Optimize Backstop Reference Creation in Testing Suites

[hanna-meda]

Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe.
Currently, we create backstop references for every test run, regardless of whether they are necessary or not. For instance, even when running tests that do not require backstop references, such as npm run test:smoke, we still generate them. This practice consumes unnecessary time during test execution.
The issue is here, within hooks.ts

Describe the solution you'd like
As per discussion with @jeawhanlee, we need to optimize backstop reference creation by generating them only for tests that require them. For instance, backstop references will be created when running tests like npm run test:llcssbg, which necessitate them for comparison during the test run. Conversely, tests like npm run test:smoke, where backstop references are unnecessary, will not trigger their creation, thereby reducing execution time and resource consumption.

[jeawhanlee]

Scope a solution ✅

We can conditionally create backstop reference based on script name by getting the current script during runtime and matching it against an array of scripts we allow reference to be created for.
const script = process.env.npm_lifecycle_event; should give us the script e.g test:smoke or test:llcssbg

Estimate the effort ✅
[XS]

[Miraeld]

Hello,

Is this the same as #138 ?

[MathieuLamiot]

@jeawhanlee @Miraeld any updates on the question above? Is this a duplicate of #138 ?
Thanks

[jeawhanlee]

It does look like a duplicate with different approach, I'll test this PR to see that it closes this properly.

[jeawhanlee]

Well it is not a duplicated as the backstop reference still runs but with empty scenarios, the aim is not to run the reference for non related test.

[MathieuLamiot]

Blocked until we have all-green test results.