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. DO NOT read the source until you try running the script first and find that a customized solution is absolutely necessary. These scripts can be very large and thus pollute your context window. They exist to be called directly as black-box scripts rather than being ingested into your context window.

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 server already running?
            ├─ No → Run: python scripts/with_server.py --help
            │         Then use 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

To start a server, run --help first, then use helper:

Single server:

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

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

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

To create an automation script, include only Playwright logic (servers are managed automatically):

from playwright.sync_api import sync_playwright

with sync_playwright() as p:
    browser = p.chromium.launch(headless=True) # Always launch chromium in headless mode
    page = browser.new_page()
    page.goto('http://localhost:5173') # Server already running and ready
    page.wait_for_load_state('networkidle') # CRITICAL: Wait for JS to execute
    # ... your automation logic
    browser.close()

Common Pitfall

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

Best Practices

• Use bundled scripts as black boxes - To accomplish a task, consider whether one of the scripts available in scripts/ can help. These scripts handle common, complex workflows reliably without cluttering your context window. Use --help to see usage, then invoke directly.
• Use sync_playwright() for synchronous scripts
• Always close browser when done
• Use descriptive selectors: text=, role=, CSS selectors, or IDs
• Add appropriate waits: page.wait_for_selector() or page.wait_for_timeout()

Reference Files

examples/ - Examples showing common patterns:

• element_discovery.py - Discovering buttons, links, and inputs on a page
• static_html_automation.py - Using file:// URLs for local HTML
• console_logging.py - Capturing console logs during automation