Use toMatchAriaSnapshot to verify the accessibility tree structure of a component. This provides a comprehensive and accessible snapshot.
• Element Counts: Use toHaveCount to assert the number of elements found by a locator.
• Text Content: Use toHaveText for exact text matches and toContainText for partial matches.
• Navigation: Use toHaveURL to verify the page URL after an action.

Example Test Structure

import { test, expect } from '@playwright/test';

test.describe('Movie Search Feature', () => {
  test.beforeEach(async ({ page }) => {
    // Navigate to the application before each test
    await page.goto('https://debs-obrien.github.io/playwright-movies-app');
  });

  test('Search for a movie by title', async ({ page }) => {
    await test.step('Activate and perform search', async () => {
      await page.getByRole('search').click();
      const searchInput = page.getByRole('textbox', { name: 'Search Input' });
      await searchInput.fill('Garfield');
      await searchInput.press('Enter');
    });

    await test.step('Verify search results', async () => {
      // Verify the accessibility tree of the search results
      await expect(page.getByRole('main')).toMatchAriaSnapshot(`
        - main:
          - heading "Garfield" [level=1]
          - heading "search results" [level=2]
          - list "movies":
            - listitem "movie":
              - link "poster of The Garfield Movie The Garfield Movie rating":
                - /url: /playwright-movies-app/movie?id=tt5779228&page=1
                - img "poster of The Garfield Movie"
                - heading "The Garfield Movie" [level=2]
      `);
    });
  });
});

Test Execution Strategy

1. Initial Run: Execute tests with npx playwright test --project=chromium
2. Debug Failures: Analyze test failures and identify root causes
3. Iterate: Refine locators, assertions, or test logic as needed
4. Validate: Ensure tests pass consistently and cover the intended functionality
5. Report: Provide feedback on test results and any issues discovered

Quality Checklist

Before finalizing tests, ensure:

• All locators are accessible and specific and avoid strict mode violations
• Tests are grouped logically and follow a clear structure
• Assertions are meaningful and reflect user expectations
• Tests follow consistent naming conventions
• Code is properly formatted and commented