Auto-healing is a powerful feature in TestDriver that ensures your tests remain resilient even when the application under test changes. Use --heal to enable auto-healing in your test runs. This feature allows TestDriver to automatically update tests when minor changes occur, such as text updates or small UI adjustments, without requiring manual intervention.

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Why use auto-healing?

In modern software development, applications frequently undergo changes, whether it’s UI updates, text modifications, or layout adjustments. These changes can lead to test failures, requiring developers to manually update test scripts to reflect the new state of the application. This means that if a test fails due to a change in the application, TestDriver will attempt to recover by finding the updated element or text and retrying the action. If successful, it will update the test script accordingly. This feature is particularly useful in continuous integration (CI) environments, where tests need to adapt to frequent changes in the application.

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How to enable auto-healing

To enable auto-healing in TestDriver, simply add the --heal flag when running your tests. This instructs TestDriver to attempt to automatically update any failing tests due to minor changes in the application. 
testdriver run my-tests.yaml --heal

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How auto-healing works

When TestDriver steps fail, the AI will progressively fall back to attempt to complete the test. If running on CI, TestDriver will open a pull request (PR) with the updated test, ensuring your test suite stays up-to-date with minimal manual intervention.

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Benefits of auto-healing

  • Reduced Maintenance: Eliminates the need for manual updates to tests when minor UI changes occur.
  • Increased Test Resilience: Ensures tests adapt to changes without breaking.
  • Continuous Integration: Keeps your test suite aligned with the latest application changes.
  • Developer Collaboration: Automatically opens a PR, allowing developers to review and approve updates.

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How auto-healing works

  1. Test Execution: TestDriver runs your test suite as usual.
  2. Failure Detection: If a test fails due to a change in the application (for example, text or UI updates), the AI identifies the failure point.
  3. Recovery Attempt: The AI uses its adaptive capabilities to locate the updated element or text and retries the action.
  4. Test Update: If the recovery is successful, TestDriver updates the test script with the new element or text.
  5. Pull Request Creation: The updated test script is committed to a new branch, and a pull request is automatically opened in your repository for review.

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Example: Button text changes from “Submit” to “Send”

1

Initial Test

- command: hover-text
  text: Submit
  description: Submit button in the form
  action: click
2

Application Update

  • The button text is changed from “Submit” to “Send” in the application.
3

Test Execution

  • TestDriver runs the test and fails to find the “Submit” button.
4

Auto-Healing

  • The AI detects the failure and searches for a similar element.
  • It identifies the “Send” button as the updated element and retries the action.
5

Test Update

  • The test script is updated to reflect the new button text:
- command: hover-text
  text: Send
  description: Submit button in the form
  action: click
6

Pull Request Creation

  • TestDriver commits the updated test to a new branch and opens a PR:
    • Branch Name: auto-heal-update-submit-to-send
    • PR Title: Auto-Healed Test: Updated "Submit" to "Send"

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Example GitHub Action for Auto-Healing

Here’s how you can configure a GitHub Action to enable auto-healing and PR creation: 
name: TestDriver Auto-Healing

on:
  push:
    branches:
      - main
  pull_request:
  workflow_dispatch:

jobs:
  test:
    name: "Run Tests with Auto-Healing"
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - name: Check out repository
        uses: actions/checkout@v2

      - name: Run TestDriver
        uses: testdriverai/action@main
        with:
          key: ${{ secrets.TD_API_KEY }}
          prompt: |
            1. /run testdriver/onboarding.yaml --save --heal
          create-pr: true
          pr-title: "Auto-Healed Test Updates"
          pr-base: main
          pr-branch: auto-heal-updates

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Limitations of Auto-Healing

  • Major UI Overhauls: Auto-healing is best suited for minor changes (for example, text updates, small layout adjustments). Significant UI changes may still require manual intervention.
  • Ambiguous Changes: If multiple elements match the updated criteria, the AI may require additional context to make the correct decision.
  • Step Deletion: If UI or wizard pages are removed, the AI may not be able to recover. In such cases, manual updates are necessary.