Mink Sahi Driver Laravel Package

Getting Started

Minimal Setup

1. Installation:

   composer require behat/mink-sahi-driver
   

   Ensure behat/mink (~1.5) is also installed.

2. Prerequisites:

   • Install Sahi (Java-based automation tool) and ensure Sahi JS is running on your machine.
   • Configure Sahi to use Firefox (or another supported browser) via sahi.ini or environment variables.

3. First Use Case: Configure Mink to use the Sahi driver in your Behat or custom test suite:

   use Behat\Mink\Mink;
   use Behat\Mink\Session;
   use Behat\Mink\Driver\SahiDriver;
   
   $mink = new Mink([
       'sahi' => new Session(new SahiDriver('firefox')),
   ]);
   

   Verify Sahi is accessible by running:

   sahi -p 9999
   

Implementation Patterns

Workflows

1. Test Suite Integration:

   • Register the Sahi driver in your Behat services.yml or Laravel test bootstrapping:

     # behat.yml
     default:
       extensions:
         Behat\MinkExtension:
           sessions:
             sahi:
               sahi: ~
     

   • Use in feature files:

     Given I am on "/login"
     When I click "Submit"
     Then I should see "Welcome"
     

2. Laravel-Specific Usage:

   • Extend Laravel’s HttpTestCase or DuskTestCase to include Mink:

     use Behat\Mink\Mink;
     use Behat\Mink\Session;
     
     class CustomTestCase extends TestCase
     {
         protected $mink;
     
         public function setUp(): void
         {
             $this->mink = new Mink([
                 'sahi' => new Session(new SahiDriver('firefox')),
             ]);
         }
     
         protected function getSession(): Session
         {
             return $this->mink->getSession('sahi');
         }
     }
     

3. Dynamic Element Interaction:

   • Leverage Sahi’s advanced selectors (e.g., //div[contains(@class, 'dynamic-class')]):

     $session->getPage()->find('css', '.dynamic-class')->click();
     

4. Cross-Browser Testing:

   • Switch drivers dynamically (e.g., Sahi for complex interactions, Selenium for others):

     $session->switchTo('sahi'); // Use Sahi for specific steps
     

Gotchas and Tips

Pitfalls

1. Sahi Server Dependency:

   • Sahi must be running (sahi -p 9999) before tests execute. Use a pre-test hook or CI setup script:

     # In Laravel's phpunit.xml
     <php>
         <server name="SAHI_SERVER" value="http://localhost:9999"/>
     </php>
     

   • Debug Tip: Check Sahi logs (logs/sahi.log) for connection errors.

2. Firefox-Specific Quirks:

   • Sahi defaults to Firefox. For Chrome/Edge, configure sahi.ini or use a custom driver path:

     new SahiDriver('firefox', 'http://localhost:9999', 'chrome')
     

3. Deprecated Package:

   • Last updated in 2016; ensure compatibility with modern Mink (~1.5) and PHP (~7.4+).
   • Workaround: Fork the repo or use a wrapper for newer Mink versions.

4. Element Visibility:

   • Sahi may fail on AJAX-heavy pages. Add waits explicitly:

     $session->wait(5000); // Wait 5 seconds for dynamic content
     

Tips

1. Performance:

   • Disable Sahi’s debug mode in sahi.ini for faster tests:

     debug=false
     

2. Custom Selectors:

   • Combine Sahi’s JS-based selectors with Mink’s methods:

     $session->getPage()->find('sahi', '//button[text()="Save"]')->click();
     

3. Laravel Artisan Commands:

   • Create a custom command to start/stop Sahi:

     // app/Console/Commands/StartSahi.php
     public function handle()
     {
         Artisan::call('process:start', ['command' => 'sahi -p 9999']);
     }
     

4. Extension Points:

   • Override SahiDriver to add custom assertions or logging:

     class CustomSahiDriver extends SahiDriver
     {
         public function takeScreenshot($file)
         {
             // Custom logic
             parent::takeScreenshot($file);
         }
     }