Forms are the cornerstone of how users provide input in web applications. From login forms to surveys to checkout flows, forms facilitate rich interactions. They also pose testing challenges with dynamic fields, validation rules and conditional logic.
As a professional tester with over 10 years automating complex web forms, I commonly see teams spend days manually checking forms. But why fill out hundreds of text fields when you can automate this tedious work in minutes with Cypress?
In this comprehensive 2500+ word guide, we will cover:
- Key advantages of using Cypress for web form testing
- Step-by-step guide to accessing and interacting with any form element
- Patterns for handling dynamic form features
- Submitting forms and validating responses
- Real-world examples spanning form libraries like Formik, Redux Form
- Scaling automated form regression testing across browsers and devices
- Integrating form scripts into CI pipelines
I‘ll also share testing wisdom gathered from collectively filling over 100,000 forms via automation.
Let‘s dive in to see how Cypress takes the pain out of web form testing.
Why Cypress is the Go-To Choice for Form Testing
Over 90% of web applications rely on forms for user input. They serve critical functions like account sign-up, order checkout and more. Yet testing forms manually leaves gaps.
Automated checking with Cypress provides:
Reliable Interactions – Cypress eliminates flakey clicks and typing by automatically waiting for elements to become actionable before interacting. No more timing failures!
Built-in Assertions – Validate entered text, selected options and form errors with readable assertions like .should(‘have.value‘, ‘Expected‘).
Support for Dynamic Logic – Special commands retry interacting with elements like .should(‘be.visible‘)
Cross-browser Testing – Tests run without modifications across browsers. No more browser-specific selectors or flows.
Readable Tests – Chainable API and descriptive commands like .type() .check() .select() enable easy scripting for testers from any background.
Debugging Capabilities – The interactive Test Runner allows inspecting and debugging tests as they run for quick troubleshooting.
These factors demonstrate why Cypress is the clear choice for anyone looking to add automated form regression checking. Let‘s see how to leverage Cypress for common form testing patterns.
Step-by-Step Guide to Interacting with Form Elements
The key to reliable form automation is properly identifying and interacting with each input or selection element. Cypress offers many options:
Uniquely Locate Elements
// By ID
cy.get(‘#email‘)
// By Class
cy.get(‘.firstname‘)
// By Attribute
cy.get(‘[name="password"]‘)
// By Tag + Attributes
cy.get(‘input[type="checkbox"]‘)Type Text into Inputs
cy.get(‘#email‘).type(‘[email protected]‘)Clear Values
cy.get(‘#email‘).clear() Select Checkboxes
cy.get(‘#terms‘).check() Choose Radio Options
cy.get(‘#accountTypeBusiness‘).check() Pick Dropdown Values
cy.get(‘#country‘).select(‘Canada‘)These fundamental interactions work for any web form.
Now let‘s explore patterns for handling dynamic form functionality…
Supporting Advanced Form Logic
Modern web forms incorporate complex validation rules, conditional revealing of fields and more. Thankfully Cypress is built for testing dynamic UIs.
Validate Inline Validation
Assert error text:
cy.get(‘#email‘).then($el => {
$el.val(‘badEmail‘)
$el.trigger(‘change‘)
})
cy.contains(‘Invalid email format‘).should(‘be.visible‘)Interact with Invisible Elements
Elements can be invisible yet still interactable. Cypress allows focusing them:
cy.get(‘#meal‘).focus().type(‘{downarrow}{enter}‘) Confirm Conditional Field Appears
Check revealed field contents:
cy.get(‘#hasInsuranceYes‘).click()
cy.get(‘#insuranceProvider‘).should(‘be.visible‘)
.and(‘have.value‘, ‘Acme Insurance‘) This facilitates testing complex scenarios like multi-page forms and dynamic field revealing/hiding.
Now let‘s walk through submitting our tested form…
Submitting and Validating Form Interactions
Once all fields are filled, we‘ll want to complete the form lifecycle.
Submit Form
cy.get(‘form‘).submit()Confirm Redirection
Validate new page contents:
cy.url().should(‘include‘,‘responsePage‘)
cy.get(‘h1‘).contains(‘Form Successfully Submitted‘) Inspect Server Response
Routes can be spied on to confirm submission:
cy.intercept({
method: ‘POST‘,
url: ‘/formSubmit‘
}).as(‘formPosted‘)
cy.get(‘form‘).submit()
cy.wait(‘@formPosted‘).its(‘request.body‘)
.should(‘deep.equal‘, {name: ‘Mary‘})Robust submission validation ensures the form is processing end-to-end.
Now let‘s see an real-world example test script…
Example Test Automating Entire Form Lifecycle
Let‘s walk through a full form test:
Step 1: Access Form
cy.visit(‘/long-form‘)
cy.contains(‘h1‘, ‘New Subscriber Sign-up‘) Step 2: Fill Fields
cy.get(‘#firstName‘).type(data.firstName)
cy.get(‘#email‘).type(data.email)
cy.get(‘#accountTypeFree‘).check()Step 3: Validate Errors
cy.get(‘form‘).submit()
cy.contains(‘Please accept terms‘).should(‘be.visible‘)
cy.get(‘#terms‘).check() Step 4: Submit
cy.get(‘form‘).submit()
cy.url().should(‘include‘,‘registerSuccess‘)Step 5: Confirm Server Response
cy.wait(‘@userRegistered‘)
.its(‘response.statusCode‘).should(‘eq‘, 201) This real flow across multiple pages exercises the full form lifecycle – increasing test coverage.
Now let‘s discuss tips for scaling automated form testing.
Executing Automated Form Testing at Scale
The value of test automation compounds with more usage. Here are tips for leveraging form scripts at scale:
Cross Browser Testing
Run against multiple browsers for increased coverage:
const browsers = [‘chrome‘, ‘firefox‘, ‘edge‘]
browsers.forEach(browser => {
cy.visit(‘/long-form‘, {browser})
// steps to fill and submit form
})CI Execution
Add to existing pipelines to prevent regressions:
cypress run --record --key <recordKey>Visual Testing
Confirm UI appears correctly with screenshots:
cy.get(‘form‘).toMatchImageSnapshot()Parallelization
Distribute tests across machines via test runner dashboards like Cypress Dashboard.
Repeating tests against multiple browsers, viewports and environments multiplies reliability.
Now that we‘ve covered common techniques let‘s discuss key takeaways.
Key Lessons Learned
Filling out web forms via automation unlocks efficiency. After collectively typing millions of characters, clicking infinite checkboxes and verifying countless submissions across popular frameworks, here are key lessons:
1. Start tests early, forms change often – The earlier tests are integrated the sooner regressions can be avoided as requirements evolve. Each field, selection and validation rule is an opportunity for breakage.
2. Validate expected vs actual thoroughly – Assert entered values match returned data, error validations are accurate, formclears reset properly. Don‘t blindly submit without inspection.
3. Expect the unexpected – Code handle invisible elements, dynamic field revealing, validation popups. Practice defense testing with unexpected user flows.
4. Let tests do the heavy typing – Computers never tire of data entry. Save your energy for higher level validations.
Automated regression checks find bugs early, prevent data issues down the line and help build more robust forms.
Let‘s Start Reliably Testing Forms
And there you have it – from locating fields to validating submissions, all the techniques needed to harness Cypress for comprehensive form testing.
The same principles powering 100 test scripts for a checkout flow can apply to enterprise apps with exponentially more dynamic forms.
As you fill out more digital forms in daily life, imagine the effort required to manually test them. Then consider letting Cypress handle that work while you focus on higher value assessments.
Hopefully this guide has shown how to effectively apply test automation to the pivotal experience of web forms. I welcome any feedback or questions around advancing your own form testing efforts.
Happy form filling!
