Performing Regression Testing With Playwright and Java: Best Practices

Regression testing is the process of performing a testing process many times for various test cases for numerous times. Playwright is a test automation tool for web applications and when combined with Java language, Playwright Java becomes a very efficient tool for regression testing of web applications.

It makes your Playwright testing performance more efficient, and powerful. This library supports web browsers such as Firefox, WebKit, Chromium, etc by only a single API. In this article, we will discuss what Playwright Java is, its uses, and the best practices for regression testing with Playwright and Java.

What is Playwright Java?

Playwright Java is an open-source library that is used to perform automation testing for web applications. Using this library, you can create interactive and powerful web applications. Playwright is also used to perform single-page or multi-page application testing before making them live for the users.

Using Playwright and Java for regression testing can be done on various types of operating systems like macOS, Windows, Linux, etc. And to perform the regression testing on various operating systems, you do not need to make any kind of changes in your code. You can run the same code application on this operating system to perform regression testing.

Apart from various operating system compatibility, this tool also supports various web browsers such as MS Edge, Chrome, Safari, etc. This compatibility across different web browsers helps to ensure a seamless and smooth user-experience for all types of users. This tool provides you with the option to select all the elements of the web application individually and you can perform the regression testing process over them by using the friendly API provided by the Playwright.

This tool helps you to integrate with the CI/CD pipeline so that you can execute automated tests for various stages of the software testing process. Playwright Java also has the option to perform visual regression testing that helps to get s snapshots of visuals at every stage of the testing process, so that you can compare them visually too. You can automate some real time stuff for testing such as scrolling, clicking, etc.

Use of Playwright with other languages

Playwright Java is compatible with many other programming languages too. For example, it supports Python, C#, and NodeJS that makes it a versatile and powerful option for regression testing. Playwright is especially well-liked with NodeJS using Javascript/Typescript because of its Apache 2.0 Licence.

Best Practices for Regression Testing with Playwright and Java

You can efficiently ensure user behaviour, enhance maintainability, and boost overall test quality in Playwright Java test automation by adhering to these best practices.

Test User-Visible Behavior

Always remember to verify the application code from the user’s point of view. Doing this makes your code more user-friendly and eventually it will increase the efficiency of the project. Try to make interaction with the user elements and rendered output.

Isolate Test

Execute all the tests of the regression testing process separately using separate storage, data and cookies for their own. Using separate resources for the testing process increases efficiency and productivity. Also, it makes the debugging process easy and it helps to prevent any kind of cascading error or failures in future.

Testing with a Database

Always try to test the project with a stable and good data environment. Performing regression testing with a database helps to ensure consistency and efficiency in the operating system. It also helps to check for different web browser versions.

Naming Conventions

Try to use some descriptive names for all the test cases and all the test methods involved in the regression testing process. Using descriptive names for the functions and methods help us to make the code more comprehensive and easy to read. Also, it helps to get identified easily in case of test failure.

Utilize Before and After Hooks

Try to reduce the repetition of test cases in your testing process. and set a common condition for the testing process. Before performing the hookups, try to perform some actions such as to navigate through a URL that is specific to the project. You can also log in into the application.

Avoid Testing Third-Party Dependencies

Do not perform the regression testing process using the third-party dependencies. Instead try to focus on the testing elements that you have control over. You can use the Playwright Network API. It will help to execute your testing process more accurately for reliable testing.

Code Reusability

While performing the regression testing try to use the helper functions and classes to improve the code reusability. Using these techniques helps to prevent you from writing the same code again and again in your testing process. Also there are various data management techniques that can be used to improve the code reusability. Try to encapsulate the functions that have common functionality in a single method so that it can be used many times in your program.

Test Case Design

While performing the regression testing using Playwright and Java, try to create modular test cases. Modular test cases will help to focus your testing process for every functionalities of the project. Always follow the AAA pattern. AAA stands for Arrange-Act-Assert that helps to increase the readability of the project.

Advantages of Playwright and Java for Regression Testing

There are various advantages of performing regression testing with Playwright and Java. Given below are some of them:

●     Element Locator

Element locator is used to recognize the web elements using the various parameters such as CSS selectors, XPath, text content and others. Element locators also help to make an easy interaction with all the elements separately on a page.

●     Handling Wait Times

Wait time is defined as the time that takes to respond and the changes are visible on the web pages after any activity is done. The wait time is handled by the built-in methods of the program. The wait time may be for different factors such as element visibility, selecting and typing, navigation of the elements in a page, scrolling, etc.

●     Assertions

Assertions are defined as the results that are being expected with the assertion methods. This also includes the element presence, attributes, and the values.

●     Interacting with Web Elements

Using the Playwright and Java for regression testing also have advantages over other programming languages in terms of web interaction. It provides an easy and seamless interaction with all the elements of the web page. This is possible in this framework due to the intuitive API methods that are used for clicking, typing, selecting, and scrolling through the elements of the web page.

Playwright and Java Techniques for Test Automation

There are many advanced and powerful techniques that can be used by the testing team of regression testing with Playwright and Java. Given below are some of them:

Customize Test Automation Framework

Playwright is an excellent option for modifying a test automation framework. For those moving from Selenium, its broad language support and potent features allow a smooth transition. By utilizing the DevTools protocol, Playwright enables reliable and stable automated tests that offer more detailed analyses of the browser and more accurate user scenarios.

Manage Multiple Environment

Have there ever been times when you had to test your application in various settings, such as development, staging, and production? You have the ability to easily manage many test settings with Playwright. Playwright may be easily configured to switch between many settings, ensuring that your tests are reliably run against the appropriate setup each time.

Recreate real-world situations in various settings to identify potential problems and guarantee a positive user experience. The handling of environment-specific configurations, such as URLs, credentials, and API endpoints, is versatile and simple with Playwright. You can run your tests across several environments and adjust them to different setups with just a few lines of code. When you want to swap environments, you won’t need to manually modify your test scripts any longer.

Automated and Parallel Test Execution

Playwright is essential for running numerous tests concurrently across various browsers when it comes to parallel testing because it helps you save time and work. Playwright’s parallel testing features let you easily perform cross-browser tests and guarantee thorough test coverage.

LambdaTest is an AI-powered test orchestration and execution platform that allows you to perform automation testing with Playwright on an online browser farm of 50+ browser versions on a scalable cloud grid. With LambdaTest, developers & QA engineers can speed up their time to market and ensure quality web experience.

Conclusion

Playwright Java is an open-source library that is used to perform automation testing for web applications. Performing regression testing using the Playwright and Java can be done on various types of operating systems like macOS, Windows, Linux, etc. Also, it supports various web browsers such as MS Edge, Chrome, Safari, etc which helps to ensure a seamless and smooth user experience for all types of users.

Playwright Java is supported with many other programming languages such as Python, C#, and NodeJS which makes it versatile and powerful. Some of the best practices to perform regression testing with Playwright and Java are to test user-visible behaviour, isolate the test cases, code reusability, avoid testing with third party tools, etc.