Selenium to Playwright Migration, Testing Castlevania, and More

What game can teach testers to find edge cases and hidden bugs.

How can you migrate from Selenium to Playwright (or even if you should)

Which skill currently has a shortage of qualified folks and how can testers learn it?

Find out in this edition of the Test Guild New Shows Recap Newsletter for the week of Sep22nd. So, grab your favorite cup of coffee or tea, and let's do this.

Sponsor Deal

First up is a deal from this weeks newsletter sponsor Katalon.

I speak with lots of testers and one tool many recommend to me is Katalon studio.

Whether you’re just getting started with automation or you're a seasoned pro, Katalon offers a range of features to meet testers wherever they are on their journey—without requiring deep coding skills.

One feature many testers tell me about Katalon is how flexible it is. It allows testers to start with no-code or low-code solutions and then scale up to more advanced scripting if needed. For teams working across different platforms, like mobile, web, or APIs, the ability to reuse tests can be a big time-saver.

?Also, its thing worth mentioning for those considering adding an automation tool to their stack, Katalon is currently offering a 50% discount on licenses in October for new customers. It could be a good time to explore if you’re looking for ways to improve your automation especially as we start to head into the new year.

?As I always say, it’s important to evaluate what works best for your specific needs and workflows. Katalon MIGHT be an option to explore if you're looking to enhance your test automation capabilities

So, ?????? check it out for yourself now and let me know what you think.

Embarking on the great migration: From Selenium to Playwright

In a recent blog post, Zenjob's tech team detailed their ?? migration journey from Selenium to Playwright for their automated testing needs. The article outlines the motivations behind the switch, key challenges, and the substantial benefits they've experienced.

Selenium has been a staple in automated testing for many years, but Zenjob identified multiple deficits, particularly in dealing with asynchronous events and browser compatibility issues. Playwright, released by Microsoft, has emerged as a robust alternative, offering enhanced reliability, faster execution speeds, and more comprehensive cross-browser support.

The comprehensive migration process involved re-writing and re-organizing existing tests to leverage Playwright’s advanced features like auto-waiting, better API coverage, and improved debugging tools. This transition required meticulous planning and team effort but has resulted in more stable and faster test runs.

Of course, not everyone that uses Selenium should migrate.

As always it should be done for a specific reason and not just to use the latest and greatest. Most folks are probably better off just sticking to their existing Selenium automation if they are stable and producing good results for you.

But Software testers should always consider evaluating new tools on a regular basis and be prepared to invest in transitioning to more advanced technologies if needed.

AI Test Case Generator?

Julia Pottinger just pointed out that her company QualityWorks has launched a new AI-powered Jira plugin called ?? AI Test Case Generator. This tool is designed to help teams automate the creation of test cases directly within Jira, offering users a more streamlined approach to managing their test automation processes.

By leveraging AI, the plugin aims to improve efficiency and accuracy, reducing the time spent on manual test case writing. The plugin is now available on the Jira Marketplace.

Does it work?

Check it out and see if it does for your situation.

Obviously, this is not going to be a silver bullet but it might help you with test case generation or at least get some conversations going.

Playwright API Testing

An informative blog post recently published by Cerosh Jacob on LinkedIn delves into the ??Playwright API for automation, offering a detailed hands-on guide designed for software testers. The post highlights the efficacy of Playwright as a testing tool, illustrating its capabilities with step-by-step instructions for setup, writing tests, and running them effectively.

Cerosh begins by explaining how to install Playwright and its dependencies, followed by setting up the environment.

?He underscores the simplicity of writing initial tests and the value in creating scalable, maintainable scripts.

?The post also shows you the process of running parallel tests, capturing screenshots for debugging, and integrating Playwright with continuous integration (CI) pipelines.

RAG for Testing

Yogendra I just published a new article that explores how the ?? RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) App can be applied to software testing.

A Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) app is enhancing efficiency in software testing by combining retrieval-based AI models with generative models. It ensures that the data used in test generation and requirement validation is accurate and up to date. RAG apps assist in creating test cases, analyzing requirements, and even automating user scenarios. By leveraging real-time data retrieval, testers can maintain test accuracy, making it a valuable tool for continuous testing.

This post includes how you can start experimenting by Setting up a RAG system locally on your machine using open source solutions. It also provides some examples of using RAG of testing activates for you to try like creating a testing oracle and generating and analyzing test cases

Automation Testing Castlevania

David Edelstein from Antithesis recently showcased how its platform was used to conquer the classic NES game Castlevania by ?? identifying and overcoming obstacles with advanced test coverage techniques. The tool effectively explores vast state spaces in complex systems, much like tracking hard-to-find bugs in software. The same approach can be applied to modern systems, helping testers find edge cases and hidden bugs.

Antithesis used their deterministic hypervisor to explore the game Castlevania systematically, focusing on navigating difficult stages and overcoming barriers like the stompers in Stage 6.

Their testing method identified challenges in grid-based exploration, refining their system’s approach to cover all states in the game.

This approach mimics how they identify hard-to-reach bugs in software by adjusting inputs and focusing on unexplored states.

Webinar of the week

Did you miss the webinar I hosted on how AI can be applied to automating enterprise app testing. From Salesforce to SAP, see how AI-driven tools can reduce errors and accelerate your release cycles for packaged based applications?

?Not worries you can ???? register now and get instant access.

Together with Tal Barmeir and Guy Arieli from BlinqIo, we explored the current market challenges, discussed how AI can dramatically enhance the speed and accuracy of testing processes, and showed attendees exactly how their teams can leverage these tools to achieve faster, more reliable results.

Attendees got an exclusive look at a live demo showcasing AI in action, illustrating the tangible benefits of integrating AI into your testing strategy.

?Cybersecurity labor gap now stands at 4M+ open jobs

The cybersecurity industry faces a significant labor shortage, with approximately 4 million job vacancies globally. In response, Intezer has successfully raised $33 million in funding to advance its AI-driven cybersecurity tools aimed at mitigating this workforce gap. The new capital injection was led by influential investors, reflecting a growing confidence in AI's potential to fortify cybersecurity measures.

Intezer's AI tools are designed to automate threat detection and response, significantly reducing the need for human intervention. By leveraging artificial intelligence, the company aims to provide organizations with robust cybersecurity solutions, minimizing the impact of the labor shortfall. The funding will also help in scaling these tools and improving their efficiency and accuracy.

?As testers we probably should pay attention to tools and claims of these tools with the growing role of AI in cybersecurity. The integration of AI tools like those developed by Intezer can not only enhance threat detection but also streamline the process of identifying vulnerabilities in software.

Staying abreast of these advancements and understanding how to test AI-driven security solutions will be crucial.

You should also check out my podcast interview with Boris on why QE need to learn security testing.

That's a Wrap

So that's it for this Test Guild News Show Newsletter edition.

Make sure to ?? subscribe to never miss another episode. I'm Joe Colantonio, and my mission is to help you succeed in creating end-to-end full-stack DevSecOps automation awesomeness.

As always, test everything and keep the good. Cheers!

Also don't forget the 9th annual Automation Guild 2025 call for speakers has only a week left to accept speaker session. ?????? Submit your session idea now!

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