Feature Request: add option to `no-raw-locators` to allow a locator as an argument

[heygarrett]

The raw locator method accepts either a selector or a locator as an argument, and thanks to #189 there's an option to create an allow list for specific selectors. But it would be great if there was also an option to generally allow a locator as an argument to the raw locator method.

[MSroczynski3]

Hi @heygarrett !
Could you please elaborate what do you mean by this statement?

an option to generally allow a locator as an argument

It would be ideal if you could provide an example or two. I could then give a try coding it 😄 🚀

[heygarrett]

@MSroczynski3 Sure! Here's a contrived example: If I have a page element that's reused in a few places I'll create a generic locator for it. And then I'll locate specific instances of it by passing that generic locator to the locator() method:

const button = page.getByRole("button", { name: "common button" });

const firstButton = page.getByRole("region", { name: "first" }).locator(button);
const secondButton = page.getByRole("region", { name: "second" }).locator(button);

I'd love an option to allow this in the no-raw-locator rule.

[MSroczynski3]

Thanks for reply @heygarrett !

After analysing this carefully I believe that this has nothing to do with the list of allowed raw locators. In your example button is a correct locator (it is not a raw locator) so it should not be detected by the rule as an invalid locator (aka raw locator).

I prepared a fix for this scenario: #375.

[mskelton]

@heygarrett This is not valid Playwright code given the types:

https://github.com/microsoft/playwright/blob/main/packages/playwright-core/src/client/page.ts#L672C3-L672C10

This works only by the fact that locators have a toString method thus they are coerced properly. I'm going to close this as won't fix given the ESLint plugin should not promote incorrect Playwright code.

[heygarrett]

@mskelton That's only for Page.locator(); Locator.locator() accepts a selector or a locator:
https://playwright.dev/docs/api/class-locator#locator-locator

[mskelton]

@heygarrett Oops, you're right, sorry about that! Merged the PR to fix.