A Complete Guide to Playwright with Java

The current application development market has revolutionized a lot in terms of application development and testing. For instance, app developers can quickly go through different phases of the application listing and development process simultaneously. It is a very important process as it not only helps to improve the efficiency of the testing process but also boosts the overall quality of the application undergoing the development process. In the modern era, app developers can also integrate multiple automation testing frameworks with various well-known programming languages to improve the integration in the automation test bench. For instance, one of the most well-known combinations includes the use of Playwright with the Java programming language. Playwright is one of the modern contenders in the segment of automation testing.

With this article, we will discuss all the steps that the developers have to go through for integrating Playwright with Java, we will also look into some of the best practices that can help the application developers utilize the full potential of this integration. Finally, we will complete our discussion by analyzing some of the best tools and platforms that can benefit this process.

Understanding Playwright

Playwright is an open-source cross-browser web automation platform that helps developers to run automation test cases on modern web applications across multiple browsers and platforms. One of the most unique features of this framework is that it uses a single API for executing the automation test cases on multiple platforms. Playwright is also one of the most popular choices for running automation test cases in a headless format. It is probably one of the only few platforms that allow application developers to initiate and execute headless automation testing on Microsoft Edge. Moreover, the open-source nature of Playwright ensures that all the app developers and testers can access its features without any license charges.

Since its initial introduction, Playwright has gained a lot of popularity due to its simplicity and ease of access. Moreover, the learning curve is relatively low in Playwright compared to other computers in the market. So, it is one of the most compelling options for new application developers and testers when they’re trying to make the transition.

Using Java for Automation Testing

Before understanding the role of Java in automation testing, we must have a clear conception of test automation. In simple terms, it is the process of eliminating human involvement in the application testing and development process. Instead, the system will use an elaborate text file consisting of all the required data, parameters, and information that can allow it to communicate with the app like a normal user. Based on these communications and interactions, the system will generate a detailed test report showing the usability, stability, and user interactivity of the app undergoing the development process. The app developers and testers can later go through this report to analyze whether their application is ready to be forwarded to the production phase.

We would like to mention that while using automation testing, app developers have the freedom of making significant changes in the test code to ensure that the reports are customized according to their requirements. Automation testing also allows the testers and developers to easily store, maintain and reuse a huge segment of the test code in future app projects. In this context, it is also worth mentioning that automation testing has a huge initial expense that all developers must be aware of. These expenses cover all the prerequisites for integrating multiple tools, libraries, and plugins that are critical for the smooth execution of automated test cases. So, it is advisable that the app-developing companies must have enough revenue to justify this transition.

Java, on the other hand, is one of the most popular programming languages that is being used by application developers and testers in the current industry.

Integration of Playwright with Java

It is a very simple process when the developers are trying to execute the automation test cases with Java-based files on the Playwright framework. To further simplify the understanding, we have divided the entire process into several steps. They are as follows:

1. The first step in this process is the setup of the Playwright project. In this step, the application developers have to make sure that they have the latest version of Java available on their system. In this context, we would also like to mention that it is very important to download all the relevant software from the official website of Java. It will help prevent any unnecessary malware or bugs from infecting the test machine. After the installation process, the application developers have to create a new Java project on their preferred integrated development environment. The project configuration requires the addition of Playwright dependencies by the developers of the application.
2. Time to create a new browser context and page: After the prerequisites for the testing process have been completed. Developers must interact with web content using Playwright, which is why a browser context is necessary. Also, to reach the desired browser and audience, creating browser pages is crucial for app development. The Playwright API needs to be used by app developers to initiate interaction with the page that requires testing. Navigating the page, scrolling, clicking, and filling out forms are a few examples of the common interactions that occur with all elements present on the web page, with the assistance of the page object.
3. The next step in this process is to configure the Playwright options according to the requirements of the application undergoing the development process. This configuration can also allow the application developers to control the behavior of the Playwright API according to their requirements. App developers need to remember that these options will be different based on the browser that they’re currently using. Before tinkering with the options, the app developers need to go through the Playwright Java API documentation to understand all the advanced configuration options that are available with it.
4. The final step in this process is to clean up the resources. After the developers have finished using Playwright, it is very important to ensure that they close and release all the allocated resources that have been used throughout the testing process. The easiest way of completing this process is the use of the ‘close ()’ method. Properly closing all the used resources and elements also allows the application developers to ensure that they have gracefully terminated all the browser contexts and underlying browser processes.

These are the most important steps that the application developers have to keep in mind to use Playwright with Java. However, app developers need to understand that the requirements of every app project are unique. So, to understand the specific requirements or create a customized test case, it is very important to go through the Java API documentation and Playwright’s GitHub repository. These will provide access to multiple advanced features and example test cases to clarify the understanding. Now let us understand how app developers can improve the quality of the testing process by integrating various tools and platforms with their Playwright-based Java project.

Using Tools and Platforms with Playwright Testing

Various tools and platforms can help application developers when they’re trying to execute Java-based automation test cases with Playwright. For instance, the current app developers require constant access to real devices to improve the efficiency of the test cases. However, it is a very expensive and hectic process to set up and maintain a physical device test bench. To eliminate this process, app developers can use cloud-based platforms. This is because, with these platforms, app developers can achieve similar test results while initiating and executing all the test cases over the cloud. Cloud platform achieves test accuracy by initiating the test cases on real devices present on remote servers that can be accessed through the Internet.

These are also one of the most useful sources for accessing legacy devices that are no longer available in the current market. Legacy devices play a very important part in the application compatibility sector as more than 80% of the user base has not updated their devices for two years. Finally, cloud platforms eliminate the geolocation barriers in the application test bench. In simple terms, with these platforms, app developers can initiate and execute all the automation test cases from anywhere around the world. We can further improve our understanding of the influence of cloud testing in the modern app development infrastructure by bringing in LambdaTest as our reference discussion point:

LambdaTest is a unified digital experience testing platform for initiating cloud-based automated cross-browser test cases on complex web apps. The modern app market considers automated cross-browser testing as a new standard of ensuring the best end-user experience for customers. This is because cross-browser test cases can guarantee the stability of the app irrespective of the user’s change in the operating system, device version, or any other browser parameters. LambdaTest also has unique features like parallel test execution to multiply the test efficiency by several times. While working with Playwright test cases, it can execute it on more than 50 different browsers at the same time.

Other than the Playwright automation test cases, LambdaTest also provides stable support for other popular frameworks and test suites like Selenium and Cypress. This is also one of the most compelling options when developers are trying to verify the stability of locally hosted web pages. These web pages are used by a company for its internal operations. While using LambdaTest for automated cross-browser testing, the app developers can also maintain an activity log to keep track of all the completed and ongoing test cases. Finally, LambdaTest ensures the highest amount of test accuracy by the integration of test reports from not only hundreds of real devices but thousands of simulations and emulation softwares.

The Conclusion

The primary motive of this article was to guide the new application developers and testers through the integration of Playwright with Java. We are slowly moving towards the app development market that will be completely dependent on automation testing practices. So, to keep up with this advancing era, app developers should not only adapt to this new trend but also try their best to keep their knowledge updated regarding all the new automation testing trends and innovations. The app development companies can also help in this transition with the help of various awareness campaigns and seminars that can spread the required knowledge regarding healthy automation testing practices. Finally, app developers need to choose the correct tool that can complement the app development requirements and preferences.