Custom Commands in Cypress

Introduction:

Hey there! Ever felt a bit tired of doing the same steps over and over again in your tests? I get it; it happens to the best of us.

So, here's a thought: How do you usually handle those moments in testing when things start to feel a bit repetitive?

Now, in the world of test automation, where we're all about making things smoother, there's this cool thing called custom commands in Cypress. They're like shortcuts that can make your testing life a whole lot easier.

In this article, we're going to keep things simple and chat about how tackling those repetitive tasks can be a lot less tricky with the help of custom commands in Cypress.

What are Custom Commands?

Custom commands in Cypress enable you to encapsulate commonly used functionalities or sequences of actions into reusable functions. This not only makes your test scripts more concise but also facilitates easy maintenance and updates.

Real-Life Scenario: User Authentication

Scenario: You have a web application with multiple test cases that require user authentication. Each test case involves navigating to the login page, entering credentials, and clicking the login button. This process repeats across various tests, leading to redundant code.

Without Custom Commands:

Challenges and Drawbacks without Custom Commands:

1. Redundancy: The login steps are duplicated across multiple test cases, leading to redundant code. If there are changes to the login process, you must update each test case individually.
2. Readability: The test cases become longer and less readable due to the repetition of login steps. This makes it harder to focus on the specific functionality being tested.
3. Maintenance Burden: If there is a change in the login UI, such as the addition of a new field or a button, you must update each occurrence in every test case.
4. Consistency Concerns: Inconsistencies may arise if, for some reason, the login steps are modified in one test case but not in others. This can lead to confusion and potential issues in test execution.

With Custom Commands:

How to Define a Custom Command:

To create a custom command, use the Cypress.Commands.add() method inside the commands.js file. This method takes the command name and a callback function as parameters. The callback function contains the logic of your custom command.

Implementing Custom Commands in Tests:

Once you've defined your custom commands, integrating them into your test scripts is straightforward. Simply use the command name as if it were a native Cypress command.

Benefits of Using Custom Commands:

1. Code Reusability: The login logic is centralized in the custom command, promoting code reuse across multiple test cases.
2. Readability: The test cases become more concise and focused on specific functionality, improving readability.
3. Maintenance Efficiency: Updates to the login process can be made in one place (the custom command), ensuring consistency and reducing maintenance efforts.
4. Abstraction: The details of the login process are abstracted, allowing test cases to emphasize the high-level actions being tested.

Best Practices and Tips:

1. Organize Commands Thoughtfully: Group related custom commands together, ensuring a logical organization that aligns with your project structure.
2. Parameterization: Make your custom commands versatile by incorporating parameters. This allows you to reuse them with different inputs.
3. Documentation: Document your custom commands effectively. A well-documented set of custom commands makes onboarding new team members smoother.

Conclusion:

By using custom commands, you can improve the organization, readability, and maintainability of your Cypress test suite. It's a powerful way to encapsulate common actions and promote best practices in automated testing.

Dear readers, it's your turn! Share your automation testing experiences in the comments below. Have you employed techniques like custom commands or faced interesting challenges in your projects? Your insights can inspire and help others in their automation journey. Let's connect, learn, and grow together!