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Screenshots & Media Handling

Screenshots are non-negotiable in real-time automation projects. This section explains how to capture and attach screenshots correctly so they remain accurate under parallel execution and CI pipelines.

1️⃣ When Screenshots Should Be Captured​

Mandatory Cases​

  • On test failure
  • On test skip (environment or dependency issues)

Optional (Config-Driven)​

  • On every step
  • On critical checkpoints

⚠️ Capturing screenshots on every step by default is discouraged due to performance impact.

2️⃣ Screenshot Capture Strategies​

Viewport Screenshot​

  • Fast
  • Most commonly used
  • Default choice in enterprise projects

Full Page Screenshot​

  • Useful for UI validations
  • Slower and browser-dependent

Choose based on project needs, not convenience.

3️⃣ File-Based vs Base64 Screenshots​

File-Based Screenshots (Most Common)​

ExtentTestManager.getTest()
    .addScreenCaptureFromPath("screenshots/login_error.png");

Pros​

  • Easy to debug locally
  • CI artifact friendly

Cons​

  • Path handling required

Base64 Screenshots​

ExtentTestManager.getTest()
    .addScreenCaptureFromBase64String(base64Image);

Pros​

  • No file dependency
  • Safer in distributed execution

Cons​

  • Larger report size
  • Harder to debug manually

4️⃣ Parallel-Safe Screenshot Handling​

Rules You MUST Follow​

✔ Screenshot name must be unique per test ✔ Use timestamps or test names ✔ Never overwrite screenshot files

String fileName = testName + "_" + System.currentTimeMillis() + ".png";

Failure to do this causes screenshot mismatch in reports.

5️⃣ Screenshot Handling via Listeners (Best Practice)​

Correct Flow​

  1. Test fails
  2. Listener captures screenshot
  3. Screenshot attached to current thread's ExtentTest

❌ Never capture screenshots directly inside test methods.

6️⃣ Media Types Beyond Screenshots​

Supported media attachments:

  • Images
  • Screen recordings (from cloud tools)
  • External URLs (logs, dashboards)

Extent Reports displays, not records media.

7️⃣ CI/CD Considerations​

Path Handling​

  • Use relative paths
  • Avoid absolute local paths

Artifact Publishing​

  • Archive reports/ folder
  • Include screenshots subfolder

🧠 Key Takeaways​

  • Screenshot-on-failure is mandatory
  • Listener-based capture is the only safe approach
  • Base64 is optional, not default
  • Unique naming is critical for parallel runs