# webapp-testing

> Toolkit for interacting with and testing local web applications using Playwright. Supports verifying frontend functionality, debugging UI behavior, capturing browser screenshots, and viewing browser logs.

- Author: Ayanya-0628
- Repository: Ayanya-0628/datatool-advanced
- Version: 20260125220500
- Stars: 0
- Forks: 0
- Last Updated: 2026-02-06
- Source: https://github.com/Ayanya-0628/datatool-advanced
- Web: https://mule.run/skillshub/@@Ayanya-0628/datatool-advanced~webapp-testing:20260125220500

---

---
name: webapp-testing
description: Toolkit for interacting with and testing local web applications using Playwright. Supports verifying frontend functionality, debugging UI behavior, capturing browser screenshots, and viewing browser logs.
license: Complete terms in LICENSE.txt
---

# Web Application Testing

To test local web applications, write native Python Playwright scripts.

**Helper Scripts Available**:

- `scripts/with_server.py` - Manages server lifecycle (supports multiple servers)

**Always run scripts with `--help` first** to see usage.

## Decision Tree: Choosing Your Approach

```
User task → Is it static HTML?
    ├─ Yes → Read HTML file directly to identify selectors
    │         ├─ Success → Write Playwright script using selectors
    │         └─ Fails/Incomplete → Treat as dynamic (below)
    │
    └─ No (dynamic webapp) → Is the server already running?
        ├─ No → Run: python scripts/with_server.py --help
        │        Then use the helper + write simplified Playwright script
        │
        └─ Yes → Reconnaissance-then-action:
            1. Navigate and wait for networkidle
            2. Take screenshot or inspect DOM
            3. Identify selectors from rendered state
            4. Execute actions with discovered selectors
```

## Example: Using with_server.py

**Single server:**

```bash
python scripts/with_server.py --server "npm run dev" --port 5173 -- python your_automation.py
```

**Multiple servers (e.g., backend + frontend):**

```bash
python scripts/with_server.py \
  --server "cd backend && python server.py" --port 3000 \
  --server "cd frontend && npm run dev" --port 5173 \
  -- python your_automation.py
```

## Playwright Script Example

```python
from playwright.sync_api import sync_playwright

with sync_playwright() as p:
    browser = p.chromium.launch(headless=True)
    page = browser.new_page()
    page.goto('http://localhost:5173')
    page.wait_for_load_state('networkidle')  # CRITICAL: Wait for JS to execute
    # ... your automation logic
    browser.close()
```

## Reconnaissance-Then-Action Pattern

1. **Inspect rendered DOM**:

   ```python
   page.screenshot(path='/tmp/inspect.png', full_page=True)
   content = page.content()
   page.locator('button').all()
   ```

2. **Identify selectors** from inspection results

3. **Execute actions** using discovered selectors

## Common Pitfall

❌ **Don't** inspect the DOM before waiting for `networkidle` on dynamic apps
✅ **Do** wait for `page.wait_for_load_state('networkidle')` before inspection

## Best Practices

- Use `sync_playwright()` for synchronous scripts
- Always close the browser when done
- Use descriptive selectors: `text=`, `role=`, CSS selectors, or IDs
- Add appropriate waits: `page.wait_for_selector()` or `page.wait_for_timeout()`