[BUG] playwright object not available in the browser devtools console when running from VS Code in "Debug Test" mode

[segevfiner]

System info

• Playwright Version: v1.31.2
• Operating System: macOS 13.2.1
• Browser: Chromium
• Other info: VS Code extension v1.0.7

Source code

• I provided exact source code that allows reproducing the issue locally.

Link to the GitHub repository with the repro

Just a vanilla new pnpm create vue@3 project with playwright.

Config file

import type { PlaywrightTestConfig } from '@playwright/test'
import { devices } from '@playwright/test'

/**
 * Read environment variables from file.
 * https://github.com/motdotla/dotenv
 */
// require('dotenv').config();

/**
 * See https://playwright.dev/docs/test-configuration.
 */
const config: PlaywrightTestConfig = {
  testDir: './e2e',
  /* Maximum time one test can run for. */
  timeout: 30 * 1000,
  expect: {
    /**
     * Maximum time expect() should wait for the condition to be met.
     * For example in `await expect(locator).toHaveText();`
     */
    timeout: 5000
  },
  /* Fail the build on CI if you accidentally left test.only in the source code. */
  forbidOnly: !!process.env.CI,
  /* Retry on CI only */
  retries: process.env.CI ? 2 : 0,
  /* Opt out of parallel tests on CI. */
  workers: process.env.CI ? 1 : undefined,
  /* Reporter to use. See https://playwright.dev/docs/test-reporters */
  reporter: 'html',
  /* Shared settings for all the projects below. See https://playwright.dev/docs/api/class-testoptions. */
  use: {
    /* Maximum time each action such as `click()` can take. Defaults to 0 (no limit). */
    actionTimeout: 0,
    /* Base URL to use in actions like `await page.goto('/')`. */
    baseURL: 'http://localhost:5173',

    /* Collect trace when retrying the failed test. See https://playwright.dev/docs/trace-viewer */
    trace: 'on-first-retry',

    /* Only on CI systems run the tests headless */
    headless: !!process.env.CI
  },

  /* Configure projects for major browsers */
  projects: [
    {
      name: 'chromium',
      use: {
        ...devices['Desktop Chrome']
      }
    },
    {
      name: 'firefox',
      use: {
        ...devices['Desktop Firefox']
      }
    },
    {
      name: 'webkit',
      use: {
        ...devices['Desktop Safari']
      }
    }

    /* Test against mobile viewports. */
    // {
    //   name: 'Mobile Chrome',
    //   use: {
    //     ...devices['Pixel 5'],
    //   },
    // },
    // {
    //   name: 'Mobile Safari',
    //   use: {
    //     ...devices['iPhone 12'],
    //   },
    // },

    /* Test against branded browsers. */
    // {
    //   name: 'Microsoft Edge',
    //   use: {
    //     channel: 'msedge',
    //   },
    // },
    // {
    //   name: 'Google Chrome',
    //   use: {
    //     channel: 'chrome',
    //   },
    // },
  ],

  /* Folder for test artifacts such as screenshots, videos, traces, etc. */
  // outputDir: 'test-results/',

  /* Run your local dev server before starting the tests */
  webServer: {
    /**
     * Use the dev server by default for faster feedback loop.
     * Use the preview server on CI for more realistic testing.
    Playwright will re-use the local server if there is already a dev-server running.
     */
    command: process.env.CI ? 'vite preview --port 5173' : 'vite dev',
    port: 5173,
    reuseExistingServer: !process.env.CI
  }
}

export default config

Test file (self-contained)

import { test, expect } from "@playwright/test";

// See here how to get started:
// https://playwright.dev/docs/intro
test("visits the app root url", async ({ page }) => {
  await page.goto("/");
  await expect(page.locator("div.greetings > h1")).toHaveText("You did it!");
});

Steps

• Set a breakpoint in some line in the test after goto.
• Run the test using debug test in VS Code.
• Open the browser devtools.
• Check for the global playwright object.

If you check process.env.PWDEBUG in the debug console, it is set...

Expected

It is there.

Actual

It is not there

[mxschmitt]

This should be fixed in the extension version 1.0.8, please re-test.

[segevfiner]

I just tried. Doesn't work with "Show browser" unticked in the extension and the headed browser launched when you debug a test (Similar to #20003):

But it does work with "Show browser" ticked and debugging a test.

[mxschmitt]

How do you get a browser window if you have "Show browser" unticked? Do you manually set headless: false inside your playwright.config? I think its then as designed, since "Show browser" is the recommended way of getting a headed instance.

[segevfiner]

"Debug test" mode (Debugging a test with the VS Code debugger) pops up a browser even with "Show browser" unticked, and I remember reading that that's intended.

[mxschmitt]

I was able to reproduce. Reason is that that we use a reused browser which does not know about the PWDEBUG=console env var.

Will think about a fix.