For a few years, when it got here to automating net UI testing, Selenium was the king. And it’s protected to say it nonetheless is! As a extensively recognized and confirmed automation testing device, it’s typically a default selection for a lot of software program initiatives. However does it imply one shouldn’t discover different applied sciences and frameworks? In fact not! On this article, I’ll talk about the details behind using Protractor and clarify how you can set it up for seamless use with Cucumber and Web page Object Mannequin.
The principle level behind utilizing Protractor is that it was developed primarily for testing Angular functions. Since Angular has its personal particular person properties – strategies, options, and synchronization, Protractor addresses these to make testing such apps simpler and extra dependable. It’s value mentioning that Protractor is a wrapper over webdriver.js – the official JavaScript implementation of Selenium Webdriver. What this implies is that in checks growth explicit Angular components will be reached with out-of-the-box check framework strategies and it nonetheless seems much like what would have been coded in a typical Selenium challenge. On high of that, Protractor is able to synchronizing with Angular, which additionally helps with the steadiness of the checks.
The assumptions for establishing the challenge had been much like earlier endeavors with check automation initiatives – the construction must be clear (Web page Object Mannequin) and check scripts need to be clear and comprehensible, even for non-technical crew members (Cucumber and Gherkin). The selection of programming language fell on JavaScript since Protractor is a node.js utility and the opposite viable choice, TypeScript, would require a bit extra coding. This time the challenge will make the most of Visible Studio Code as IDE.
To start establishing the challenge, first, you’ll want to put in node.js. After putting in it in your machine, you’ll be able to confirm that the set up was profitable by typing in ‘node -v’ within the terminal. Whilst you’re at it, in the identical place it’s also possible to confirm the Node Packages Supervisor, typing in ‘npm – v’. Then, sort in ‘npm set up -g protractor’ and confirm its profitable set up with ‘protractor –model’. Simply in case, you’ll be able to replace the driving force on occasion by utilizing the “net driver-manager replace” command.
Our subsequent step will probably be establishing the IDE for snug work. First, in Visible Studio Code set up the “Cucumber (Gherkin) full help” extension. As soon as that’s completed, we’ve to care for our dependencies. In our challenge’s package deal.json file we’ll want to incorporate chai and chai-as-promised for assertions, cucumber, and protractor – all within the dependencies part. In devDependencies, we’ll want protractor-cucumber-framework to realize the purpose we’re striving for.
To have consolation and readability inside the growth course of, one of many options that present it’s the capacity to rapidly lookup what code is executed behind every gherkin step. To attain that in a Protractor challenge, we’ll must specify Cucumber choices within the conf.js file. What is important is the trail to the steps folder.
Then, within the settings.json file, we’ll must specify the paths to folders containing step definitions and strategies which can be executed behind them. We will do that within the following method:
Once we do that, we are able to simply navigate by way of the challenge by clicking the step/definition/technique/component specified within the code with a CTRL or CMD button pressed. It’s a easy factor, however it might probably dramatically enhance productiveness and reduce the time spent on growing or debugging checks!
Our subsequent premise that we have to deal with is operating the checks by tags. Whereas including a tag to a characteristic file is fairly easy, the half the place these are run requires offering a path to Cucumber Characteristic information within the conf.js file.
As you’ll be able to observe within the above piece of code, the cucumberOpts part within the conf.js file requires a variable named ‘tags’ as an empty listing.
Whereas we’re at it, it is very important level out that the conf.js file must have a piece the place we specify the Cucumber as our testing framework:
The general construction of the automated testing challenge created in Web page Object Mannequin is analogous throughout applied sciences. An outline for Protractor will be noticed beneath:
When you create all the required information and end the configuration, it’s time to write the checks themselves.
Since we’re working in BDD framework, let’s begin with a easy Characteristic File with a easy situation specializing in verifying a Registration kind (with a tag for operating it later)
As soon as that’s completed, we are able to specify what occurs in every step in /steps/registration.js:
In that file, we first specify the trail to the file containing strategies which can be going to be known as in every of the step definitions. Then we’re calling assertion libraries and establishing timeouts.
Step definition implementation is fairly easy; the Cucumber key phrase precedes a regex and a parameter; the physique of a step calls a technique from /pages/registration.js file. Normally, one step calls for only one technique however check steps might be extra intricate if want be. Discover that if a technique returns a Boolean worth, we’re invoking assertion on the degree of a step definition (line 23).
Within the/pages/registration.js file, we have to specify a locator dictionary for components that we’re going to work together with. You are able to do this within the following method:
Please be aware the selectors used for finding the weather; you should utilize numerous out-of-the-box strategies for finding components in Protractor, which have been extensively described within the official Protractor Information (link)
The identical goes for strategies used to work together with components:
(PS. Don’t retailer your login credentials within the check automation code… The above is only for demonstration functions)
What occurs above is that we’re implementing strategies that we’ve known as in /steps/registration.js file, utilizing the weather we’ve put within the locator dictionary (highlighted in gentle blue) and interacting with them utilizing Protractor strategies (highlighted in purple).
Then it’s time to run the checks. In VS Code, open a brand new terminal window and hit the “net driver-manager begin” command. Webdriver needs to be up and operating now.
To run the check you’ve written and tagged accordingly, all it’s good to do now’s you need to open one other new terminal window in VS Code and enter the command:
protractor protractor.conf.js –cucumberOpts.tags=’@smoke1′ – tagging the specified characteristic accordingly.
And there you’ve gotten it! Now you’ve gotten a prepared, arrange Protractor testing framework built-in with Cucumber, Web page Object Mannequin which you’ll be able to run with the assistance of tags. If you wish to discover out extra about Protractor, I encourage you to go to the Protractor web site, which comprises complete documentation with code examples here.
