Introduction
If you’ve worked with Cypress for any length of time, you’re probably familiar with the occasional frustration of flaky tests. These tests that seem to pass sometimes but fail at other times can be a real headache for developers and QA engineers alike. We recently attended a webinar hosted by Cypress that explored how to use code smells to fix flaky tests, and it was an eye-opener.
In this article, we’ll walk you through the core concepts of code smells in Cypress, how they relate to flaky tests, and how you can use these insights to make your testing scripts more stable and reliable. We’ll focus on three primary code smells that tend to lead to flaky tests and offer practical advice on how to address them.
What Are Code Smells?
Before we dive into the details of fixing flaky Cypress tests, it’s important to understand the concept of code smells. In the context of testing, code smells refer to patterns or issues in your test scripts that signal potential problems, much like bad smells in your code might indicate deeper issues in the system. These code smells often lead to unreliable tests that fail intermittently or behave inconsistently.
In Cypress, flaky tests are often a symptom of underlying issues in your code. By identifying and addressing common code smells, you can improve the stability and reliability of your tests.
Best Practices to Prevent Flaky Cypress Tests
While addressing code smells is a key strategy for fixing flaky Cypress tests, there are also several best practices you can follow to prevent flaky tests from occurring in the first place:
-
Use assertions and wait for the right conditions: Always use assertions like
cy.should()to ensure elements are in the right state before interacting with them. -
Avoid hard waits: Instead of using
cy.wait(), prefer waiting for specific events or conditions, such as waiting for an element to appear or for an API call to complete. -
Keep tests isolated: Each test should ideally be isolated, meaning it shouldn’t depend on the outcome of another test. This helps reduce flakiness due to shared state.
-
Use Cypress best practices: Follow the best practices recommended by the Cypress documentation, such as leveraging commands like
cy.intercept()for network requests and usingcy.request()to verify server responses.
Conclusion
Cypress is an incredibly powerful tool for end-to-end testing, but like any testing framework, it can be susceptible to flaky tests if not used correctly. By identifying and fixing common Cypress code smells like unprepared elements, flickering elements, and impatient tests, you can greatly improve the reliability of your tests.
With the right approach, Cypress can help you write more stable, efficient, and maintainable tests. So, whether you’re just starting with Cypress or you’re a seasoned pro, it’s always worth revisiting your test scripts to look for code smells and optimize your workflow.
If you want to learn more about fixing flaky tests and using Cypress to its full potential, check out the Cypress webinar and slides here: Cypress Webinar: Code Smells.
Stay Updated with the Latest in QA
The world of software testing and quality assurance is ever-evolving. To stay abreast of the latest methodologies, tools, and best practices, bookmark our blog. We’re committed to providing in-depth insights, expert opinions, and trend analysis that can help you refine your software quality processes.
Delve deeper into a range of specialized services we offer, tailored to meet the diverse needs of modern businesses. As well, hear what our clients have to say about us on Clutch!