What are Soft Assertions in Cypress?

In Cypress, assertions are typically hard by default, meaning that if one assertion fails, the test execution stops immediately. Soft assertions, on the other hand, allow the test to continue even if an assertion fails, enabling you to evaluate multiple conditions in a single test run and capture all the failures at once.

Cypress does not have native support for soft assertions, but you can implement them using third-party libraries or custom logic.

Why Use Soft Assertions?

1. Comprehensive Validation: You can check multiple conditions without stopping the test after the first failure.
2. Improved Debugging: Get a complete list of all failed assertions in one run.
3. Time Efficiency: Avoid rerunning tests multiple times for different failures.

Setting Up Soft Assertions in Cypress

1. Install a Soft Assertion Library You can use a library like chai-soft-assertions to achieve soft assertions. Install it by running: npm install chai chai-soft-assertions --save-dev.
2. Enable the Library in Cypress In the cypress/support/index.js file, import and use the library:

• Import Chai: const chai = require('chai');
• Import the soft assertions plugin: const chaiSoftAssertions = require('chai-soft-assertions');
• Activate it: chai.use(chaiSoftAssertions);

Writing Tests with Soft Assertions

To use soft assertions, wrap your assertions in a function like cy.softAssert and aggregate the results at the end using cy.softAssertAll. For example:

1. In a test scenario, you can write assertions like:
2. At the end of the test, aggregate and display all the failed assertions in a single report.

Example Test Scenario

Imagine testing a login form with soft assertions:

• Check if the page title is correct.
• Verify that the username field is visible.
• Confirm the error message appears when the wrong password is entered.

Instead of stopping after the first failed assertion (e.g., incorrect page title), soft assertions allow all checks to run, and failures are logged for review.

Implementing Soft Assertions Without Libraries

If you prefer not to use external tools, you can create your own solution by capturing assertion errors in a try-catch block and storing them in an array for reporting later.

Benefits and Use Cases

When to Use Soft Assertions:

• Validating multiple independent elements on a webpage.
• Checking multiple properties of data returned from APIs.
• Ensuring robust testing in exploratory or regression tests.

Benefits:

• Efficient debugging and faster feedback loops.
• Enhanced test reporting for larger test cases.
• No need to rerun tests for every single failure.

Soft assertions are a powerful tool to optimize your Cypress tests, making them more flexible and informative. While not natively supported, they can be easily integrated with libraries or custom implementations to enhance your testing workflow.