NPM Puppeteer

Puppeteer, a Node.js library, offers a robust high-level API for controlling Chrome/Chromium browsers through the DevTools Protocol. It excels in automating browser tasks and interactions, making it a go-to choice for developers seeking efficient automation solutions.

Puppeteer operates seamlessly with Chrome/Chromium, providing developers with the ability to manage browser instances programmatically. It can run in headless mode by default, allowing automated tasks without a graphical user interface. Alternatively, it can be configured to operate in full ("headful") mode for debugging and interactive purposes.

Key Features of Puppeteer

• Automation: Puppeteer simplifies browser automation tasks such as navigation, form submission, and data extraction.
• Headless Mode: Default mode for Puppeteer, enabling automated tasks without a visible UI.
• Full Browser Mode: Can be configured to run with a graphical interface for debugging and interactive purposes.
• DevTools Protocol: Puppeteer leverages the DevTools Protocol to communicate with Chrome/Chromium browsers.

Use Cases

Puppeteer finds applications in various scenarios, including:

• Web Scraping: Extracting data from websites efficiently and programmatically.
• Automated Testing: Running automated tests and scripts to validate web applications.
• Screenshot Generation: Capturing screenshots of web pages for monitoring or reporting purposes.

Installing Node.js and npm

Node.js Installation:

• Visit the official Node.js website (Download Node.js).
• Download the recommended LTS (Long Term Support) version for your operating system (Windows, macOS, Linux).
• Run the installer and follow the installation instructions.
• Verify the installation by opening a terminal (command prompt on Windows) and running:

node --version
npm --version

This will display the installed Node.js and npm versions.

Installing the library via npm:

First, Create the application using the following command:

npm init -y

Install the required dependencies using the following command:

npm install puppeteer

The Updated dependencies in your package.json file is:

"dependencies":{
"puppeteer": "^22.8.1",
}

Once installed, puppeteer can be initialized within a Node.js script to launch a browser instance and perform various operations.

Example: Here's a simple Puppeteer script demonstrating browser automation:

const puppeteer = require('puppeteer');

(async () => {
    const browser = await puppeteer.launch();
    const page = await browser.newPage();

    // Navigate to the URL you want to screenshot
    console.log("Navigating to the webpage...");
    await page.goto('https://example.com');
    console.log("Page loaded successfully.");

    // Take a screenshot and save it as 'example.png' in the current directory
    console.log("Taking screenshot...");
    await page.screenshot({ path: 'example.png' });
    console.log("Screenshot saved as 'example.png'.");

    await browser.close();
})();

Output: