How browser automation works behind the scenes
summary
Explains why classic WebDriver uses an HTTP request per command causing HTTP long polling overhead while CDP talks over a bi-directional WebSocket and is faster but very chatty; demos (Puppeteer, Puppeteer Replay, WebDriverIO, Chrome DevTools) show click = mouse press + mouse release and browser drivers translating REST calls into engine actions; WebDriver BiDi promises cross‑browser, low‑level control with WebSocket speed; current test pass rates vary (Firefox high, Chrome/Edge progressing, Safari limited).
AI-written summary · about
chapters (7)
- 0:00Browser automation intro
- 1:30Three decades of history
- 5:22WebDriver classic protocol
- 12:48Chrome DevTools Protocol
- 21:27CDP vs WebDriver perf
- 23:13WebDriver BiDi intro
- 25:18Why WebDriver BiDi matters
related talks
31mRevolutionising Browser Automation: A Deep Dive into the WebDriver BiDi Project and its Integration with Selenium
33mBeyond WebDriver!- 31mRevolutionising Browser Automation: A Deep Dive into the WebDriver BiDi Project and...
11mThe Future of Cross-Browser Automation: WebDriver BiDi
24mWebDriver BiDi: work in progress.
48mWebdriverIO + Puppeteer. Double gun - double fun
23mLife After Selenium
15mBrowser automation/testing with BiDi and minimal dependencies