Hey folks, I need some advice on browser automation for my Specflow BDD tests.
I’ve been using WatiN, which works okay but it’s pretty slow. I tried SimpleBrowser and it’s way faster, but it can’t handle JavaScript or AJAX stuff. That’s a big problem for my tests.
Does anyone know of a headless browser that’s quick like SimpleBrowser but can also run JavaScript? I’m wondering if there’s something out there that might be better than WatiN for my needs.
If you’ve used anything like this in your Specflow tests, I’d love to hear about your experience. Is it worth switching from WatiN? Any tips on getting started with a new tool would be awesome too.
Thanks in advance for any help!
I’ve been in a similar situation with Specflow BDD tests, and I can recommend giving Puppeteer Sharp a try. It’s a .NET port of Puppeteer, which is incredibly fast and fully supports JavaScript and AJAX.
In my experience, Puppeteer Sharp significantly sped up our test execution compared to WatiN. It’s also more stable and easier to work with for complex web applications. The API is quite intuitive, so the learning curve isn’t too steep.
One thing to keep in mind is that you’ll need to have Chrome installed on your machine or CI server. But the trade-off in speed and reliability is well worth it.
If you decide to give it a go, start with simple navigation and element interaction tests to get a feel for it. Then gradually move on to more complex scenarios involving JavaScript events and AJAX calls. You’ll likely find it handles these situations much better than WatiN.
hey, have u tried selenium? its pretty fast and handles javascript well. i switched from watin to selenium for my specflow tests and its been great. setup can be a bit tricky but once ur rolling its smooth sailing. plus theres tons of docs and community support if u get stuck