Introduction
Testing is a critical process in software and web development. The goal of testing is to ensure that the software or application works as expected and performs optimally. Manual testing is time-consuming and inefficient, but automation testing makes the process faster and more accurate. Protractor is a popular automation testing tool that has gained widespread acceptance in the testing community. This article aims to provide a comprehensive guide on how to use protractor for automation testing.
Protractor is an essential tool in the field of automation testing. Being able to test with protractor can help you to achieve an accurate result in your software development.
Understanding Protractor
Protractor is a popular end-to-end automation testing tool designed for AngularJS applications. It is an open-source framework built on top of WebDriverJS and is used by developers and testers to automate the testing process. Protractor provides a range of advantages that make it ideal for automation testing. It automates the testing process, ensuring that testing is conducted with absolute accuracy and helps save time.
Protractor has two different modes of operation: Synchronous and Asynchronous. The two modes differ in their approach to testing: Synchronous mode automatically waits for AngularJS to complete its operations before proceeding with the test, while Asynchronous mode does not wait.
In addition, Protractor was specifically designed to work with AngularJS. This makes it the perfect tool for testing web applications built with AngularJS. Testing with Protractor becomes more precise when matched with AngularJS.
Step-by-step Process of using Protractor
The following are steps for using protractor with AngularJS:
- Step 1: Install Node.js on your computer.
- Step 2: Install protractor through the Node.JS command prompt.
- Step 3: Create a new directory for the test scripts.
- Step 4: Create a configuration file for protractor.
- Step 5: Write test scripts with the protractor syntax.
- Step 6: Run the test scripts using the protractor command.
That’s it. Following these steps will enable you to automate the testing of your AngularJS application with protractor.
Protractor is equipped with several features and functionalities that make automation testing easy and efficient. The following are some of the key features:
- Locators: Protractor can locate elements on the AngularJS page using various approaches such as CSS, Model, Binding, and more.
- Descriptive Reporting: Protractor offers detailed and descriptive reports on the results of the test scripts, which helps in identifying issues and getting insights.
- Asynchronous: Protractor provides an Asynchronous flow control system that helps in dealing with slow web pages.
- Debugging: Protractor includes a lot of debugging functionalities that can help testers figure out what went wrong with the test scripts.
Tips and Best Practices
Like any other automation tool, there are challenges encountered when using protractor. The following are some common issues and tips on how to overcome them:
- Page loading: Protractor waits for AngularJS to load before starting the test script. However, this may cause delays when the application is slow. The best way to avoid this is to set a time limit for Protractor to wait for AngularJS to load before running the test script.
- Page synchronization: It often happens that Protractor’s synchronisation between pages may not always be perfect, or there might be scenarios where the page might be non-angular. In such cases, special handling is required. It is best to define a script that helps synchronise between pages.
- Test data management: It is important to have clean and reusable test data in automation testing. This will help to avoid redundancy and improve the script’s readability.
- Use of Page Object: To ensure maintainability and scalability, it is recommended to follow the page object pattern. This entails separating the page-related logic from the test scripts which will help improve the readability and reusability of the script.
The following are some best practices and strategies on using protractor effectively:
- Use the right locator strategy that best suits your requirements. This will contribute to the flexibility of the testing process.
- Include an explicit wait to avoid false negatives and false positives. This would prevent protractor from declaring the test as failed just because the page data wasn’t loaded completely.
- Make use of the ‘expect’ in your test scripts when performing assertions. This helps in making clear and precise assertions of the page elements.
- Use hub and node approach to run multiple tests in parallel. This saves time and makes the testing process more efficient.
Real-life Examples
Protractor has been used by many testers and developers for automation testing. The following examples are real-life scenarios in which protractor has been used to solve an issue:
- Checking for Text: Protractor was used to check the presence of text on a page, which helped to confirm that particular functionality had worked as expected.
- Evaluating Forms: Protractor was used to evaluate a form that had several input parameters. This helped to validate whether the form data was being submitted accurately
- Dealing with pop-ups: Protractor was used to handle pop-ups that appeared in a web application. This helped to test the entire flow of the application.
These real-life scenarios showcase the ease of use and effectiveness of Protractor in testing web applications built with AngularJS. It demonstrates how test automation with protractor can help find issues faster and more efficiently.
Different Testing Scenarios with Protractor
Protractor enables the testing of different functionalities of a web application. Here are some examples:
- Testing buttons or links: Protractor can be used to test whether buttons or links are working correctly.
- Testing Forms: Protractor is ideal for testing forms, including how the form functions and how it validates user input.
- Scrolling: Protractor can be used to test scrolling functionality and whether it is working as expected.
- User authentication: Protractor can automate user authentication, ensuring that users can log in and perform actions on the site or application.
Protractor can handle almost all web application testing scenarios with AngularJS.
Comparison with other Automation Testing Tools
Protractor is a great tool, but it’s not the only one out there. There are other automation testing tools available, such as Selenium, TestComplete, and Katalon Studio. However, Protractor has certain advantages that set it apart from other automation testing tools:
- Flexibility: Protractor is designed specifically for AngularJS applications. This means that it is highly flexible and can handle almost all testing scenarios.
- Stability: Protractor uses the WebDriverJS API and is maintained by the Chromium team, making it highly stable and reliable.
- Working mechanism: Protractor is built upon NodeJS, which is perfect for testing asynchronous applications.
These advantages make protractor a great tool for automation testing.
Conclusion
Protractor is a popular tool for automation testing, and it has a lot of great features that make testing easier and more efficient. Understanding protractor and how to use it is a critical skill for any software developer or tester working with AngularJS applications. This article offers a comprehensive guide on how to use protractor, including tips and best practices, different testing scenarios, and real-life examples. By following this guide and continually improving your protractor skills, you will be able to achieve accurate results and improve your application’s performance.
