[Feature]: Allow passing optional URL to context.newPage() about playwright

[yury-s]

Because the default behavior for context.newPage() seems to be to create a tab to about:blank first, I'm not able to test the first scenario (at least, not without some workaround--still learning what's available in Playwright).

This is consistent with user<->browser interaction, the user first opens a new tab and then types in the url. The only case it is different is when a new tab is opened by existing page, e.g. when the user clicks on a link with target=_blank. Both of these cases are supported in playwright, you can listen to the new pages via context.on('page') or page.on('popup'). Do these page events not work in your scenario?

[yury-s]

Closing this request as we are not planning to change the newPage() api.

[tbrockman]

The only case it is different is when a new tab is opened by existing page, e.g. when the user clicks on a link with target=_blank

Or when the user right-clicks a link and selects "Open in New Tab", or selects "Open in New Window", or uses a shortcut like middle mouse clicking...

As you have described, this restricts the ability to simulate the full range of user behavior. There is a meaningful distinction (to my application and in general) between a user performing a navigation by opening a new tab to a link directly without creating any previous history in the new tab, and manually creating a new tab and then performing a navigation in it. This is unnecessarily restrictive, particularly when the underlying tooling already provides you the option to do so.

[yury-s]

Or when the user right-clicks a link and selects "Open in New Tab", or selects "Open in New Window", or uses a shortcut like middle mouse clicking...

All of these scenarios can be performed by executing Ctrl+click, Shift+click etc using Locator.click() with modifiers. You can listen for the new pages using the events I mentioned above.

[tbrockman]

Okay, I can see how that can be could be used to satisfy some of the state that I'm wanting to test, thanks for the link to the doc.

Is there anything similarly available to simulate the event of restoring a browser session? I would assume that this would also be equivalent to opening many pages and directly navigating to a given URL.