# GUIDE_E2E_TEST — ComfyUI-Manager E2E Test Guide

> Auto-generated by pair-scaffold (test-guide mode). Domain: **api** (primary)
> with mixed **web** (Playwright UI) + **cli** (cm-cli subprocess) elements.
> Date: 2026-04-21.

This guide consolidates session-wide E2E knowledge accumulated through the
WI-A..WI-ZZ sweep. It is the entry point for writing, running, and auditing
end-to-end tests against the ComfyUI-Manager backend (glob + legacy) and
the legacy management UI. Companion registry of reusable test patterns:
`.claude/scaffold/e2e-methods.yml`.

---

## 1. Testing Strategy

Three test surfaces cover different contract layers. Pick the surface that
matches the contract you are validating — do not default to "everything".

| Surface | Location | Transport | Authoritative for |
|---------|----------|-----------|-------------------|
| **pytest E2E** | `tests/e2e/*.py` | Direct HTTP via `requests` against running aiohttp server | Endpoint contract (status, schema, side-effect, CSRF) |
| **Playwright UI (real)** | `tests/playwright/legacy-ui-*.spec.ts` | Browser click → real backend | UI↔backend wiring against actual server state |
| **Playwright UI (mock)** | `tests/playwright/legacy-ui-mock-*.spec.ts` | Browser click → `page.route()` intercept | UI→API request shape (URL / method / payload) without backend mutation |
| **CLI subprocess** | `tests/cli/test_uv_compile.py` | `subprocess.run()` against `cm-cli` | CLI command contract (args, exit code, stdout/stderr) |

**Layering rule**: when both pytest and Playwright can cover a behavior, use
pytest for backend contract and Playwright for UI wiring. Mock Playwright is
acceptable ONLY when real execution is infeasible (security gate, destructive
operation, long-running network) — flag it in the test name suffix
(`-mock` / `WI-WW-mock`) and document the honesty boundary (§6 below).

---

## 2. Test Categories

| Category | Description | Location | Tools |
|----------|-------------|----------|-------|
| pytest E2E direct | Endpoint contract via HTTP | `tests/e2e/` | `requests` + `pytest` |
| pytest E2E negative | CSRF / 400 / input validation | `tests/e2e/test_e2e_csrf*.py` | `requests` |
| Playwright real | UI click → real backend | `tests/playwright/legacy-ui-*.spec.ts` | `@playwright/test` |
| Playwright mock | UI click → `page.route` mocked response | `tests/playwright/legacy-ui-mock-*.spec.ts` | `@playwright/test` `page.route` |
| CLI subprocess | cm-cli end-to-end | `tests/cli/` | `pytest` + `subprocess.run` |

---

## 3. Critical Environment Requirements

**MUST read before writing any E2E test.** These are not optional; every one
cost at least one debugging cycle in the sweep.

### 3.1 Editable install requirement

After editing source under `comfyui_manager/`, re-run `uv pip install -e .`
inside the E2E venv. A running server uses whatever source the venv
registered at startup — stale source means stale behaviour. After commit
`99caef55` (CSRF state-changing-endpoint conversion), skipping this step
caused POST routes to return 405 because the test venv still had the
pre-conversion routing table.

### 3.2 Legacy vs glob mutex

`comfyui_manager/__init__.py:14-45` loads EITHER the glob manager OR the
legacy manager — never both. Use the fixture script that matches the
contract under test:

| Script | Manager | Extra flags |
|--------|---------|-------------|
| `tests/e2e/scripts/start_comfyui.sh` | glob | none |
| `tests/e2e/scripts/start_comfyui_legacy.sh` | legacy | `--enable-manager-legacy-ui` |
| `tests/e2e/scripts/start_comfyui_strict.sh` | glob | patches `config.ini` to `security_level = strong` (for negative-path `403` tests on `middle` / `middle+` gates) |
| `tests/e2e/scripts/start_comfyui_permissive.sh` | legacy + relaxed | patches `config.ini` to `security_level = normal-` and sets `ENABLE_LEGACY_UI=1` (for positive-path tests on `high+` gates: `comfyui_switch_version`, `install/git_url`, `install/pip`) |

Mixing them in the same suite is an error — pytest modules that exercise
legacy-only endpoints MUST live in `test_e2e_legacy_*.py` so the fixture can
select the legacy script.

### 3.3 Port namespace + PID files

All fixture scripts write `$LOG_DIR/comfyui.${PORT}.pid`. Default ports:

| Manager | Default PORT | PID file |
|---------|:---:|----------|
| glob | 8188 | `$LOG_DIR/comfyui.8188.pid` |
| legacy | 8199 | `$LOG_DIR/comfyui.8199.pid` |
| strict | 8188 | `$LOG_DIR/comfyui.8188.pid` |

Because the PID file is per-port, glob + legacy suites can run concurrently
if they pick distinct ports. Never hard-code `8188` / `8199` in your
assertions — read `PORT` from env.

### 3.4 Safety env var — manager_requirements skip

`start_comfyui.sh` exports `COMFYUI_MANAGER_SKIP_MANAGER_REQUIREMENTS=1`
(added in WI-WW/WI-YY). Any install/update code path that would otherwise
reinstall `manager_requirements.txt` sees this flag and skips. Real install
tests (e.g. `test_e2e_legacy_real_ops.py::TestInstallModelRealDownload`)
depend on this — without it the test server would re-pin its own
dependencies mid-test and fail randomly.

### 3.5 E2E_ROOT

`$E2E_ROOT` is the venv root + artifact directory produced by
`tests/e2e/scripts/setup_e2e_env.sh`. All fixture scripts source from it.
Export it once per shell session, or pass it per-command:

```bash
export E2E_ROOT=</path/to/your/e2e-root>   # one-time
```

**Portability**: never hard-code the absolute path inside test code. Read
from `os.environ["E2E_ROOT"]` or let the fixture script resolve it.

---

## 4. Fixture Patterns

### 4.1 `comfyui` module-scoped fixture

`tests/e2e/conftest.py` defines a module-scoped `comfyui` fixture that:

1. Invokes `start_comfyui.sh` with the current PORT.
2. Blocks until the server accepts requests (or timeout).
3. Yields the server URL for the test.
4. Tears down with `stop_comfyui.sh` (kills the PID in the `.pid` file).

### 4.2 Fixture variants

| Variant | Fixture script | Extra setup |
|---------|---------------|-------------|
| glob (default) | `start_comfyui.sh` | PORT=8188 |
| legacy | `start_comfyui_legacy.sh` | PORT=8199, `ENABLE_LEGACY_UI=1` |
| strict | `start_comfyui_strict.sh` | Patches `config.ini` to `security_level = strong` (backup at `config.ini.before-strict`); fixture MUST restore on teardown. Used for negative-path `403` assertions on `middle` / `middle+` gates. |
| permissive | `start_comfyui_permissive.sh` | Patches `config.ini` to `security_level = normal-` (backup at `config.ini.before-permissive`) and sets `ENABLE_LEGACY_UI=1`; fixture MUST restore on teardown. Used for positive-path execution of `high+` gated endpoints (`comfyui_switch_version`, `install/git_url`, `install/pip`) with hardcoded trusted inputs. |

### 4.3 Example invocation

```bash
E2E_ROOT=$E2E_ROOT $E2E_ROOT/venv/bin/python -m pytest \
  tests/e2e/test_e2e_legacy_endpoints.py -v --timeout=300
```

Use the venv's interpreter explicitly (`$E2E_ROOT/venv/bin/python`) — not
the system `python` — so the test runs against the editable install from
§3.1.

---

## 5. Test Design Patterns

Distilled from the sweep. Match the pattern to your contract; do not
invent new patterns without recording them in
`.claude/scaffold/e2e-methods.yml`.

### 5.1 Positive-path

Status 200 + response schema + side-effect verification. Do not stop at
status 200 — assert at least one schema field AND one observable side
effect (disk artifact, queue entry, config change).

### 5.2 Negative-path

Status 400 / 403 / 405 + body message substring. CSRF-reject tests live
in `test_e2e_csrf*.py` and are parametrized over the full endpoint list.

### 5.3 Async queue polling

Install / update endpoints enqueue work and return immediately. Poll
`/v2/manager/queue/status` or the expected disk artifact until completion.
Never `time.sleep()` with a hard-coded interval — use `expect.poll` (TS)
or a polling helper with a timeout.

### 5.4 Teardown mandatory for mutation tests

Install / save / apply tests MUST restore the original state. Use
`try/finally` or a pytest fixture. A failing test that leaves a modified
config.ini or an installed custom_node poisons every subsequent test in
the suite.

### 5.5 `@pytest.mark.xfail` for known bugs

When a test documents a bug that is not yet fixed, mark it
`@pytest.mark.xfail(reason=...)`. When the fix lands, flip to `xfail(strict=True)`
or remove the mark and include the fix commit hash in the removal commit
message (see `test_reinstall_with_uv_compile` / commit `ddccefbc` for the
pattern).

### 5.6 Playwright selector stability

Prefer title attribute — e.g. `select[title^="Configure the channel"]` —
over class selectors (shared across multiple combos). Label-based
(`:has(span.text-muted:text-is("Channel"))`) is second-best. Class-only
is brittle. See `reports/legacy-ui-channel-combo-dom-mapping.md` for the
channel-combo case study.

### 5.7 Playwright 2-hop mock

For fail-state UI scenarios: mock GET (inject a fake pack that puts the UI
into the failure state) + intercept POST (capture the payload the failure
handler fires). (The prior `legacy-ui-mock-install.spec.ts::wi-015`
exemplar was superseded by a real-E2E pre-seeded broken-pack test in
`tests/e2e/test_e2e_legacy_real_ops.py::TestImportFailInfoReal` — use
this technique only when real backend reproduction is infeasible.)

### 5.8 Playwright `page.request.post` fallback

For structurally unreachable UI triggers — e.g. the idle-state
`queue/reset` Stop button is `display: none` — use the browser-context
HTTP client to bypass the UI. Document the reason in the spec comment so
future readers don't "fix" it by forcing a click.

---

## 6. Security Gate Matrix

`comfyui_manager/glob/utils/security_utils.py:20-26` gates endpoints by
risk level. The default `security_level=normal` allows middle+ but
rejects high+ with 403.

| Gate | Local only? | security_level must be in |
|------|:---:|---------------------------|
| `middle+` | optional | `{WEAK, NORMAL, NORMAL_}` (default allows) |
| `high+` | required | `{WEAK, NORMAL_}` (default `NORMAL` ⇒ 403) |

**high+ endpoints** (`comfyui_switch_version`, `install/git_url`,
`install/pip`, install_model with non-safetensors, etc.) require
`start_comfyui_permissive.sh` to be tested positively. That harness
backs up `config.ini`, patches `security_level = normal-`, sets
`ENABLE_LEGACY_UI=1`, and the pytest fixture restores the config on
teardown. Use hardcoded trusted inputs only (never user-derived) — the
default-security `403` contract is the positive-path security behavior
we want to preserve in production. The counterpart
`start_comfyui_strict.sh` harness (`security_level = strong`) is used to
exercise the 403 negative path for `middle` / `middle+` gates. See the
WI-YY infeasibility log for which high+ endpoints still need harness
work.

**Honesty boundary for mock-based closures**: rows in
`reports/api-coverage-matrix.md` marked `Y (WI-WW-mock)` assert UI→API
wiring only — URL + method + payload shape. They do NOT assert backend
handler behavior; that is pytest's job. A regression that kept the UI
firing correctly but broke the backend would not be caught by the mock
test alone. Document the boundary in the spec comment.

---

## 7. Audit & Coverage Artifacts

Tracked reports under `reports/`. Update these when you add or retire
tests.

| Artifact | Purpose | Maintenance |
|----------|---------|-------------|
| `reports/e2e_verification_audit.md` | Per-test verdict matrix (✅ PASS / ⚠️ WEAK / ❌ INADEQUATE / N/A) with Summary table, per-file sections, TOTAL counts | Any new or retired test → update both the per-file section and Summary; then run `scripts/verify_audit_counts.py` |
| `reports/api-coverage-matrix.md` | 39-endpoint × pytest + Playwright matrix | Update when a new endpoint is added or a coverage cell flips |
| `reports/test-bloat-inventory.md` | 10-code bloat sweep (B1-BA), 127-test baseline | Run `/pair-sweep test bloat identification` for a re-baseline when churn exceeds 10 tests |

**Verification script**: `scripts/verify_audit_counts.py` parses
`e2e_verification_audit.md` and validates that the Summary row counts
match the per-file section counts and the TOTAL line. It MUST exit 0
before a doc-sync WI completes.

---

## 8. Test Bloat Checklist (B1-BA)

Use these codes when reviewing new tests. Sources:
`reports/test-bloat-inventory.md` + the sweep methodology in
`.claude/pair-working/sessions/sweep-endpoint-coverage/scratch/goal-report-bloat-sweep.md`.

| Code | Type | Criterion |
|------|------|-----------|
| **B1** Redundant | Duplicate assertion | Same assertion or contract already covered by another test |
| **B2** Over-parametrized | Boundary noise | Cases beyond boundary + equivalence class contribute zero |
| **B3** Mixed-concerns | Multi-concern | One test mixes 3+ unrelated assertions |
| **B4** Dead | Non-existent feature | Validates a removed / non-existent endpoint or API |
| **B5** Smoke-only | Superficial | Only checks status 200 + dict type, no substantive validation |
| **B6** Setup-heavy | Over-fixtured | 50+ lines of setup/teardown vs few assertions |
| **B7** Stale-skip | Obsolete skip | `pytest.skip` reason no longer valid |
| **B8** Title-mismatch | Misleading name | Function name does not match what it actually validates |
| **B9** Copy-paste | DRY violation | ≥80% duplication with another test; helper/parametrization possible |
| **BA** Impl-detail | Implementation-coupled | Validates internal implementation, not contract |

**Triage priority**: B4 ⇒ remove. B1/B9 ⇒ parametrize or remove the
duplicate. B8 ⇒ rename or refactor the assertion. B5/BA ⇒ strengthen or
remove. B6/B7 ⇒ clean up. B2/B3 ⇒ case-by-case.

---

## 9. Running Tests

### 9.1 pytest E2E — glob manager

```bash
pytest tests/e2e/ -v --timeout=300
```

### 9.2 pytest E2E — legacy-only endpoints

```bash
pytest tests/e2e/test_e2e_legacy_endpoints.py tests/e2e/test_e2e_csrf_legacy.py -v
```

### 9.3 Playwright (legacy UI)

```bash
PORT=8199 npx playwright test tests/playwright/
```

### 9.4 CLI subprocess

```bash
pytest tests/cli/ -v
```

### 9.5 Audit verification

```bash
python3 scripts/verify_audit_counts.py
```

Exits 0 when `reports/e2e_verification_audit.md` is internally consistent
(Summary ↔ per-file ↔ TOTAL). Exit non-zero → drift between sections.

### 9.6 Full suite (reference invocation)

```bash
# pytest all, with explicit venv
E2E_ROOT=$E2E_ROOT $E2E_ROOT/venv/bin/python -m pytest tests/e2e/ -v --timeout=300

# Playwright, legacy UI mode
PORT=8199 npx playwright test tests/playwright/

# Audit verification
python3 scripts/verify_audit_counts.py
```

---

## Appendix — Companion Files

- `.claude/scaffold/e2e-methods.yml` — living registry of the test
  patterns described in §5 plus the bloat codes from §8. Append entries
  when you establish a new pattern.
- `reports/e2e_verification_audit.md` — per-test verdict matrix.
- `reports/api-coverage-matrix.md` — endpoint × coverage matrix.
- `reports/test-bloat-inventory.md` — 127-test sweep baseline.
- `reports/legacy-ui-channel-combo-dom-mapping.md` — DOM selector case
  study for the Channel combo.