Test automation involves the validation and confirmation of test scenarios using dedicated tools and frameworks. Quality assurance professionals develop automated scripts and input them into automation tools, which initiate the application, execute the test scenario, and classify the test outcome as either successful or unsuccessful.
Automated testing is particularly beneficial for recurring scenarios, as it minimizes the time and energy that human testers would otherwise need to invest.
Why is Test Automation Important?
Presently, quality assurance holds a prime position in ensuring the excellence of apps. The journey of creating an application encompasses distinct phases: design, coding, development and testing. Among these pivotal stages, testing assumes a significant role, accounting for a substantial portion of the overall workload during product development. In this context, the demand for testing resources continues to escalate. Here, automation stands out as a glaring remedy, expediting the process while upholding, and potentially enhancing, the quality.
Test automation furnishes several advantages:
- Enabling the integration of contemporary DevOps principles by infusing celerity into the development pipeline.
- Mitigating the likelihood of human errors, as machines impeccably execute tasks when furnished with accurate input.
- Yielding swifter outcomes.
- Allowing for the concurrent execution of multiple tests through parallel testing.
What is Cypress Framework?
The Cypress automation framework represents a contemporary automation solution built on NodeJS, accommodating JavaScript and Typescript as its programming languages. While there exist both pros and cons to using Cypress, it stands out as the prevailing and user-friendly choice within the automation realm, rapidly gaining favor among developers and testers despite its relative novelty.
Features of Cypress
Cypress test automation boasts several features that contribute to its appeal as a choice for automated testing:
- Straightforward Installation: Installing Cypress is a breeze, achievable through npm or Yarn, without necessitating the installation of additional dependencies.
- Intuitive API: Cypress provides an uncomplicated and easily comprehensible API. Its commands are chainable, rendering code both readable and conducive to write efficient test cases.
- Automated Waiting: A distinctive trait of Cypress is its automatic waiting capability. It autonomously holds off on executing actions until elements materialize, enhancing code reliability and simplifying the scripting process.
- Parallel Execution: Cypress Test Runner empowers parallel test execution across multiple browsers and devices. This expedites test runs, bolstering efficiency.
Writing Automated Tests to Validate Web Applications on Cypress
Writing automated tests for web applications using the Cypress automation framework involves a few simple and easy steps. Cypress is a powerful testing framework that allows you to write end-to-end tests for your web application. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to write automated tests using Cypress:
Step 1: Set Up Cypress
- Install Node.js: Make sure you have Node.js installed on your system, as Cypress requires it.
- Install Cypress: Open your terminal and navigate to your project’s root directory. Run the command to install Cypress and open it.
Step 2: Create Test Files
- Inside the cypress/integration directory, create test files with a .spec.js or .spec.ts extension. For example, login.spec.js.
- Write Test Cases: Write your test cases using Cypress commands. Cypress provides a fluent and easy-to-use API for interacting with your application.
Step 3: Run Tests
- In the Cypress Test Runner, click on the test file you want to run. This will launch your test in a browser.
- Observe the test execution. You can see how Cypress interacts with your application in real-time.
Step 4: Assertions and Commands
Cypress provides a wide range of commands and assertions for testing your application.
Step 5: Configuration
You can configure Cypress by creating a cypress.json file in your project’s root directory. This file allows you to set various options, such as base URL, browser, and more.
Step 6: Continuous Integration (CI)
You can integrate Cypress tests into your CI/CD pipeline using various tools like Jenkins, Travis CI, GitHub Actions, etc. Make sure to set up the necessary scripts and configurations to run your tests automatically at every code change.
Remember to continuously maintain and update your tests as your application evolves. Cypress provides an excellent platform for creating reliable and effective end-to-end tests for your web application.
Why Cypress Testing?
What often deters QA app testing engineers from transitioning from manual to automated testing is their apprehension stemming from a lack of prior programming exposure. This fear revolves around the notion that mastering automation tools and scripting tests might elude them. There’s an underlying worry that automated testing proves intricate, heightened by online feedback suggesting that setting up Selenium demands substantial time investment. Moreover, the necessity to grasp concepts like XPath and PageObject compounds these anxieties.
Yet, a solution emerges in the form of Cypress—a comprehensive framework that encompasses vital elements like the Assertion library, mockups, and stubbing. Cypress harnesses Selectors and Assertions, with the added convenience of incorporating Chai and jQuery libraries right from the outset. Why opt for Cypress? Because it furnishes robust mechanisms for both locating and validating DOM elements, equipping you with potent resources to efficiently pinpoint and reference elements during test scripting.
Is Cypress easier to learn than Selenium?
Comparatively, Cypress stands out as an easier automation framework to learn in contrast to Selenium. It boasts a simplified API, enriched documentation, and an intuitively streamlined testing methodology. Furthermore, Cypress obviates the necessity for convoluted setups, replacing them with an interactive and user-centric testing experience. Notably, Cypress exhibits a marked swiftness edge over Selenium, attributed to its distinct architectural composition.
It’s important to note that Cypress forgoes reliance on Selenium altogether. Instead, it stands as an independent end-to-end testing framework structured on a separate architecture. This unique framework offers expeditious and dependable testing for web applications. Cypress takes a distinctive approach by functioning directly within the browser and operating within the application’s same event loop. This contrast to Selenium’s remote WebDriver communication culminates in expedited test execution and a reduced likelihood of inconsistent outcomes, commonly referred to as test flakiness.
To Wrap Up
Cypress test automation holds clarity even for individuals possessing fundamental programming comprehension. Among the frameworks highlighted earlier, Cypress stands out as the most pragmatic and uncomplicated choice, both in terms of initial configuration and proficiency attainment. My suggestion is to opt for Cypress when aiming to automate regression testing, as well as tasks frequently undertaken within an application.
