Introduction to GitHub Actions and Playwright

Setting up GitHub Actions for Playwright

1. Create a GitHub Repository: Start by creating a new repository on GitHub if you haven’t already.
2. Workflow File: GitHub Actions workflows are defined in YAML files within the .github/workflows directory. Create a .yml file (e.g., playwright_workflow.yml) in that directory.
3. Defining Workflow: Define your workflow, including triggering events, jobs, and steps. For Playwright, you’ll need Node.js installed, dependencies installed, and appropriate scripts.

name: Playwright Testing

on: [push, pull_request]

jobs:
  test:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest

    steps:
    - uses: actions/checkout@v2

    - name: Set up Node.js
      uses: actions/setup-node@v2
      with:
        node-version: '14'

    - name: Install dependencies
      run: npm install

    - name: Run Playwright tests
      run: npm test

Writing Playwright Tests:

With GitHub Actions set up, you can now write Playwright tests in your project.

Example (using Jest and Playwright):

– Install necessary packages:

npm install --save-dev jest playwright

– Write a Playwright test:

Assuming a simple test to open a browser and check a webpage:

// test.spec.js

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

describe('My Test Suite', () => {
  let browser;
  let page;

  beforeAll(async () => {
    browser = await chromium.launch();
    page = await browser.newPage();
  });

  afterAll(async () => {
    await browser.close();
  });

  it('should open a page and assert title', async () => {
    await page.goto('https://example.com');
    const pageTitle = await page.title();
    expect(pageTitle).toBe('Example Domain');
  });
});

– Run the tests locally:

npm test

Incorporating Tests into GitHub Actions

Commit and push your changes to trigger the GitHub Actions workflow. GitHub will automatically execute the defined Playwright tests on each push or pull request, based on your configuration.

Additional Considerations

Workflow Configuration:

• Triggering Events: Define when the workflow should run. This can include events like push, pull_request, schedule, or others based on your needs.
• Job Setup: Configure the job that will run your Playwright tests. Specify the operating system, environment, and steps required for your tests to execute successfully.

Matrix Strategy (Optional):

• For testing against multiple environments (different browsers, versions, OS), you can use a matrix strategy to run tests across various configurations simultaneously.

strategy:
  matrix:
    browser: [chromium, firefox, webkit]
    node-version: [14.x, 16.x]
    os: [ubuntu-latest, windows-latest, macos-latest]

Running Playwright Tests:

Use the run command to execute your Playwright tests. Ensure that the required dependencies are installed (npm install or any other setup commands).

- name: Run Playwright tests
  run: npm test

Using Caching (Optional):

To speed up workflows, consider caching dependencies. Cache Node modules or other dependencies to avoid redundant installations in every workflow run.

- name: Cache node modules
  uses: actions/cache@v2
  with:
    path: ~/.npm
    key: ${{ runner.os }}-node-${{ hashFiles('**/package-lock.json') }}
    restore-keys: |
      ${{ runner.os }}-node-

Environment Variables and Secrets:

If your tests require environment variables or secrets, set them within the workflow file using GitHub Secrets or environment variables available in GitHub Actions.

- name: Run Playwright tests with environment variables
  env:
    MY_SECRET: ${{ secrets.MY_SECRET }}
  run: npm test

Artifacts and Reporting:

Collect artifacts generated during the test run. These could include logs, screenshots, or any other files for further analysis.

- name: Archive test artifacts
  uses: actions/upload-artifact@v2
  with:
    name: test-results
    path: path/to/artifacts

Notifications:

Notify team members or stakeholders about the test results using GitHub Actions’ notification mechanisms, like Slack notifications or email alerts.

- name: Notify on test failure
  if: failure()
  run: echo "Tests failed! Notify the team."