Project Description: Shortest

What is the project about?

Shortest is an AI-powered, end-to-end (E2E) testing framework that uses natural language to define and execute tests. It simplifies the creation and maintenance of automated tests.

What problem does it solve?

It addresses the complexity and often brittle nature of traditional E2E testing. By using natural language, it makes writing tests more accessible to non-developers and reduces the effort required to create and update tests as the application evolves. It bridges the gap between human-readable test descriptions and executable test code. It also handles complexities like GitHub 2FA.

What are the features of the project?

• Natural Language Testing: Write tests in plain English.
• AI-Powered Execution: Uses the Anthropic Claude API to interpret and execute tests.
• Playwright Integration: Built on top of Playwright, a robust browser automation library.
• GitHub Integration: Supports GitHub login, including two-factor authentication (2FA).
• Email Validation: Integrates with Mailosaur for email testing.
• Test Chaining: Allows combining multiple tests into sequences or reusable flows.
• Lifecycle Hooks: Provides beforeAll, beforeEach, afterEach, and afterAll hooks for setup and teardown.
• Callback Functions: Execute custom code and assertions after AI-driven test steps.
• API Testing: Supports testing API endpoints using natural language or request objects.
• CI/CD Integration: Designed for easy integration into CI/CD pipelines.
• CLI Tool: Provides a command-line interface (shortest init, test running) for easy setup and execution.
• Environment Variable Management: Uses .env.local for configuration.

What are the technologies used in the project?

• Playwright: For browser automation.
• Anthropic Claude API: For natural language processing and test execution.
• Mailosaur: For email testing.
• TypeScript: The primary programming language.
• Node.js: The runtime environment.
• Drizzle ORM: Database interaction.
• GitHub OAuth: For authentication.
• Stripe: Payment processing.
• Clerk: User management.
• Vercel Postgres: Database.
• React >=19.0.0
• Next.js >=14.0.0
• pnpm: Package manager.

What are the benefits of the project?

• Simplified Test Creation: Easier to write and understand tests.
• Reduced Maintenance: Natural language tests are more resilient to UI changes.
• Increased Accessibility: Allows non-developers to contribute to testing.
• Faster Test Development: Potentially faster than writing traditional test code.
• Improved Test Coverage: Easier to create comprehensive tests.
• Robustness: Handles complex scenarios like 2FA.

What are the use cases of the project?

• End-to-End Testing: Testing complete user flows in web applications.
• Regression Testing: Ensuring existing functionality continues to work after changes.
• Acceptance Testing: Verifying that software meets specified requirements.
• API Testing: Testing the functionality of API endpoints.
• Automated Testing in CI/CD: Integrating automated tests into the development pipeline.
• Testing applications with complex authentication flows.