[Question] about downloads with launchPersistentContext

[Mbensler]

Hello I am writing a script in which i log in to a page, and download some files.

Here is how the download works:
I press the button with the text "Gem" which opens a target_blank page which downloads the file, and that page then closes.

<button tabindex="0" class="button ng-scope focusable" data-ng-click="save()" data-translate="" title="Gem">Gem</button>

Clicking the "Gem" button opens up the url from the following forms action

<form id="downloadForm" action="api_eb/documents/download" method="post" target="_blank" style="display: none;"> <input type="hidden" name="useMediaType" value="false" tabindex="-1"></form>

The download happens but the script freezes after the first downloaded file. Removing const dl = await download.path(); makes it so the script finishes entirely and downloads both files, BUT THE FILES ARE DELETED WHEN THE BROWSER CONTEXT IS CLOSED.

How do i solve this? Help would be much appreciated!!!

const { chromium } = require('playwright');
let { PythonShell } = require('python-shell')
const path = require('path');

const eboks = async () => {
    const pathToExtension = require('path').join(__dirname,'../extensions/nemid');
    const userDataDir = path.join(__dirname, '../extensions/nemid/userdata');
    const browser = await chromium.launchPersistentContext(userDataDir,{
        headless: false,
        slowMo: 1000,
        acceptDownloads: true,
        downloadsPath: 'C:\\Users\\mbe\\Downloads',
        args:[
            `--disable-extensions-except=${path.join(__dirname, '../extensions/nemid')}`,
            `--load-extension=${path.join(__dirname, '../extensions/nemid')}`
        ]
    });
    // Test the background page
    const backgroundPage = browser.backgroundPages()[0];

    const page = await browser.newPage();

// Download ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------>

// I AM ALREADY ON THE REQUIRED PAGE AND LOGGED IN

    const accounts = ['NEXT Forsikring A/S - Forsikringsformidling', 'PI Applications A/S - 34043027'];

    for (const account of accounts) {
        await page.click('.mailboxMenuUsers');
        await page.click(`text=${account}`);
        await page.click('text=Sparekassen');
        await page.click('text=Vælg alle');
        await page.click('a[role="link"]:has-text("Mere")');
        await page.click('text=Gem en lokal kopi');
        await page.click('text=Gem alle');

        const [ download ] = await Promise.all([
            // Start waiting for the download
            page.waitForEvent('download'),
            // Perform the action that initiates download
            page.click('button:has-text("Gem")'), // Clicking the button opens an external window that downloads the file and then closes the window.
        ]);
        // const dl = await download.path(); WITH THIS ENABLED THE SCRIPT FREEZES AFTER THE FIRST DOWNLOAD
    }

    await browser.close();
}

[pavelfeldman]

https://playwright.dev/docs/downloads is a good start! It comers some of your questions already.

[Mbensler]

https://playwright.dev/docs/downloads is a good start! It comers some of your questions already.

I changed up a lot of the code to match what was in your link but with no luck, and i also made a better description to describe my problems.

The files, however are still deleted after the script finishes, even with acceptDownloads set to true and a downloadsPath set.

Im unsure whether its because of a problem with launchPersistentContext downloads or if it's the way the download page handles downloading files, cause if i have const dl = await download.path(); after the download, it freezes the script when the first download is finished.

I have no idea how to solve this.

[aslushnikov]

@Mbensler the fact that you can't get download path is definitely a bug. A few things:

1. Can you try minimizing your script so that the bug still reproes? For example, I see you load an extension there. Does it repro without the extension?
2. Any chance you can share this minimal repro with us so that I can run it locally and debug it further?

[Mbensler]

@Mbensler the fact that you can't get download path is definitely a bug. A few things:

1. Can you try minimizing your script so that the bug still reproes? For example, I see you load an extension there. Does it repro without the extension?
2. Any chance you can share this minimal repro with us so that I can run it locally and debug it further?

Hi @aslushnikov

• The extension is needed to login to the site, so it's impossible to get to the download/s without logging in.
• I don't think there's a way i can share it so you will be able to run it yourself. The problem is that the website I'm logging in to is a Danish official government website, that requires you to load specific files from your PC, to be able to log in (It's a system most of scandinavia uses to log in to government stuff) called NemId. The extension im loading is a chrome extension with the same name.

Basically, from what i can gather the error happens when pressing the save button. The save button opens a target=_blank page that contains the download, but while it is downloading the script just keeps running in the background, and if const dl = await download.path(); isn't outcommented the script just freezes after pressing the save/download button.

It seems like it doesn't recognize downloads that open in other windows?

[klhex]

@Mbensler Regarding the freezing of your test when using download.<...>() functions, I have experienced the same issue here: #5962

I guess it might also work on your side (= avoiding the test to freeze when using download.functions) if you either use Firefox in headful mode instead of Chromium or you use the headless mode for Chromium. (As a temporary workaround if the described issue gets resolved at some point.)

[yury-s]

I suspect it has the same root cause as #5962 and should be fixed by #6082. We are waiting for the next Chromium Dev build that includes the upstream fix.