Page Transactions as a new way to organize your testing automation

Photo by Mateus Campos Felipe

The vibrant scarlet ibis ( Eudocimus ruber ), also known as the red ibis, is a striking member of the Threskiornithidae bird family. This tropical avian species graces the landscapes of South America and parts of the Caribbean. While its form mirrors that of other ibis species, its brilliant scarlet plumage sets it apart. A symbol of national pride, it's one of Trinidad and Tobago's two national birds, and its Tupi-Guarani name, "guará," is even incorporated into the names of several Brazilian coastal municipalities.

Guará: A Python Implementation of the Page Transactions Pattern

Guará, a Python library, embodies the Page Transactions design pattern. It's less a tool and more a flexible programming paradigm applicable to various automation drivers beyond Selenium, encompassing Linux, Windows, and mobile automation.

The core aim of this pattern is to streamline test automation. Drawing inspiration from Page Objects, App Actions, and Screenplay, Guará centers on user actions (transactions) within an application—actions like logging in, logging out, or submitting forms.

This approach enhances the readability, maintainability, and adaptability of automation test code without requiring new tools or complex abstractions. A key advantage is its driver-agnostic nature; testers aren't locked into using Selenium. Guará seamlessly integrates with Helium, Dogtail, PRA Python, Playwright, or any preferred driver. No additional plugins or specialized knowledge are needed.

To reiterate: Guará is a Python implementation of the Page Transactions design pattern, prioritizing the pattern over being a standalone tool.

Guará utilizes the Command Pattern (GoF) to bundle user interactions (button presses, text input) into transactions. While termed a framework, it's not a new tool.

Instead of focusing on individual UI elements, Guará emphasizes the user's journey. The complexity is encapsulated within transactions, resulting in test statements that read like natural language. Testers can also create and integrate custom assertions.

Guará in Action: A Language Switching Example

This example showcases a user switching languages on a webpage:

<code class="language-python">from selenium import webdriver
from guara.transaction import Application
from guara import it, setup
import home

def test_language_switch():
    app = Application(webdriver.Chrome())

    # Open the application
    app.at(setup.OpenApp, url="https://example.com/")

    # Change language and assert
    app.at(home.ChangeToPortuguese).asserts(it.IsEqualTo, "Conteúdo em Português")
    app.at(home.ChangeToEnglish).asserts(it.IsEqualTo, "Content in English")

    # Close the application
    app.at(setup.CloseApp)</code>

Each transaction resides in its own class (e.g., ChangeToPortuguese), extending AbstractTransaction. Testers simply override the do method; Guará handles the rest.

<code class="language-python">from guara.transaction import AbstractTransaction

class ChangeToPortuguese(AbstractTransaction):
    def do(self, **kwargs):
        self._driver.find_element(By.CSS_SELECTOR, ".btn-pt").click()
        return self._driver.find_element(By.CSS_SELECTOR, ".content").text</code>

Post-test logs display transactions and assertions:

<code>test_demo.py::test_language_switch 
2025-01-24 21:07:10 INFO Transaction: setup.OpenApp
2025-01-24 21:07:10 INFO  url: https://example.com/
2025-01-24 21:07:14 INFO Transaction: home.ChangeToPortuguese
2025-01-24 21:07:14 INFO Assertion: IsEqualTo
2025-01-24 21:07:14 INFO  Actual Data: Conteúdo em Português
2025-01-24 21:07:14 INFO  Expected: Conteúdo em Português
2025-01-24 21:07:14 INFO Transaction: home.ChangeToEnglish
2025-01-24 21:07:14 INFO Assertion: IsEqualTo
2025-01-24 21:07:14 INFO  Actual Data: Content in English
2025-01-24 21:07:14 INFO  Expected: Content in English
2025-01-24 21:07:14 INFO Transaction: setup.CloseApp</code>

Fixtures (setup/teardown) manage test initialization and completion. Standard testing tools like pytest or unittesting are fully compatible.

Benefits of Using Guará

• Improved Code Reusability: Each class represents a complete user transaction.
• Enhanced Readability: Code resembles plain English, facilitating collaboration.
• Customizable Assertions: Create and share custom assertions.
• Driver Agnosticism: Works with various automation tools beyond Selenium.
• Versatile Application: Automates REST APIs, unit tests, desktop, and mobile tests.

Getting Started with Guará

1. Install: pip install guara
2. Create transactions using AbstractTransaction.
3. Use Application, at, and asserts to invoke transactions.
4. Run tests with detailed logging using Pytest: python -m pytest -o log_cli=1 --log-cli-level=INFO

Conclusion

Guará offers a fresh approach to test code organization, prioritizing readability, maintainability, and driver independence. It fosters collaboration and allows for the creation and sharing of custom assertions. Give Guará a try!

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