How do I configure Playwright to run tests on different devices based on environment variables?

Answer

Sure, let's dive into how you can use environment variables to run your tests on different devices with @playwright/test.

First, you'll need to define different projects in your Playwright configuration file. Each project should be associated with a unique name and a specific browser or device. For instance, you can set up a project named "chromium" for desktop Chrome and another named "android" for Android WebView.

// playwright.config.ts
module.exports = {
  projects: [
    {
      name: 'chromium',
      use: { browserName: 'chromium' },
    },
    {
      name: 'android',
      use: { browserName: 'chromium', ...devices['Pixel 2'] },
    },
  ],
};

Next, set an environment variable to specify which project to run. If you want to run tests on desktop Chrome, set BROWSER=chromium. To run tests on Android WebView, set ANDROID=1.

Finally, run your tests with the npx playwright test command. Playwright's test runner will automatically pick up the environment variable and run your tests on the specified device.

BROWSER=chromium npx playwright test
// or
ANDROID=1 npx playwright test

That's it! With this setup, you can easily switch between running your tests on different devices just by changing an environment variable. Happy testing with Playwright!

For more tips on efficient testing with Playwright, check out this blog post.