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Launch Browser

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Create Playwright session​

In oder to launch browser, it is required to create Playwright session.

In previous examples,

Playwright.create(playwright_cli_executable_path: 'npx playwright') do |playwright|
  # Play with `playwright` here
end

this is the exact procedure for creating Playwright session. Choose either of method for creating the session.

Define scoped Playwright session with block​

Playwright.create(playwright_cli_executable_path: 'npx playwright') do |playwright|
  # Play with `playwright` here
end

As is described repetedly, this is the recommended way for creating Playwright session. Even when any exception happens, Playwright session is safely ended on leaving the block.

Internally playwright run-driver session is alive during the block.

Define start/end of the Playwright session separately without block.​

Sometimes we have to define separated start/end definition. playwright-ruby-client also allows it.

class SomeClass

  def start_playwright
    # Start Playwright driver (runs `playwright run-driver` internally)
    @playwright_exec = Playwright.create(playwright_cli_executable_path: 'npx playwright')
  end

  def stop_playwright!
    # Stop Playwright driver
    @playwright_exec.stop
  end

  def play_with_playwright(&blk)
    # Acquire Playwright instance with PlaywrightExecution#playwright
    playwright = @playwright_exec.playwright

    browser = playwright.chromium.launch

    begin
      blk.call(browser)
    ensure
      browser.close
    end
  end
end

Note that we have to make sure to call PlaywrightExecution#stop (stop_playwright! in this case).

Create browser instance​

Playwright allows launching several browsers.

  • playwright.chromium.launch for launching Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Chromium
  • playwright.firefox.launch for launching (modified version of) Firefox
  • playwright.webkit.launch for launching (modified version of) WebKit/Safari

It is recommended in most cases to launch browser with block, which automatically closes the launched browser on end.

# scoped browser block
playwright.chromium.launch do |browser|
  # Play with `browser`
end

Of course, you can manually call Browser#close when the browser is launched without block.

# separated start/end
browser = playwright.chromium.launch

begin
  # Play with `@browser`
ensure
  browser.close
end

Open new window and new tab​

Use Browser#new_context to prepare a new browser window and use BrowserContext#new_page to create a new tab. Also we can use Browser#new_page to create a new window and new tab at once.

Playwright.create(playwright_cli_executable_path: 'npx playwright') do |playwright|
  playwright.chromium.launch(headless: false) do |browser| # Chromium task icon appers in.
    context = browser.new_context # Prepare new window.
    page = context.new_page # Open new window and new tab here. (about:blank)
    page.goto('https://example.com') # Navigate to a site.

    page2 = context.new_page # Open another tab here.
    page2.goto('https://example.com') # Navigate to a site.

    another_context = browser.new_context # Prepare another window here.
    another_page = another_context.new_page # Open a new window and new tab.
    another_page.goto('https://example.com/') # Navigate to a site.
  end
end

Note that each browser context is isolated and not persisted by default. When persistent browser context is needed, we can use BrowserType#launch_persistent_context.