This week's been another busy one for me. I've been smashing through tickets trying to get them done as quickly as possible so that the feature I'm working on can launch, as well as thinking about a major design system migration on the side, which is interesting but quite overwhelming. So that's the kind of headspace I'm coming at you from today. I hope your week has been good!

Visual testing with Playwright

First off, I wanted to mention something cool I discovered while I was thinking about this design system migration - if you already have Playwright in your repo, you can set up a pretty quick and dirty visual regression testing suite with its screenshots ability. When an update touches a lot of code and requires detailed UI comparisons, a visual regression test suite can be a life saver. I wanted to have a go at making one to prepare for this big migration and it was honestly so easy to set up - I did ask Claude to help me because this is a case where I'm not going to keep the code after the migration is done, which sped things up even more. Essentially, all you do is set up your tests as usual and call the screenshot function like so:

await page.screenshot({ path: 'screenshot.png', fullPage: true });

The fullPage means it'll capture everything below the fold as well. I (well, Claude) had to add a few extra bits and pieces to make sure the screenshots were stable, because Playwright will take multiple screenshots to make sure the page has stabilised and if those screenshots aren't the same, it will have a little cry about it. I still haven't quite figured out what the best way to handle this is - if I do I'll share it in next week's roundup. If you have any tips, let me know!

I'm still not sure whether this will actually do more harm than good - I know visual regression tests can be a bit flaky and tricky to get up and running correctly. I guess I'll let you know that next time too.

Communicating while stressed

As I said in the intro, I've had a busy week and it's been like that for a little while if I'm honest. It has made me reflect on those inevitable shifting priorities and requirements that we get hit with all the time in our jobs and how best to manage when we are stressed by them. I don't think I've ever worked at a company where this wasn't a thing by the way, so being more resilient is a skill I would like to cultivate. Saying that, I don't mean that I would expect to be completely unaffected either - it is okay to be upset when you have invested considerable time and effort into something only to be told it is all going to need to change. What I am more concerned about is communicating with colleagues when we are experiencing strong feelings - it can be easy to lash out, when often we are all in the same boat and these pressures are coming from other areas of the business. I don't think there is anything wrong with voicing your frustrations, in fact, if you are in a psychologically safe environment I would encourage it so that your frustration doesn't become resentment. However, it's also important to make sure you do this considerately and tactfully. Something I'd like to try next time is just stepping away from the laptop when I'm feeling that pressure building and taking five minutes to make a cup of tea or even go outside, just to think. And then come back and think about what I'm going to say - I have the tendency to shoot from the hip when this kind of thing happens and sometimes I end up regretting the wording I chose in the moment (thankfully editing messages on Slack exists!). What are your favourite tactics for handling communication while stressed? Let me know in the comments, I am looking for opportunities to learn.

Spring is coming

And finally, I am so freaking excited that the days are getting lighter and the weather is getting warmer. One thing I don't much like about being a software engineer is the fact that our jobs are very sedentary and we generally have to be near a power outlet to function so we're kind of stuck inside. I have started going for walks before work to make the most of the light and get some fresh air and honestly, it helps so much! I often come up with ideas when I'm out on walks, related to work or otherwise. And who doesn't love seeing all the beautiful flowers and hearing the birds chirping away. Highly recommend you get yourself out for a dose of vitamin D this week if you haven't already.