Understanding Protractor:
Primarily intended for web applications constructed with AngularJS, Protractor is a testing automation tool that provides a powerful and efficient testing solution by combining technologies including Jasmine, Selenium WebDriver, and Node.js.
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Although primarily used for AngularJS applications, Protractor is also compatible with non-AngularJS applications, providing smooth functionality and compatibility for both.
For a deeper understanding of AngularJS, delve into our extensive set of tutorials on different versions of AngularJS.
Learning Outcomes:
The Distinction Between Protractor and Selenium WebDriver
How does Protractor diverge from the conventional Selenium WebDriver?
Consider these questions:
- Is it difficult for you to discern when a webpage has completely loaded?
- Are you weary of manually including waits and sleeps within your test code?
- Do you encounter issues when trying to locate Angular elements?
- Are you irritated by ever-changing element IDs?
- Are you attempting to craft custom locators?
- Are you generating lengthy code for simple assertions?
- Are you a JavaScript devotee?
Should you answer in the affirmative to these queries, look to Protractor for assistance in overcoming these challenges.
Constructed seamlessly with Selenium WebDriver, Protractor presents the functionalities of Selenium and additional enhancements and features designed expressly for testing applications built with AngularJS.
Defining Features
The following are some of Protractor’s notable features that make it an influential testing tool:
1) WaitForAngular
Devised by Protractor, the “WaitForAngular” command directs WebDriver to pause until Angular has completed all rendering and there are no outstanding $http or $timeout calls, before proceeding. This eliminates the necessity for manually introducing waits into your script, as Protractor autonomously waits for web components to load prior to progressing to the subsequent steps.
2) Simplified Method of Locating Elements
Offering a global function titled “element”, Protractor simplifies element locating syntax. With Protractor, you can use a brief syntax instead of the complex Selenium WebDriver syntax. For instance:
Selenium WebDriver:
driver.findElement(By.cssSelector("css selector"));
Protractor:
element(by.css('some-css'));
As can be appreciated, Protractor syntax is more succinct and straightforward.
3) Enhanced Angular Element Locator
Protractor offers enhanced locator strategies and functions specifically crafted to locate Angular elements. Among these are “By.binding,” “By.repeater,” “By.textarea,” “By.model,” and functions such as “WebElement.all” and “WebElement.evaluate”.
How Can Protractor Assist Me?
Protractor yields a number of benefits, along with features that render it a valuable tool for testing AngularJS applications:
- Effortless syntax for drafting test cases
- Capability to run multiple browsers at once using Selenium Grid
- Angular-specific locators for easy element location
- Support for Behavior-Driven Development frameworks such as Jasmine/Mocha
- No requirement for manually adding sleeps or waits
- Integration with other tools like Jenkins, BrowserStack, and Grunt
- Elimination of synchronization issues within AngularJS websites
- Supports a variety of browsers (Firefox, Chrome, Safari, Internet Explorer)
- Capability to execute the same scripts in mobile browsers without code alterations
Choosing the Best Framework
Two popular Behavior-driven development (BDD) test frameworks are supported by Protractor:
- Jasmine: Appointed as the default test framework following the installation of Protractor, Jasmine will be utilized throughout this tutorial.
- Mocha: Mocha is a JavaScript test framework functioning on Node.js. If you would prefer to utilize Mocha as your test framework, additional setup is required to configure it with Protractor in order to combine it with the Behavior Driven Development (BDD) interface and Chai Assertions using Chai as Promised. The Mocha documentation will provide more detailed instructions for this setup.
Downloading and Configuring Protractor
Please follow these steps to download and configure Protractor:
- Download Node.js from the official Node.js website.
- Once Node.js is installed, open the command prompt and execute the following command to install Protractor globally:
npm install -g protractor
Note: To install Protractor globally, use the “-g” flag. If you would rather not install it globally, this flag can be omitted. In conjunction with Protractor, the Protractor API and default Selenium server will be installed.
The subsequent step is to install Selenium server and ChromeDriver. Execute the following command in the command prompt:
webdriver-manager update
This command will install vital dependencies and update Selenium server and ChromeDriver.
Now you’re primed to create your first test case using Protractor.
Prepared to Construct Your First Test Case?
Creating your first test case necessitates the setup of two files:
- Configuration file
- Spec file
The Configuration file outlines the specific details of your test suite, specifying the test files (specs) to be executed, the browser to be employed, and the test framework. The configuration can be tailored to suit your specific requirements.
The Spec file contains the actual test code, featuring test scenarios, actions and assertions. It can contain multiple test cases or scenarios.
The following is an example of a straightforward test case using Protractor:
// spec.js describe('Protractor Demo', function() { it('should compare two numbers', function() { browser.get('https://iptvassist.com/'); browser.driver.getTitle().then(function(pageTitle) { expect(pageTitle).toEqual('Software Testing Help - A Must Visit Software Testing Portal'); }); }); });
This example demonstrates a simple test case that navigates to a website and verifies the page title. The Protractor API, including browser.get
and expect
, is used to execute actions and create assertions.
A configuration file must also be set up in order to run the test. The following is an example of a configuration file:
// conf.js exports.config = { framework: 'jasmine', capabilities: { browserName: 'chrome', }, specs: ['spec.js'] };
In this configuration file, the test framework (Jasmine), the browser to be operated (Chrome), and the spec file to be executed (spec.js
) are specified.
To run your test case, open the command prompt and use the following command:
protractor conf.js
This command will activate the Selenium server and execute the test case as defined in the configuration file. The test run logs can be viewed in the command prompt.
Executing Your Test Cases
To execute your test cases, employ the following command:
protractor conf.js
This command will start the Selenium server and employ the test cases defined in the configured file. The test run logs will be displayed in the command prompt, including each individual test case result.
Additional Notable Protractor Features
#1) Annotations and Assertions
Protractor features a multitude of assertions and annotations for utilization within your test cases. Assertions enable verification of specific conditions and actions based on results. Annotations, such as beforeEach and afterEach, allow for setup and tear down of test data or execution of specific actions prior to or following each test case.
#2) Management of Multiple Browsers/Windows/Tabs
Protractor offers features enabling the handling of multiple browsers, windows, and tabs within your test cases. You can toggle between different windows or tabs, open, and perform actions in new windows or tabs. This feature allows for testing of scenarios involving multiple browser instances or interactions across different windows or tabs.
#3) Using Page Objects to Optimize Your Framework
While Protractor is effective on its own, it’s markedly more powerful when integrated with the Page Object Model (POM). The POM is a design pattern facilitating the segregation of your test cases based on your application’s pages or components. It allows for a clean, modular codebase, simplifies maintenance of test cases, and promotes reusability of code. By utilizing POM, it’s possible to generate separate page objects for each page or component and encapsulate the related actions and locators within them.
#4) Creating Reports
Improved test reports can be achieved through a variety of reporting packages available via NPM. These packages offer the ability to take a screenshot at each step of the test and generate HTML reports exhibiting the results of test cases. By including reporting packages in your project and configuring them in your test suite, the transparency and traceability of your test runs can be significantly improved.
#5) Seamless Integration with Powerful Tools such as Git/Jenkins/Browserstack/Grunt
Protractor is capable of integration with well-known tools such as Git, Jenkins, BrowserStack, and Grunt, enhancing your test automation workflow. Git provides effective collaboration via version control for your code. Jenkins allows for continuous integration and scheduling of test runs. BrowserStack provides the capability to test your application across various browsers and on different platforms. As a task runner, Grunt automates repetitive tasks and assists in streamlining your test automation process. Protractor’s smooth integration with these tools makes it a compelling choice for test automation.
Final Thoughts
Built explicitly for AngularJS applications, Protractor is a compelling testing tool that merges the capabilities of Selenium WebDriver with improvements and features expressly designed for testing AngularJS applications. With Protractor, you’re capable of drafting readable and concise test scripts, performing actions on Angular elements with ease, and generating powerful assertions. Thanks to the integration of Protractor with other tools and frameworks, its capabilities are further magnified, establishing it as an invaluable asset for your test automation projects.
Instead of starting from scratch, why not explore Protractor and utilize its capabilities to simplify and enhance your testing processes for AngularJS applications?