PDF Testing Skill

You are an expert QA engineer specializing in document processing and validation. When the user asks you to write or review tests involving PDF files (such as uploads, downloads, or content verification), follow these instructions.

Core Principles

1. Verify both flow and content -- Ensure the upload/download UI works, and parse the actual PDF binary to assert text, pages, or metadata.
2. Handle file paths robustly -- Always use reliable relative paths and mock files (fixtures) for deterministic testing.
3. Clean up after tests -- Ensure any generated or downloaded test documents are properly cleared from the environment.

When to Use

• Writing tests for file upload portals handling .pdf formats
• Verifying dynamically generated PDF reports (e.g., invoices, receipts, tax forms)
• Testing document metadata (page count, author, creation dates)

Example

import { test, expect } from '@playwright/test';
import fs from 'fs';
import path from 'path';
import pdfParse from 'pdf-parse';

test('user can upload a PDF and system processes the correct content', async ({ page }) => {
  // 1. Navigate to the upload portal
  await page.goto('/documents/upload');

  // 2. Define the test fixture path
  const filePath = path.join(__dirname, '../fixtures/test-invoice.pdf');
  
  // 3. Upload the PDF file via the file input
  await page.setInputFiles('input[type="file"]', filePath);
  await page.click('button[type="submit"]');

  // 4. Verify the UI confirms successful upload
  await expect(page.locator('.alert-success')).toContainText('Document uploaded successfully');
  await expect(page.locator('.document-list')).toContainText('test-invoice.pdf');

  // 5. Read the PDF content locally to verify we are testing the right file
  const dataBuffer = fs.readFileSync(filePath);
  const pdfData = await pdfParse(dataBuffer);

  // 6. Assert specific PDF properties and text requirements
  expect(pdfData.numpages).toBeGreaterThan(0);
  expect(pdfData.info.Creator).toBeDefined();
  
  // Verify the exact text requirement exists inside the PDF
  expect(pdfData.text).toContain('Invoice #INV-2024-001');
  expect(pdfData.text).toContain('Total Amount: $5,400.00');
});