Skip to main content

ElectronApplication

Electron application representation. You can use electron.launch() to obtain the application instance. This instance you can control main electron process as well as work with Electron windows:

const { _electron: electron } = require('playwright');

(async () => {
  // Launch Electron app.
  const electronApp = await electron.launch({ args: ['main.js'] });

  // Evaluation expression in the Electron context.
  const appPath = await electronApp.evaluate(async ({ app }) => {
    // This runs in the main Electron process, parameter here is always
    // the result of the require('electron') in the main app script.
    return app.getAppPath();
  });
  console.log(appPath);

  // Get the first window that the app opens, wait if necessary.
  const window = await electronApp.firstWindow();
  // Print the title.
  console.log(await window.title());
  // Capture a screenshot.
  await window.screenshot({ path: 'intro.png' });
  // Direct Electron console to Node terminal.
  window.on('console', console.log);
  // Click button.
  await window.click('text=Click me');
  // Exit app.
  await electronApp.close();
})();

Methods​

browserWindow​

Added in: v1.11 electronApplication.browserWindow

Returns the BrowserWindow object that corresponds to the given Playwright page.

Usage

await electronApplication.browserWindow(page);

Arguments

  • page Page#

    Page to retrieve the window for.

Returns

close​

Added in: v1.9 electronApplication.close

Closes Electron application.

Usage

await electronApplication.close();

Returns

context​

Added in: v1.9 electronApplication.context

This method returns browser context that can be used for setting up context-wide routing, etc.

Usage

electronApplication.context();

Returns

evaluate​

Added in: v1.9 electronApplication.evaluate

Returns the return value of pageFunction.

If the function passed to the electronApplication.evaluate() returns a Promise, then electronApplication.evaluate() would wait for the promise to resolve and return its value.

If the function passed to the electronApplication.evaluate() returns a non-Serializable value, then electronApplication.evaluate() returns undefined. Playwright also supports transferring some additional values that are not serializable by JSON: -0, NaN, Infinity, -Infinity.

Usage

await electronApplication.evaluate(pageFunction);
await electronApplication.evaluate(pageFunction, arg);

Arguments

Returns

evaluateHandle​

Added in: v1.9 electronApplication.evaluateHandle

Returns the return value of pageFunction as a JSHandle.

The only difference between electronApplication.evaluate() and electronApplication.evaluateHandle() is that electronApplication.evaluateHandle() returns JSHandle.

If the function passed to the electronApplication.evaluateHandle() returns a Promise, then electronApplication.evaluateHandle() would wait for the promise to resolve and return its value.

Usage

await electronApplication.evaluateHandle(pageFunction);
await electronApplication.evaluateHandle(pageFunction, arg);

Arguments

Returns

firstWindow​

Added in: v1.9 electronApplication.firstWindow

Convenience method that waits for the first application window to be opened.

Usage

const electronApp = await electron.launch({
  args: ['main.js']
});
const window = await electronApp.firstWindow();
// ...

Arguments

  • options Object (optional)

    • timeout number (optional) Added in: v1.33#

      Maximum time to wait for in milliseconds. Defaults to 30000 (30 seconds). Pass 0 to disable timeout. The default value can be changed by using the browserContext.setDefaultTimeout().

Returns

process​

Added in: v1.21 electronApplication.process

Returns the main process for this Electron Application.

Usage

electronApplication.process();

Returns

waitForEvent​

Added in: v1.9 electronApplication.waitForEvent

Waits for event to fire and passes its value into the predicate function. Returns when the predicate returns truthy value. Will throw an error if the application is closed before the event is fired. Returns the event data value.

Usage

const windowPromise = electronApp.waitForEvent('window');
await mainWindow.click('button');
const window = await windowPromise;

Arguments

  • event string#

    Event name, same one typically passed into *.on(event).

  • optionsOrPredicate function | Object (optional)#

    • predicate function

      receives the event data and resolves to truthy value when the waiting should resolve.

    • timeout number (optional)

      maximum time to wait for in milliseconds. Defaults to 30000 (30 seconds). Pass 0 to disable timeout. The default value can be changed by using the browserContext.setDefaultTimeout().

    Either a predicate that receives an event or an options object. Optional.

Returns

windows​

Added in: v1.9 electronApplication.windows

Convenience method that returns all the opened windows.

Usage

electronApplication.windows();

Returns

Events​

on('close')​

Added in: v1.9 electronApplication.on('close')

This event is issued when the application process has been terminated.

Usage

electronApplication.on('close', data => {});

on('console')​

Added in: v1.42 electronApplication.on('console')

Emitted when JavaScript within the Electron main process calls one of console API methods, e.g. console.log or console.dir.

The arguments passed into console.log are available on the ConsoleMessage event handler argument.

Usage

electronApp.on('console', async msg => {
  const values = [];
  for (const arg of msg.args())
    values.push(await arg.jsonValue());
  console.log(...values);
});
await electronApp.evaluate(() => console.log('hello', 5, { foo: 'bar' }));

Event data

on('window')​

Added in: v1.9 electronApplication.on('window')

This event is issued for every window that is created and loaded in Electron. It contains a Page that can be used for Playwright automation.

Usage

electronApplication.on('window', data => {});

Event data