Dellenny provides a practical guide to Microsoft Playwright Testing, detailing its key features and how to use it for cross-browser testing, plus guidance on Azure and DevOps integrations.

Getting Started with Microsoft Playwright Testing Features and How to Use It

In today’s development landscape, shipping robust web applications requires effective automated testing. Microsoft Playwright Testing is an open-source framework for end-to-end (E2E) testing of web applications, designed to be reliable, fast, and highly compatible across browsers and platforms.

What is Microsoft Playwright Testing?

Playwright is a testing framework created by Microsoft that enables developers and QA engineers to write tests simulating real user behavior across browsers like Chromium (Chrome/Edge), WebKit (Safari), and Firefox. Its strong cross-browser and cross-language support distinguish it from many traditional testing tools.

Key Features of Playwright

  • Cross-Browser Support: Run tests across Chrome, Edge, Safari, and Firefox.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility: Supports Windows, macOS, Linux, CI/CD pipelines, and Docker.
  • Cross-Language APIs: Write tests using JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, .NET (C#), or Java.
  • Comprehensive Automation: Interact with UI elements, handle tabs/popups, emulate devices, and collect screenshots/videos.
  • Automatic Waiting: Reduces flaky tests by waiting for elements to be ready.
  • Parallel Execution: Runs tests in parallel, enabling fast feedback.
  • Seamless Integration with CI/CD: Compatible with GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps, Jenkins, and more.

Getting Started: Basic Workflow

  1. Install Playwright (Node.js Example)

    npm init playwright@latest

  2. Write a Simple Test

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

test('basic test', async ({ page }) => {
  await page.goto('https://example.com');
  await expect(page).toHaveTitle(/Example/);
});

  3. Run Your Tests

    npx playwright test

  4. Debugging Tools

    • Use Playwright Inspector
    • Add --debug to test commands
    • Automatic screenshot/video capture

Integrating Playwright with CI/CD

Playwright is CI/CD-friendly and integrates with major platforms:

  • GitHub Actions Example:

    jobs:
  test:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
      - uses: actions/setup-node@v3
        with:
          node-version: 18
      - run: npm install
      - run: npx playwright install --with-deps
      - run: npx playwright test

  • Azure DevOps Pipeline Example:

    trigger:
  - main
pool:
  vmImage: 'ubuntu-latest'
steps:
  - task: NodeTool@0
    inputs:
      versionSpec: '18.x'
    displayName: 'Install Node.js'
  - script: |
      npm ci
      npx playwright install --with-deps
    displayName: 'Install dependencies and Playwright'
  - script: |
      npx playwright test
    displayName: 'Run Playwright tests'

Playwright Testing in Azure

Microsoft now offers Playwright Testing as a managed cloud service on Azure:

  • Cloud-Scale Execution: Run tests across thousands of browsers in parallel without managing test infrastructure.
  • Zero Setup: Browser binaries and worker scaling are handled by Azure.
  • Native Azure DevOps Integration: Easily integrate Playwright runs into release pipelines.
  • Scalable Pay-as-You-Go Pricing: Only pay for test execution as used.

Azure Playwright Testing Service (Preview)

The Azure Playwright Testing Service adds enterprise capabilities, such as:

  • Managed, cloud-scale test execution
  • Detailed test result dashboards in Azure Portal
  • Integration with Azure Monitor and Application Insights for observability
  • Cross-region execution for performance and reliability testing

Why Playwright?

  • Developer-Friendly: Easy initial setup and intuitive APIs
  • Reliability: Built-in tools to combat flaky or timing-prone tests
  • Scalable: Works locally, in CI/CD, or at cloud scale on Azure
  • Future-Ready: Supports new web standards like shadow DOM, PWAs, and service workers

Whether you’re a startup or an enterprise, Microsoft Playwright Testing with Azure enables shipping higher quality applications confidently, quickly, and at scale.

Learn more:

Content authored by Dellenny

This post appeared first on “Dellenny’s Blog”. Read the entire article here