Module 10 · Python for SDETs
CI with
GitHub Actions
The suite runs itself — on every push and pull request
tests.yml
start app & wait
report artifact
required check
Tests you must remember to run eventually don't
CI runs the suite for you — automatically
🔁
Every change
Runs every test on every push and PR — no "I forgot to run them."
🛑
Blocks breakage
A failure marks the commit/PR red — and can require green to merge.
📄
Shareable report
The HTML report is attached to the run for anyone to open.
🚪The payoff is a required check: a PR can't merge until the suite passes on CI's clean machine — not just "works on my laptop."
One YAML file in .github/workflows/
# .github/workflows/tests.yml
name: tests
on:
push: { branches: [main] }
pull_request:
jobs:
test:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps: …
🧱A name, an on: trigger, and jobs made of steps.
🔩Each step is either uses: (a prebuilt action) or run: (shell commands). Scoping push to main stops a branch push and its PR both running.
The shape of the job
Check out → set up → start the app → test → upload
checkout
→
Python + Node
→
pip install + playwright
→
start app & wait
→
pytest
→
upload report
📌Re-pin requirements.txt after every install (pytest-html, pytest-playwright) — a missing dep fails the --html step on CI.
Two details that trip people up
# background the app, then WAIT
npm start &
for i in $(seq 1 30); do
curl -sf localhost:3000/api/products \
&& exit 0
sleep 1
done; exit 1 # never started
⏳npm start & returns immediately — poll a real endpoint until it answers, don't sleep a fixed guess.
🐧playwright install --with-deps chromium — the headless runner needs the Linux libs too.
💾Upload with if: always() — keep the report even when tests fail (that's when you want it).
🤖
The tests
always ran
Every push checked on a clean machine, the report attached, merges gated on green
⚙️
Practice
Add tests.yml, push, and watch the run go green in the Actions tab
🚪
Require it
Branch protection: require the test job so no red PR reaches main
➡️
Module 11
Capstone — a complete API + UI suite tying it all together