CSS assertions in Cypress - Framework Patterns

Framework Mode - CSS assertions

Folder Structure

cypress/
├── e2e/                  # Test files with CSS assertions
│   └── styleAssertions.cy.js
├── support/              # Custom commands and reusable utilities
│   ├── commands.js       # Custom Cypress commands
│   └── index.js          # Support file loaded before tests
├── fixtures/             # Test data files (JSON, etc.)
├── videos/               # Recorded test runs
├── screenshots/          # Screenshots on test failure
cypress.config.js         # Cypress configuration file
package.json             # Project dependencies and scripts

Test Framework Layers

• Test Layer (cypress/e2e): Contains test files that include CSS assertions using cy.get() and .should() to check styles like color, font-size, visibility.
• Support Layer (cypress/support): Holds custom commands for reusable CSS assertions, e.g., assertCssProperty() to simplify style checks.
• Fixtures Layer (cypress/fixtures): Stores test data if needed for dynamic style tests or themes.
• Configuration Layer (cypress.config.js): Defines environment settings, base URLs, viewport sizes for responsive CSS testing.
• Reports & Artifacts: Screenshots and videos captured on test failures to help debug CSS issues visually.

Configuration Patterns

• Environment Variables: Use cypress.env.json or env in cypress.config.js to manage different base URLs or themes affecting CSS.
• Viewport Settings: Configure viewport sizes in tests or cypress.config.js to test responsive CSS styles.
• Custom Commands: Define reusable CSS assertion commands in cypress/support/commands.js to keep tests clean and consistent.
• Test Tags or Suites: Organize CSS-related tests in dedicated spec files or use tags to run only style checks when needed.

Test Reporting and CI/CD Integration

• Built-in Cypress Reporter: Shows pass/fail results with clear messages on CSS assertions.
• Screenshots & Videos: Automatically capture screenshots on failures to see exactly which CSS styles failed.
• CI/CD Integration: Run Cypress tests in pipelines (GitHub Actions, Jenkins) to catch CSS regressions early.
• Custom Reports: Use plugins like mochawesome for detailed HTML reports including CSS assertion results.

Best Practices for CSS Assertions Framework

1. Use Custom Commands: Create commands like cy.assertCssProperty(selector, property, value) to avoid repeating style checks.
2. Test Responsiveness: Include viewport changes in tests to verify CSS adapts correctly on different screen sizes.
3. Keep Tests Independent: Each CSS assertion test should not depend on others to avoid cascading failures.
4. Use Meaningful Selectors: Prefer data attributes or semantic classes for stable element targeting in CSS assertions.
5. Capture Visual Evidence: Enable screenshots on failure to help quickly identify style issues.

Self Check Question

Where in this folder structure would you add a new custom command to check if an element has a specific CSS property value?

Key Result

Organize Cypress tests with clear folder layers, reusable CSS assertion commands, and robust reporting for reliable style validation.

Practice

1. What does the Cypress command cy.get('button').should('have.css', 'color', 'rgb(255, 0, 0)') check?

easy

A. It checks if the button is clickable.

B. It checks if the button's text color is red.

C. It checks if the button has a red background.

D. It checks if the button is visible on the page.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the CSS property being checked

   The command checks the CSS property 'color', which controls the text color of the element.

2. Step 2: Interpret the value 'rgb(255, 0, 0)'

   This RGB value represents the color red.

3. Final Answer:

   It checks if the button's text color is red. -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   CSS property 'color' = text color [OK]

Hint: Check the CSS property name to know what style is tested [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing 'color' with 'background-color'
• Assuming it checks visibility instead of style
• Mixing RGB values with hex codes incorrectly

2. Which of the following is the correct Cypress syntax to assert that an element has a font size of 16 pixels?

easy

A. cy.get('p').should('css', 'font-size', '16px')

B. cy.get('p').should('have.style', 'font-size', '16px')

C. cy.get('p').assert('font-size', '16px')

D. cy.get('p').should('have.css', 'font-size', '16px')

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify the correct assertion method

   The correct Cypress assertion to check CSS is should('have.css', property, value).

2. Step 2: Match the syntax with the options

   cy.get('p').should('have.css', 'font-size', '16px') uses should('have.css', 'font-size', '16px'), which is correct syntax.

3. Final Answer:

   cy.get('p').should('have.css', 'font-size', '16px') -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Use should('have.css') for CSS assertions [OK]

Hint: Use 'should' with 'have.css' for CSS property checks [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using 'should' without 'have.css'
• Using 'assert' which is not a Cypress command
• Confusing 'have.style' with 'have.css'

3. Given the following Cypress code snippet, what will be the test result if the element's background color is actually 'rgb(0, 128, 0)'?

cy.get('.alert').should('have.css', 'background-color', 'rgb(255, 0, 0)')

medium

A. The test will fail because the background color does not match 'rgb(255, 0, 0)'.

B. The test will pass because the element has a background color.

C. The test will throw a syntax error.

D. The test will be skipped automatically.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the expected CSS value

   The test expects the background color to be 'rgb(255, 0, 0)', which is red.

2. Step 2: Compare with actual CSS value

   The actual background color is 'rgb(0, 128, 0)', which is green, so it does not match.

3. Final Answer:

   The test will fail because the background color does not match 'rgb(255, 0, 0)'. -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   CSS value mismatch causes test failure [OK]

Hint: Match exact CSS values to avoid test failures [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming any color presence passes the test
• Confusing RGB values for different colors
• Expecting Cypress to auto-correct CSS mismatches

4. Identify the error in this Cypress CSS assertion and choose the fix:

cy.get('#header').should('have.css', 'font-weight', 700)

medium

A. The font-weight value should be a string: '700'.

B. The selector '#header' is invalid and should be '.header'.

C. The method 'have.css' should be replaced with 'css'.

D. The assertion should use 'expect' instead of 'should'.

Solution

1. Step 1: Check the type of CSS value in assertion

   Cypress expects the CSS value as a string, so 700 should be '700'.

2. Step 2: Verify other parts of the command

   The selector '#header' is valid, and 'should' with 'have.css' is correct syntax.

3. Final Answer:

   The font-weight value should be a string: '700'. -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   CSS values must be strings in assertions [OK]

Hint: Always quote CSS values in Cypress assertions [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Passing numbers instead of strings for CSS values
• Changing valid selectors unnecessarily
• Confusing assertion methods in Cypress

5. You want to verify that a button with class .submit-btn has a border radius of 5 pixels and a background color that is not transparent. Which Cypress code correctly asserts both styles?

hard

A. cy.get('.submit-btn').should('have.css', 'border-radius', '5px').and('have.css', 'background-color').not('transparent')

B. cy.get('.submit-btn').should('have.css', 'border-radius', '5px').and('have.css', 'background-color', 'rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)')

C. cy.get('.submit-btn').should('have.css', 'border-radius', '5px').and('have.css', 'background-color').should(value => expect(value).not.to.equal('rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)'))

D. cy.get('.submit-btn').should('have.css', 'border-radius', 5).and('have.css', 'background-color', 'transparent')"

Solution

1. Step 1: Assert border-radius with correct value and type

   Use should('have.css', 'border-radius', '5px') to check border radius as a string with units.

2. Step 2: Assert background-color is not transparent

   Since 'transparent' can be represented as 'rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)', use a callback assertion to check the value is not equal to that.

3. Step 3: Review options for correctness

   cy.get('.submit-btn').should('have.css', 'border-radius', '5px').and('have.css', 'background-color').should(value => expect(value).not.to.equal('rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)')) uses a callback with should and expect to verify background-color is not transparent, which is correct.

4. Final Answer:

   cy.get('.submit-btn').should('have.css', 'border-radius', '5px').and('have.css', 'background-color').should(value => expect(value).not.to.equal('rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)')) -> Option C

5. Quick Check:

   Use callback assertions for negative CSS checks [OK]

Hint: Use callback assertions to check CSS values are not equal [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Passing numeric values without units for CSS properties
• Trying to chain 'not' directly after 'have.css' without callback
• Checking for exact transparent string instead of rgba value