Any non-trivial software needs maintenance during its lifespan; tests are no different. We initially started with Webdriver.IO tests, which was a great start in building test coverage for client projects. However, after implementing Moshe Weitzman’s Test Traits, we noticed several improvements, for instance, a decrease in false positives and faster execution speed. The WDIO JavaScript- and browser-based tests, executed in real browsers, were fragile due to timing issues, accidental slowdowns in the CI environment, and even changes in browser versions, which could break the process. Large legacy projects that even survived Drupal 8, 9, and 10 upgrades still have WDIO tests alongside the PHPUnit test suites. The issue of having WDIO tests is twofold. First, executing and debugging those tests is especially inefficient for developers with no experience in WDIO. Second, it slowed down the CI pipeline as it was necessary to install all those extra packages required by WDIO. But let’s face it: It’s a boring refactor, and the business value is hard to sell since only the developers see it. Still, eliminating technical debt is a wise move in the long run, and we had the chance to act.
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