Cypress Dying, AI Generative Journey Creator, and More

Have you seen the new AI generative journey creator?

Want to know how to Integrate Cucumber with Playwright?

And is Cypress and open source, in general, dying?

Find out in this recap of the Test Guild News Show for the week of August 20th. So, grab your favorite cup of coffee or tea, and let's do this.

Visual Validation Testing Must Have

Are you looking to take your automation projects to the next level? Look no further than?Applitools ?and their Visual AI Validation testing platform. Trust me; I've used it in the past, and it is a game-changer. Plus, you could try it out yourself now by creating a free account using this??? ?special link now ??? .

GenAI-powered Journey Creator

TestResults.io unveils its groundbreaking GenAI-powered journey creator, revolutionizing how test cases are designed. Users can now simply prompt their desired user journeys, and the system autonomously crafts the precise test steps tailored to the application.

Unlike generic test cases, TestResults.io offers a bespoke solution, fully automating test cases specific to individual applications. This innovative feature is set to be available for all users by Q4/2023, with beta users already getting a taste. The platform likens the experience to Photoshop's generative fill – you prompt, and the system delivers. In a recent demonstration, the AI seamlessly identified and selected elements, even adapting to new pages it hadn't encountered before.

Dive into the magic with their 2-minute explainer video on YouTube .

Bridging Playwright and Cucumber for Enhanced Web Automation

Microsoft's open-source framework, Playwright, designed for web automation and end-to-end testing across various browsers, has found a harmonious partner in Cucumber, a renowned testing framework championing behavior-driven development (BDD). In a recent article by Kailash Pathak, the integration of these two powerful tools is explored in depth. By combining Playwright's capabilities, such as cross-browser support, network interception, and automatic waiting, with Cucumber's natural language format, developers can craft technically robust tests that are easily understandable by non-technical stakeholders. Pathak provides a comprehensive guide on setting up and executing tests using this integration, emphasizing the potential for clearer communication and more efficient testing processes.

For those interested in leveraging the combined strengths of Playwright and Cucumber, the full guide is available on Medium .

The Art of Debugging Automated Tests

In the ever-evolving world of automated testing, failures are not uncommon, especially when tests are newly written. In his recent Medium article, Vitor Cardoso delves into the importance of debugging these tests . He emphasizes that debugging is not just about identifying errors but also about understanding the code's execution. This practice is vital for maintaining test quality, saving time, and learning from mistakes. Cardoso provides insights into when and how to debug, from using simple?console.log?statements in JavaScript to more advanced tools in IDEs like Visual Studio. He underscores that while tools are helpful, the essence of debugging lies in the developer's approach and understanding.

So, is Cypress Dying or Not?

Is Cypress dying or not? I thought this was put to rest a few weeks ago, but I keep seeing posts on it, so I want to review it quickly and get your opinion on what you think.

So, it all started with a Reddit post in April.

The article talks about how they're predicting Cypress is dying, and they give their reasons why, and some of these reasons are not accurate. For example, Cypress's Ambassadors is not a paid program.

But this week, Zhimin Zhan posted another article on LinkedIn on how he's actually standing by his assessment that Cypress is in bad shape. I'm unfamiliar with Zhimin, but I know some experts in Cypress, such as Filip Hric, a Cypress brand ambassador. He gets insights that a lot of us don't.

He was on a Cypress.io call recently that addressed this, and he goes over it in a post called Cypress Panic (if there even is one) .

I was not going to bring this up like a month or so ago. But I keep seeing it over and over again. Hopefully, this puts it to bed. I always look to experts in Cypress, like Filip or even Gleb Bahmutov, and get their input on what they're doing. And Gleb is still posting on Cypress. Filip is still posting on Cypress. Cypress is open source.

So, will that ever die? I don't think so.

But I'll be honest: I used to be a Winrunner user, and the folks at Mercury swore they said to my face, we're never going to kill Winrunner. We have too many users. And guess what? They killed Winrunner. So, is Cypress dying? I would say there is a high likelihood that it's not, but you never know. But you be the judge and let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

HashiCorp's Licensing Shift Signals Potential Shift in Open-Source Landscape

HashiCorp, a key player in the open-source software community, has announced a significant change in its licensing approach. The company is transitioning from the Mozilla Public License to the Business Source License (BSL) for eight of its open-source projects. This "source available" license diverges from the traditional open-source definition set by the Open Source Initiative. Under the BSL, while users can still access and modify the source code, they are restricted from using it in commercial services that rival HashiCorp's own offerings.

This move reflects a broader industry trend, with other enterprise infrastructure vendors, such as Redis Labs and MongoDB, reevaluating their open-source commitments. HashiCorp's decision aims to address challenges posed by companies profiting from its open-source projects without contributing significantly to their development.

Do you think this shift raises questions about the future dynamics of open-source software in the software automation testing space?

Secure Automation Testing at Scale Leveraging SBOX?

Speaking of open source, you may need a different approach than an open source solution, primarily if you work at the Enterprise due to various issues such as security and other things. I want to highlight that I did a recent podcast with the folks at Element 34 .

They have an enterprise solution for Selenium Grid. So this is with Michael and Lee; they detail securing automation testing at scale and leveraging SBOX, an in-house behind-the-firewall Selenium Grid solution. You should check it out. We describe the benefits and challenges of using different test tools like Selenium and Playwright and compliance and automation testing when it concerns security and other things. When you're working within, say, regulated environments are big enterprises. And so we dive deep into different features and advantages of their SBOX solution, including the ability to run tests within the customer's firewall and ensure data privacy, which is a big deal, especially if you're working in health care and insurance. This sounds like something that would benefit your company. I highly recommend you listen to this and let me know your thoughts.

Apica Secures $10M Funding and Acquires LOGIQ.AI to Enhance Data Observability

In this week's follow-the-money segment, Apica, a synthetic monitoring and observability leader , has made significant strides with acquiring data fabric startup LOGIQ.AI and securing $10 million in its latest funding round. This strategic acquisition and funding infusion bolsters Apica's commitment to providing agile, cost-effective observability solutions. Central to Apica's strategy is "active observability," which merges observability with synthetic monitoring, enabling businesses to test applications and services proactively. Integrating LOGIQ.AI will empower the Apica Ascent platform with enhanced data indexing capabilities, offering users comprehensive control over their data pipelines. Jason Haworth, CPO at Apica, highlighted the platform's ability to provide context-rich data from diverse sources, emphasizing its vendor-neutral approach. The funds will be channeled toward business expansion, R&D, talent acquisition, and product innovation.

That's a Wrap

So that's it for this Test Guild News Show Newsletter edition.?

I'm Joe Colantonio, and my mission is to help you succeed in creating end-to-end full-stack DevSecops automation awesomeness.?

As always, test everything and keep the good. Cheers!