Mink Extension Laravel Package

Getting Started

Minimal Setup

1. Install the Replacement Package (since this is archived):

   composer require friends-of-behat/mink-extension
   

2. Configure behat.yml:

   default:
     extensions:
       FriendsOfBehat\MinkExtension:
         base_url: 'http://localhost'
         browser_name: chrome
         sessions:
           default: symfony2
   

3. First Use Case: Create a feature file (login.feature) and a context class extending MinkContext:

   use Behat\MinkExtension\Context\MinkContext;
   
   class FeatureContext extends MinkContext {
       /**
        * @Given I am on the login page
        */
       public function iAmOnTheLoginPage() {
           $this->visitPath('/login');
       }
   }
   

   Run tests:

   behat login.feature
   

Implementation Patterns

Core Workflows

1. Session Management:

   • Use createSession() to dynamically create sessions (e.g., for parallel testing):

     $session = $this->createSession('selenium2');
     $session->visit('/dashboard');
     

   • Switch between sessions with $this->getSession().

2. Element Interaction:

   • Chain methods for fluent assertions:

     $this->assertSession()->elementExists('css', '.user-menu')->isVisible();
     

   • Fill forms with fillField() and submit with pressButton().

3. Hooks for Setup/Teardown:

   use Behat\Testwork\Hook\Scope\BeforeScenarioScope;
   
   public function beforeScenario(BeforeScenarioScope $scope) {
       $session = $this->createSession('selenium2');
       $session->start();
       $scope->getEnvironment()->getContext(MinkContext::class)->setSession($session);
   }
   

Integration Tips

• Laravel-Specific: Use laravel driver for testing Laravel apps:

  sessions:
    laravel: laravel
  

  Configure in behat.yml with:

  FriendsOfBehat\MinkExtension:
    laravel:
      env: testing
      path: /path/to/laravel/storage/logs
  

• Custom Drivers: Extend Mink\Driver\DriverInterface and register via:

  sessions:
    custom: custom_driver
  

• Parallel Testing: Use parallel extension with session isolation:

  extensions:
    FriendsOfBehat\MinkExtension:
      sessions:
        default: selenium2
        parallel:
          - selenium2
          - selenium2
  

Gotchas and Tips

Pitfalls

1. Session Leaks:

   • Issue: Unclosed sessions cause port exhaustion in Selenium.
   • Fix: Explicitly call $session->close() in AfterScenario hooks or use MinkContext::tearDown():

     use Behat\Testwork\Hook\Scope\AfterScenarioScope;
     
     public function afterScenario(AfterScenarioScope $scope) {
         $this->getSession()->close();
     }
     

2. Base URL Overrides:

   • Issue: base_url in behat.yml is ignored if visit() uses absolute paths.
   • Fix: Use visitPath() for relative paths or override dynamically:

     $this->getSession()->getDriver()->setBaseUrl('https://staging.example.com');
     

3. Deprecated Methods:

   • Avoid getMink(); use $this->getSession() or $this->getMink() (deprecated in v2.0+).
   • Prefer assertSession()->[method] over direct assert*() calls.

Debugging

• Enable Mink Debug:

  FriendsOfBehat\MinkExtension:
    debug: true
  

  Logs session details to behat.log.

• Selenium Grid Issues:

  • Ensure hub_url is configured in behat.yml:

    selenium2:
      wd_host: http://hub.example.com/wd/hub
    

  • Use --stop-on-failure flag to isolate flaky tests:

    behat --stop-on-failure
    

Extension Points

1. Custom Contexts: Extend MinkAwareContext to inject Mink into any context:

   use Behat\MinkExtension\Context\MinkAwareContext;
   
   class ApiContext extends MinkAwareContext {
       public function __construct(Mink $mink) {
           $this->setMink($mink);
       }
   }
   

2. Hooks for Drivers: Override getMink() in contexts to swap drivers dynamically:

   public function getMink() {
       return $this->createMink([
           'selenium2' => [
               'browser' => 'firefox',
               'wd_host' => 'http://localhost:4444/wd/hub',
           ],
       ]);
   }
   

3. Translation Overrides: Override language files in vendor/friends-of-behat/mink-extension/i18n/ by copying them to your project’s i18n/ directory.

Laravel-Specific Quirks

• Session Persistence: Laravel’s session may conflict with Mink’s. Clear sessions in BeforeScenario:

  public function beforeScenario() {
      \Illuminate\Support\Facades\Session::flush();
  }
  

• Asset URLs: Use mix() or asset() helpers in behat.yml for local development:

  base_url: 'http://localhost:8000'