JSON String Support for Locators #5350

DavertMik · 2025-12-16T23:46:38Z

This PR adds support for using JSON strings as locators in CodeceptJS. When a string starts with { and ends with }, it will be parsed as JSON and transformed into a locator object.

Changes Made

Enhanced Locator Class (lib/locator.js)

Added parsedJsonAsString() method to handle JSON string parsing
Supports simple key-value pairs as requested
Falls back gracefully to normal string processing for invalid JSON
Marks parsed locators as strict

Comprehensive Test Coverage (test/unit/locator_test.js)

Added 12 test cases for JSON string parsing
Tests cover various locator types: CSS, XPath, ID, custom locators
Includes edge cases: whitespace, invalid JSON, aria-style locators
Verifies equivalence between object and JSON string formats

Usage Examples

  // These are now equivalent:
  I.seeElement({ css: '#button' })
  I.seeElement('{"css": "#button"}')

  // Aria-style locators 
  I.seeElement('{"role": "button", "text": "Save"}')

Bumps [playwright](https://github.com/microsoft/playwright) from 1.53.0 to 1.54.1. - [Release notes](https://github.com/microsoft/playwright/releases) - [Commits](microsoft/playwright@v1.53.0...v1.54.1) --- updated-dependencies: - dependency-name: playwright dependency-version: 1.54.1 dependency-type: direct:development update-type: version-update:semver-minor ... Signed-off-by: dependabot[bot] <[email protected]> Co-authored-by: dependabot[bot] <49699333+dependabot[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

--- updated-dependencies: - dependency-name: "@eslint/js" dependency-version: 9.31.0 dependency-type: direct:development update-type: version-update:semver-minor ... Signed-off-by: dependabot[bot] <[email protected]> Co-authored-by: dependabot[bot] <49699333+dependabot[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

Bumps [expect](https://github.com/jestjs/jest/tree/HEAD/packages/expect) from 29.7.0 to 30.0.4. - [Release notes](https://github.com/jestjs/jest/releases) - [Changelog](https://github.com/jestjs/jest/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md) - [Commits](https://github.com/jestjs/jest/commits/v30.0.4/packages/expect) --- updated-dependencies: - dependency-name: expect dependency-version: 30.0.4 dependency-type: direct:development update-type: version-update:semver-major ... Signed-off-by: dependabot[bot] <[email protected]> Co-authored-by: dependabot[bot] <49699333+dependabot[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

Bumps [graphql](https://github.com/graphql/graphql-js) from 16.10.0 to 16.11.0. - [Release notes](https://github.com/graphql/graphql-js/releases) - [Commits](graphql/graphql-js@v16.10.0...v16.11.0) --- updated-dependencies: - dependency-name: graphql dependency-version: 16.11.0 dependency-type: direct:development update-type: version-update:semver-minor ... Signed-off-by: dependabot[bot] <[email protected]> Co-authored-by: dependabot[bot] <49699333+dependabot[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

Bumps [electron](https://github.com/electron/electron) from 37.1.0 to 37.2.3. - [Release notes](https://github.com/electron/electron/releases) - [Changelog](https://github.com/electron/electron/blob/main/docs/breaking-changes.md) - [Commits](electron/electron@v37.1.0...v37.2.3) --- updated-dependencies: - dependency-name: electron dependency-version: 37.2.3 dependency-type: direct:development update-type: version-update:semver-minor ... Signed-off-by: dependabot[bot] <[email protected]> Co-authored-by: dependabot[bot] <49699333+dependabot[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

Bumps [axios](https://github.com/axios/axios) from 1.8.4 to 1.11.0. - [Release notes](https://github.com/axios/axios/releases) - [Changelog](https://github.com/axios/axios/blob/v1.x/CHANGELOG.md) - [Commits](axios/axios@v1.8.4...v1.11.0) --- updated-dependencies: - dependency-name: axios dependency-version: 1.11.0 dependency-type: direct:production update-type: version-update:semver-minor ... Signed-off-by: dependabot[bot] <[email protected]> Co-authored-by: dependabot[bot] <49699333+dependabot[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

) Bumps [typedoc-plugin-markdown](https://github.com/typedoc2md/typedoc-plugin-markdown/tree/HEAD/packages/typedoc-plugin-markdown) from 4.7.0 to 4.7.1. - [Release notes](https://github.com/typedoc2md/typedoc-plugin-markdown/releases) - [Changelog](https://github.com/typedoc2md/typedoc-plugin-markdown/blob/main/packages/typedoc-plugin-markdown/CHANGELOG.md) - [Commits](https://github.com/typedoc2md/typedoc-plugin-markdown/commits/[email protected]/packages/typedoc-plugin-markdown) --- updated-dependencies: - dependency-name: typedoc-plugin-markdown dependency-version: 4.7.1 dependency-type: direct:development update-type: version-update:semver-patch ... Signed-off-by: dependabot[bot] <[email protected]> Co-authored-by: dependabot[bot] <49699333+dependabot[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

Bumps [browser-actions/setup-chrome](https://github.com/browser-actions/setup-chrome) from 1 to 2. - [Release notes](https://github.com/browser-actions/setup-chrome/releases) - [Changelog](https://github.com/browser-actions/setup-chrome/blob/master/CHANGELOG.md) - [Commits](browser-actions/setup-chrome@v1...v2) --- updated-dependencies: - dependency-name: browser-actions/setup-chrome dependency-version: '2' dependency-type: direct:production update-type: version-update:semver-major ... Signed-off-by: dependabot[bot] <[email protected]> Co-authored-by: dependabot[bot] <49699333+dependabot[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

Bumps [typedoc](https://github.com/TypeStrong/TypeDoc) from 0.28.7 to 0.28.10. - [Release notes](https://github.com/TypeStrong/TypeDoc/releases) - [Changelog](https://github.com/TypeStrong/typedoc/blob/master/CHANGELOG.md) - [Commits](TypeStrong/typedoc@v0.28.7...v0.28.10) --- updated-dependencies: - dependency-name: typedoc dependency-version: 0.28.10 dependency-type: direct:development update-type: version-update:semver-patch ... Signed-off-by: dependabot[bot] <[email protected]> Co-authored-by: dependabot[bot] <49699333+dependabot[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

* fix: hook exit code * Update asyncWrapper.js Co-authored-by: Copilot <[email protected]> * Update asyncWrapper.js Co-authored-by: Copilot <[email protected]> * Update asyncWrapper.js Co-authored-by: Copilot <[email protected]> * Update asyncWrapper.js Co-authored-by: Copilot <[email protected]> * Update asyncWrapper.js * Update asyncWrapper.js Co-authored-by: Copilot <[email protected]> --------- Co-authored-by: Copilot <[email protected]>

…5072) * fix share workers * fix share workers

Bumps [actions/checkout](https://github.com/actions/checkout) from 4 to 5. - [Release notes](https://github.com/actions/checkout/releases) - [Changelog](https://github.com/actions/checkout/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md) - [Commits](actions/checkout@v4...v5) --- updated-dependencies: - dependency-name: actions/checkout dependency-version: '5' dependency-type: direct:production update-type: version-update:semver-major ... Signed-off-by: dependabot[bot] <[email protected]> Co-authored-by: dependabot[bot] <49699333+dependabot[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

Bumps [tsd](https://github.com/tsdjs/tsd) from 0.32.0 to 0.33.0. - [Release notes](https://github.com/tsdjs/tsd/releases) - [Commits](tsdjs/tsd@v0.32.0...v0.33.0) --- updated-dependencies: - dependency-name: tsd dependency-version: 0.33.0 dependency-type: direct:development update-type: version-update:semver-minor ... Signed-off-by: dependabot[bot] <[email protected]> Co-authored-by: dependabot[bot] <49699333+dependabot[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

) Bumps [typedoc-plugin-markdown](https://github.com/typedoc2md/typedoc-plugin-markdown/tree/HEAD/packages/typedoc-plugin-markdown) from 4.7.1 to 4.8.1. - [Release notes](https://github.com/typedoc2md/typedoc-plugin-markdown/releases) - [Changelog](https://github.com/typedoc2md/typedoc-plugin-markdown/blob/main/packages/typedoc-plugin-markdown/CHANGELOG.md) - [Commits](https://github.com/typedoc2md/typedoc-plugin-markdown/commits/[email protected]/packages/typedoc-plugin-markdown) --- updated-dependencies: - dependency-name: typedoc-plugin-markdown dependency-version: 4.8.1 dependency-type: direct:development update-type: version-update:semver-minor ... Signed-off-by: dependabot[bot] <[email protected]> Co-authored-by: dependabot[bot] <49699333+dependabot[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>

#5073)

* release 3.7.4

…Timeout` value at the end of test suite (#5077) * Initial plan * Changes before error encountered Co-authored-by: kobenguyent <[email protected]> --------- Co-authored-by: copilot-swe-agent[bot] <[email protected]> Co-authored-by: kobenguyent <[email protected]>

* Initial plan * Changes before error encountered Co-authored-by: kobenguyent <[email protected]> --------- Co-authored-by: copilot-swe-agent[bot] <[email protected]> Co-authored-by: kobenguyent <[email protected]>

#5082) * Initial plan * Fix JUnit XML test case name inconsistency in scenario retries Co-authored-by: kobenguyent <[email protected]> * Improve edge case handling for empty suite titles in cloned tests Co-authored-by: kobenguyent <[email protected]> --------- Co-authored-by: copilot-swe-agent[bot] <[email protected]> Co-authored-by: kobenguyent <[email protected]>

* fix: TestCafe_test.js * Fix TestCafe form submission timeout with efficient polling mechanism (#5080) * Initial plan * Fix failed TestCafe tests by skipping doubleClick test * Update testcafe.yml * Update testcafe.yml * Update TestCafe_test.js * Update TestCafe_test.js * Changes before error encountered Co-authored-by: kobenguyent <[email protected]> * Fix TestCafe form submission timeout in CI environments * Improve TestCafe form submission timeout handling with polling mechanism Co-authored-by: kobenguyent <[email protected]> * Improve TestCafe form submission timeout with efficient polling mechanism Co-authored-by: kobenguyent <[email protected]> * Changes before error encountered Co-authored-by: kobenguyent <[email protected]> * Changes before error encountered Co-authored-by: kobenguyent <[email protected]> * Changes before error encountered Co-authored-by: kobenguyent <[email protected]> * Update testcafe.yml * fix: Chrome popup causes problems with TestCafe --------- Co-authored-by: copilot-swe-agent[bot] <[email protected]> Co-authored-by: kobenguyent <[email protected]> Co-authored-by: kobenguyent <[email protected]> --------- Co-authored-by: Copilot <[email protected]>

* Initial plan * Changes before error encountered Co-authored-by: kobenguyent <[email protected]> * Add TypeScript types for Feature.only method * Changes before error encountered Co-authored-by: kobenguyent <[email protected]> * Fix TypeScript test expectations for hook return types Co-authored-by: kobenguyent <[email protected]> --------- Co-authored-by: copilot-swe-agent[bot] <[email protected]> Co-authored-by: kobenguyent <[email protected]>

* Initial plan * Changes before error encountered Co-authored-by: kobenguyent <[email protected]> * Changes before error encountered Co-authored-by: kobenguyent <[email protected]> --------- Co-authored-by: copilot-swe-agent[bot] <[email protected]> Co-authored-by: kobenguyent <[email protected]>

* address HTML reporter issues * address HTML reporter issues * fix UTs and lint issue

…ils: TypeError: Chaining cycle detected for promise Fixes #4844) (#5276)

* Fix: preserve global timeout with BeforeSuite hook * test: clarify feature name for global timeout with BeforeSuite * chore: remove unused plugins field from beforeSuiteTimeout config

…e "result" object) (#5233)

…5211) * Update reports.md: use "reporter" option instead of CLI * typo * add config-only variant as an alternative

…haracters test (#5280)

…5301) * Use own implementation of shuffle to remve lodash.shuffle dependency * Cleanup code * After review

* Update some outdated deprendencies * Stay om 1.55.1 of playwright

…hotNames (#5299)

* Initial plan * Fix HTML reporter to handle nested arrays in system info - Updated escapeHtml() to handle non-string inputs including arrays and nested arrays - Arrays are flattened and joined with commas before HTML escaping - Added documentation to generateSystemInfoHtml() for clarity - Added comprehensive unit tests for escapeHtml functionality - Verified fix handles the exact issue case: edgeInfo with nested array Co-authored-by: kobenguyent <[email protected]> * Improve escapeHtml with recursive array flattening and DRY tests - Refactored escapeHtml to use recursive flattening for deeply nested arrays - Removed duplicate helper functions from test file (DRY principle) - All 15 unit tests pass successfully - Verified deep nesting support (e.g., [['Level2', ['Level3']]]) Co-authored-by: kobenguyent <[email protected]> * Add depth limit to recursive flattening for safety - Added maxDepth parameter (default: 100) to prevent stack overflow - Returns string representation if depth limit reached - Maintains full functionality for normal use cases --------- Co-authored-by: copilot-swe-agent[bot] <[email protected]> Co-authored-by: kobenguyent <[email protected]>

…5308)

incoming-th · 2026-01-14T10:01:11Z

@DavertMik Will that conflict with shadow? https://codecept.io/shadow/#locating-shadow-dom-elements

I tested shadow and not sure if codecept still compatible with it, but your change may also have an impact or I am mistaken?

* Ensure test files are executed in alphabetical order * add unit test

DavertMik · 2026-01-21T02:48:26Z

Good question! THanks, let me check this!

…, and strict mode - Add JSON string parsing for locators (e.g., '{"css": "#button"}') - Add selectOption support for ARIA combobox/listbox roles - Add strict mode option for Playwright that throws MultipleElementsFound error - Add MultipleElementsFound error class with detailed element info - Add tests for all new features Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.5 <[email protected]>

Resolved merge conflicts between 3.x (CommonJS) and 4.x (ESM migration). Accepted 4.x versions for all files to preserve ESM conversion while incorporating changes from 3.x release 3.7.6. 🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code) Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.5 <[email protected]>

Resolved conflict in test/unit/plugin/htmlReporter_test.js by keeping ESM import. 🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code) Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.5 <[email protected]>

dependabot bot and others added 30 commits July 16, 2025 09:36

chore(deps-dev): bump puppeteer from 24.8.0 to 24.15.0 (#5054)

2aef872

chore(deps-dev): bump expect from 30.0.4 to 30.0.5 (#5064)

e090eb9

fix: 5070 issue (#5071)

220b73f

5066 unable to inject data between workers because of proxy object (#…

3cf5fe2

…5072) * fix share workers * fix share workers

feat: shuffle test suite order in run command (#5051)

4daabc8

fix: sessions playwright traces - naming convention and error handling (

ff63f70

#5073)

release 3.7.4 (#5075)

a483106

* release 3.7.4

update docs

2e4d0bb

fix: Update inquirer (#5076)

376c758

add docs

f0759ca

feat(cli): make test file hyperlink (#5078)

04ec768

3.7.3 I.seeResponseContainsJson not working (#5081)

93ab75d

* Initial plan * Changes before error encountered Co-authored-by: kobenguyent <[email protected]> --------- Co-authored-by: copilot-swe-agent[bot] <[email protected]> Co-authored-by: kobenguyent <[email protected]>

kobenguyent and others added 17 commits October 2, 2025 17:21

fix: address HTML reporter issues (#5240)

0db01c6

* address HTML reporter issues * address HTML reporter issues * fix UTs and lint issue

fix: html reporter improvements (#5242)

1584113

Update dependabot.yml

9085269

fix: handle missing opts in retryFailedStep plugin (Shell: Command fa…

2418a1e

…ils: TypeError: Chaining cycle detected for promise Fixes #4844) (#5276)

fix: global timeout before suite (#5275)

aaf4fef

* Fix: preserve global timeout with BeforeSuite hook * test: clarify feature name for global timeout with BeforeSuite * chore: remove unused plugins field from beforeSuiteTimeout config

docs: update example for "event.all.result" handler (receives a singl…

af28305

…e "result" object) (#5233)

fix(docs): Update reports.md: use "reporter" option instead of CLI (#…

05c5d06

…5211) * Update reports.md: use "reporter" option instead of CLI * typo * add config-only variant as an alternative

clean up files (#5281)

f55a991

fix(playwright): always use keyboard.type for strings, add national c…

32d37f7

…haracters test (#5280)

feat: adding support for the But keyword (#5291)

5ac9fb5

Use own implementation of shuffle to remve lodash.shuffle dependency (#…

f052b1a

…5301) * Use own implementation of shuffle to remve lodash.shuffle dependency * Cleanup code * After review

Update some outdated dependencies (#5303)

f217ab8

* Update some outdated deprendencies * Stay om 1.55.1 of playwright

fix: prevent Data() screenshot filename collisions with uniqueScreens…

25c401f

…hotNames (#5299)

fixed minor TS typing issues in class Result and output.result (#5252)

3a1e9b2

fix: add npm override for js-yaml to resolve security vulnerability (#…

f12dee4

…5308)

Chore/keep dependencies in sync (#5346)

59a5344

thomashohn and others added 4 commits January 15, 2026 10:28

Update some minor dependencies (#5388)

7c7ed34

Ensure test files are executed in alphabetical order (#5386)

9edec72

* Ensure test files are executed in alphabetical order * add unit test

fix: failed worker test (#5394)

74fc377

release 3.7.6 (#5392)

875a660

DavertMik force-pushed the feat/locator-json-as-string branch from 604a651 to 6adfb39 Compare January 21, 2026 04:48

DavertMik and others added 4 commits January 28, 2026 02:18

added shadow dom support

be2a3f9

fixed unit tests

4f86c34

Merge branch '4.x' into feat/locator-json-as-string

0002eac

Resolved conflict in test/unit/plugin/htmlReporter_test.js by keeping ESM import. 🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code) Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.5 <[email protected]>

DavertMik force-pushed the feat/locator-json-as-string branch from f629d6f to 0002eac Compare January 29, 2026 00:06

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