4.x docs update (#5519)

* DOC: rewrite retry.md — remove duplication, clarify healing section

- Remove repeated "Common Patterns" and "Configuration Reference" sections
- Move self-healing to step-level position (after retryTo, before scenario retries)
- Explain AI healing flow as bullet list showing what happens at each stage
- Link to /heal and /ai instead of duplicating their content

Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>

* DOC: update locators.md — add ARIA/role locators, context param, and ID locator types

Co-Authored-By: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>

* remvoed bad file

* refactored documentation; improved locator docs

---------

Co-authored-by: Claude Sonnet 4.6 <noreply@anthropic.com>

Author: DavertMik

docs/books.md

@@ -11,16 +11,14 @@ you can use the `bootstrap` and `teardown` config. Use it to start and stop a we
 When using the [parallel execution](/parallel) mode, there are two additional hooks available; `bootstrapAll` and `teardownAll`. See [bootstrapAll & teardownAll](#bootstrapall-teardownall) for more information.
 
 
-> ⚠ In CodeceptJS 2 bootstrap could be set as a function with `done` parameter. This way of handling async function was replaced with native async functions in CodeceptJS 3.
-
 ### Example: Bootstrap & Teardown
 
 If you are using JavaScript-style config `codecept.conf.js`, bootstrap and teardown functions can be placed inside of it:
 
 ```js
-var server = require('./app_server');
+import server from './app_server.js';
 
-exports.config = {
+export default {
   tests: "./*_test.js",
   helpers: {},
 
@@ -63,10 +61,10 @@ Using JavaScript-style config `codecept.conf.js`, bootstrapAll and teardownAll f
 
 
 ```js
-const fs = require('fs');
+import fs from 'fs';
 const tempFolder = process.cwd() + '/tmpFolder';
 
-exports.config = {
+export default {
   tests: "./*_test.js",
   helpers: {},
 
@@ -95,13 +93,12 @@ exports.config = {
 
 ## Combining Bootstrap & BootstrapAll
 
-It is quite common that you expect that bootstrapAll and bootstrap will do the same thing. If an application server is already started in `bootstrapAll` we should not run it again inside `bootstrap` for each worker. To avoid code duplication we can run bootstrap script only when we are not inside a worker. And we will use NodeJS `isMainThread` Workers API to detect that:
+It is quite common that you expect that bootstrapAll and bootstrap will do the same thing. If an application server is already started in `bootstrapAll` we should not run it again inside `bootstrap` for each worker. To avoid code duplication we can run bootstrap script only when we are not inside a worker. CodeceptJS provides `store.workerMode` to detect if code is running in a worker process:
 
 ```js
 // inside codecept.conf.js
 
-// detect if we are in a worker thread
-const { isMainThread } = require('worker_threads');
+import store from 'codeceptjs/lib/store.js';
 
 async function startServer() {
   // implement starting server logic here
@@ -111,20 +108,20 @@ async function stopServer() {
 }
 
 
-exports.config = {
+export default {
   // codeceptjs config goes here
 
   async bootstrapAll() {
     await startServer();
   },
   async bootstrap() {
     // start a server only if we are not in worker
-    if (isMainThread) return startServer();
+    if (!store.workerMode) return startServer();
   }
 
   async teardown() {
-    // start a server only if we are not in worker
-    if (isMainThread) return stopServer();
+    // stop a server only if we are not in worker
+    if (!store.workerMode) return stopServer();
   }
 
   async teardownAll() {

docs/bootstrap.md

@@ -22,7 +22,90 @@ API is supposed to be a stable interface and it can be used by acceptance tests.
 
 ## Data Objects
 
-For a lightweight, class-based approach to managing test data, see **[Data Objects](/pageobjects#data-objects)** in the Page Objects documentation. Data Objects let you create page object classes that manage API data with automatic cleanup via the `_after()` hook — no factory configuration needed.
+Data Objects are page object classes designed to manage test data via API. They use the REST helper (through `I`) to create data in a test and clean it up automatically via the `_after()` hook.
+
+This is a lightweight alternative to [ApiDataFactory](#api-data-factory) — ideal when you want full control over data creation and cleanup logic without factory configuration.
+
+### Defining a Data Object
+
+```js
+const { I } = inject();
+
+class UserData {
+  constructor() {
+    this._created = [];
+  }
+
+  async createUser(data = {}) {
+    const response = await I.sendPostRequest('/api/users', {
+      name: data.name || 'Test User',
+      email: data.email || `test-${Date.now()}@example.com`,
+      ...data,
+    });
+    this._created.push(response.data.id);
+    return response.data;
+  }
+
+  async createPost(userId, data = {}) {
+    const response = await I.sendPostRequest('/api/posts', {
+      userId,
+      title: data.title || 'Test Post',
+      body: data.body || 'Test body',
+      ...data,
+    });
+    this._created.push({ type: 'post', id: response.data.id });
+    return response.data;
+  }
+
+  async _after() {
+    for (const record of this._created.reverse()) {
+      const id = typeof record === 'object' ? record.id : record;
+      const type = typeof record === 'object' ? record.type : 'user';
+      try {
+        await I.sendDeleteRequest(`/api/${type}s/${id}`);
+      } catch (e) {
+        // cleanup errors should not fail the test
+      }
+    }
+    this._created = [];
+  }
+}
+
+export default UserData
+```
+
+### Configuration
+
+Add the REST helper and the Data Object to your config:
+
+```js
+helpers: {
+  Playwright: { url: 'http://localhost', browser: 'chromium' },
+  REST: {
+    endpoint: 'http://localhost/api',
+    defaultHeaders: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
+  },
+},
+include: {
+  I: './steps_file.js',
+  userData: './data/UserData.js',
+}
+```
+
+### Usage in Tests
+
+```js
+Scenario('user sees their profile', async ({ I, userData }) => {
+  const user = await userData.createUser({ name: 'John Doe' });
+  I.amOnPage(`/users/${user.id}`);
+  I.see('John Doe');
+  // userData._after() runs automatically — deletes the created user
+});
+```
+
+Data Objects can use any helper methods available via `I`, including `sendGetRequest`, `sendPutRequest`, and browser actions. They combine the convenience of managed test data with the flexibility of page objects.
+
+**Learn more:** See [Page Objects](/pageobjects) for general page object patterns.
 
 ## REST
 

docs/data.md

@@ -272,7 +272,7 @@ Scenario('filter products by price', async ({ I }) => {
 ## API Reference
 
 - **[Element Access](els.md)** - Complete reference for `element()`, `eachElement()`, `expectElement()`, `expectAnyElement()`, `expectAllElements()` functions
-- **[WebElement API](WebElement.md)** - Complete reference for WebElement class methods (`getText()`, `getAttribute()`, `click()`, `$$()`, etc.)
+- **[WebElement API](web-element.md)** - Complete reference for WebElement class methods (`getText()`, `getAttribute()`, `click()`, `$$()`, etc.)
 
 ## Portability