CSS assertions in Cypress - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What is a CSS assertion in Cypress testing?

A CSS assertion checks if a web element has a specific CSS property value during a test. It helps verify the style or appearance of elements.

beginner

How do you check the color of a button using Cypress CSS assertions?

Use cy.get('button').should('have.css', 'color', 'rgb(255, 0, 0)') to assert the button's text color is red in RGB format.

intermediate

Why is it better to use should('have.css', ...) instead of checking styles manually?

Because should('have.css', ...) waits for the element to have the style and retries automatically, making tests more reliable and less flaky.

intermediate

What CSS property value format does Cypress expect in assertions?

Cypress expects computed CSS values, usually in formats like rgb() for colors or exact strings for other properties, matching what the browser computes.

beginner

Example: How to assert that a div has a font size of 16 pixels in Cypress?

Use cy.get('div').should('have.css', 'font-size', '16px') to check the font size is exactly 16 pixels.

Which Cypress command checks if an element has a specific CSS property?

A should('have.css', property, value)

B expect(element).toHaveStyle(property, value)

C checkCss(property, value)

D assertCss(property, value)

In Cypress, should('have.css', property, value) is the correct way to assert CSS properties.

What format should color values be in for Cypress CSS assertions?

A Hexadecimal (#FF0000)

B RGB format (rgb(255, 0, 0))

C Named colors (red)

D HSL format (hsl(0, 100%, 50%))

Cypress uses the computed style, which usually returns colors in RGB format.

Why does Cypress retry CSS assertions automatically?

A To ignore CSS errors

B To slow down tests

C To wait for animations or style changes to complete

D To cache CSS values

Cypress retries assertions to wait for dynamic style changes like animations or transitions.

Which CSS property would you check to verify text is bold?

A font-weight

B font-style

C text-decoration

D font-size

The font-weight property controls boldness of text.

What happens if the CSS property value does not match in a Cypress assertion?

A Test retries forever

B Test passes anyway

C Test skips the assertion

D Test fails with an assertion error

If the CSS value does not match, Cypress fails the test with a clear error.

Explain how to write a CSS assertion in Cypress to check an element's background color.

Think about selecting the element and checking the computed style property.

Describe why CSS assertions are important in UI testing with Cypress.

Consider how CSS affects user experience and why testing it matters.

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