Cypress - Shell-Bash

Cypress is a popular test automation framework that allows developers to write end-to-end tests for their web applications. One of the powerful features of Cypress is its ability to interact with the shell using the cy.exec() command, which allows you to run shell commands and scripts directly from your tests.

In this article, we will explore how to use Cypress's shell commands and the benefits of doing so.

Prerequisites

Before we get started, make sure you have the following installed:

• Node.js (version 10 or greater)
• Cypress (version 3.0 or greater)

Running Shell Commands with Cypress

To run shell commands with Cypress, use the cy.exec() command. This command takes a shell command or script as its argument and runs it directly from your test.

Here's an example of how to use cy.exec():

cy.exec('date').then((result) => {
  console.log(result.stdout) // logs the output of the 'date' command
})

In this example, we use the date command to get the current date and time and log the output to the console. Note that the cy.exec() command returns a promise, so we use the then() method to handle the result.

Passing Arguments to Shell Commands

You can also pass arguments to shell commands using the cy.exec() command. Simply include the arguments as part of the command string.

Here's an example:

cy.exec('ls -la /tmp').then((result) => {
  console.log(result.stdout) // logs the output of the 'ls -la /tmp' command
})

In this example, we use the ls command to list the contents of the /tmp directory and include the -la flag to show additional information about the files and directories.

Handling Errors

If the shell command returns an error code, the cy.exec() command will reject the promise and throw an error. You can handle these errors by using the catch() method.

Here's an example:

cy.exec('echo This is a test && false').then((result) => {
  console.log(result.stdout) // logs the output of both commands
}).catch((error) => {
  console.log(error.message) // logs the error message
})

In this example, we use the echo command to output a message and then include the false command to simulate an error. The catch() method is used to handle the error and log the error message.

Benefits of Running Shell Commands with Cypress

Running shell commands with Cypress offers a number of benefits, including:

• Reduced Test Code: By running shell commands from your tests, you can reduce the amount of test code required to perform certain tasks. This can help make your tests more maintainable and easier to read.
• Easier Integration: Shell commands allow you to integrate with existing scripts and tools that may not have Cypress-specific APIs. This can help reduce the amount of code you need to write for your tests.
• Flexible Testing: Shell commands give you more flexibility when testing your application. You can perform tasks that may be difficult or impossible to do with Cypress-specific APIs.

Conclusion

In this article, we explored how to run shell commands with Cypress and the benefits of doing so. By leveraging Cypress's shell commands, you can write more maintainable tests and gain more flexibility in your testing approach.