Answer

Configuring Projects in Playwright

Projects in Playwright are a great way to group tests with the same configuration. You can set up multiple projects in your playwright.config.ts file. Each project can have its own name and configuration options.

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

This setup allows you to run tests on different browsers and devices, or even the same tests in different configurations. You can choose to run all projects or just a specific one, giving you the flexibility to focus on certain scenarios or configurations.

Serial vs Parallel Mode

Playwright supports both serial and parallel modes. In serial mode, tests are executed one after another. If one test fails, all subsequent tests are skipped. Parallel mode allows multiple tests to be executed simultaneously across separate worker processes.

// Serial mode
test.describe.serial('serial tests', () => {
  // your tests here
});

// Parallel mode
test.describe('parallel tests', () => {
  // your tests here
});

While serial mode can be useful for inter-dependent tests, it's generally recommended to make your tests isolated so they can be run independently. This provides better isolation and avoids potential dependencies between test cases.

For more tips on efficient Playwright test scripts, check out this blog post.