How To Use Cypress Testing Framework?
Website applications have been there in the world for a long time now. Over the years, they have seen a drastic improvement. So with this significant change in web apps required an equally notable advancement in the testing as well.
That is where Cypress comes into the role. It changed the conventional usage of Selenium in web testing by bringing in a JavaScript-based testing framework built on Mocha. A few reasons why testers prefer Cypress over other tools are:
Usage:
Unlike most of the traditional testing tools, Cypress runs with the application in the browser. This makes the overall process more convenient.
Control:
Along with easy usage, Cypress also offers you better control over your web app. As it doesn’t work from outside, you can smoothly check how different parts of your app work.
360-Degree Testing:
Another factor that makes Cypress different is its ability to work on your app’s network layer. So you can easily optimize your entire code and working of the app.
Plugins:
If you aren’t satisfied with Cypress’s features, you can opt for its plugins. They will extend the usage of the tool by providing you with additional characteristics.
With all these features, it wouldn’t be wrong to call Cypress the future of front-end testing. Now that you know how beneficial this testing tool is, let’s see how you can use it.
Cypress Testing Framework Guide
The process of using the Cypress testing tool starts with installation. For this, you need to have node.js pre-installed in your system. You then have to run two npm commands:
-npm init:
his is used to create a package.json
npm install Cypress –save-dev:
This is used to install Cypress in package.json as a devDependency array.
If you have a faster network, the process will get completed within three minutes. Once done with this, you can run the command “./node_modules/.bin/cypress open” to open the tool.
This command has to be run at the location where the package.json file is saved. It will also open a default folder structure of Cypress, which contains examples. You can close it to try out your own testing.
Now your testing tool has been installed in your system. So it is time to use it. Let’s begin with that.
Setting Up Cypress:
To test out the Cypress tool, you can create a small form instead of directly running it on your project. For the back-end code part, keep the name as “index.html,” and for the front-end code, keep the name as “form.js.” We will be referring to the same here.
You can start by running the command npx serve. It will generate a development server for your project at http://localhost:5000/. As you open this file, you will see your .js project.
Now you will have to understand a few terms for running the test cases.
describe:
This is a method that Cypress has taken from Mocha. It holds the associated tests. So whenever you have to write new tests, you will have to use this.
it:
This method holds the actual block that has to be tested.
The image here will help you understand these two methods with a passing test.
cy:
This implies Cypress.
visit:
This method is used in Cypress to follow a provided path.
get:
With this, you can select different elements on a page.
Through our created project, you can understand these terms. Remember, you have to create this file in the location cypress/integration/form.spec.js.
Now that test has been created, it’s time to configure it so that it can run.
Configuration:
To configure Cypress for your project, you need to create a new script in package.json with the name “e2e.” You have to add the following code to it.
Conclusion
There are many other tools available in the market that can be easily used for your CI/CD pipeline. One needs to choose the tool based on the project or company’s need. Many of these tools are open-source and hence come with a cost advantage as well. If you’d like to discuss how can you can introduce DevOps, Tritusa Consulting can help, please get in touch with our team.
Once you do this, the next step is to configure the base URL that is found in the cypress.json file. You will have to add http://localhost:5000/ to the baseUrl there.
Running:
To configure Cypress for your project, you need to create a new script in package.json with the name “e2e.” You have to add the following code to it.
-> npx serve
-> npm run e2e
By executing these commands, you will see Cypress running tests on your website in the browser. If the tests pass, they will be shown in a separate space. The test cases will be shown under a ‘cross’ section if they fail.
Alternate Method:
In case you don’t want to go through the hassle of creating a project and going in all these files, you can simply create the ‘describe’ and ‘it’ passing/failing tests in any IDE file that you have. It will work in the same way.
Then it will be best if you start expanding your test code to get more advanced results. For example, you can add ‘type’ and ‘should’ commands. Once you are done getting your hands on the tool, you can finally use it to test your main application. Remember, it will be extremely complicated, and that is why it is crucial to practice with the given tools.
API Checking:
You will be pleased to know that Cypress has enabled API checking along with functional testing. Plus, you need not combine any additional libraries for the task. You can simply send the requests at the same time as front-end testing. So the overall work doesn’t need much effort.
Why You Should Prefer Cypress Over Selenium
You may be practicing your testing skill on Selenium for years now. Therefore, it is normal to have doubts about switching the work to Cypress. But you must know the importance of this as well. From the above tests, you may have realized the difference between these two platforms. In case you didn’t, here are the significant contrasts between Cypress and Selenium.
Open Source:
For Cypress, anyone can use the tool, but not the dashboard. On the other hand, Selenium has paid add-ons. So you can see here that Cypress becomes a beneficial one.
Usability:
Where Selenium is explicitly designed for QA developers or testers, Cypress can be used for TDD development work. So anyone related to the development department can easily use it for optimization of the web-app.
Architecture:
As stated earlier, Cypress runs the tests within the browser. But Selenium doesn’t provide this functionality. Therefore, you can see that using Cypress is extremely convenient.
Installation:
Last but not least, Cypress is easy to install as compared to Selenium as all its dependencies and divers are available in .exe files.
Conclusion
With changing times, it is exceptionally crucial to switch your development and analyzing tools. Plus, when testing is the most vital part of software development, it becomes even more critical to keep up with its tools. So you must get Cypress for all your future web applications and optimize them for the market.
If you’d like to discuss how can you introduce Cypress Framework, Tritusa Consulting can help, please get in touch with our team.
