Value and attribute assertions in Cypress - Practice Problems & Coding Challenges

Challenge - 5 Problems

❓ assertion

intermediate

Check input value with correct assertion

You want to verify that an input field with id #username contains the value admin. Which Cypress assertion correctly checks this?

Cypress

cy.get('#username').should(/* fill in assertion here */);

A "have.value", "admin"

B "contain.text", "admin"

C "have.attr", "value", "admin"

D "have.text", "admin"

💡 Hint

Input fields store their typed content in the value property, not as text content.

The have.value assertion checks the value property of input elements. Using contain.text or have.text checks visible text, which input fields do not have. have.attr checks attributes, but the value attribute may not reflect the current input value after user typing.

❓ assertion

intermediate

Verify element has specific attribute with value

How do you assert that a button with class .submit-btn has the attribute disabled set to true?

Cypress

cy.get('.submit-btn').should(/* fill in assertion here */);

A "have.attr", "disabled", "true"

B "have.attr", "disabled"

C "be.disabled"

D "have.prop", "disabled", true

💡 Hint

Attributes are strings, but some properties are booleans. The question asks about the attribute value.

The have.attr assertion with three arguments checks the attribute and its exact value. have.attr with two arguments only checks presence, not value. be.disabled checks the disabled property, not the attribute value. have.prop checks the property, which is boolean, not the attribute string.

❓ Predict Output

advanced

Output of attribute assertion on checkbox

Given this HTML:

<input type="checkbox" id="agree" checked>

What will be the result of this Cypress assertion?

cy.get('#agree').should('have.attr', 'checked', 'checked')

A Pass - the checkbox is checked, so assertion passes

B Pass - the checkbox has attribute 'checked' with value 'checked'

C Fail - attribute 'checked' has no value, so assertion fails

D Error - 'have.attr' does not accept three arguments

💡 Hint

Boolean attributes like checked may appear without a value in HTML.

The checked attribute in HTML can be present without a value. Cypress expects the exact attribute value when using three arguments. Since the attribute has no value, the assertion fails. To check if the checkbox is checked, use be.checked instead.

🔧 Debug

advanced

Debug failing value assertion on input

This test fails unexpectedly:

cy.get('#email').should('have.value', '[e-mail]');

The input field shows the correct email on the page. What is the most likely reason for failure?

A The input field is disabled, so value cannot be read

B The selector '#email' is incorrect and selects no element

C The assertion syntax is wrong; 'have.value' should be 'contain.value'

D The input's value attribute is set, but the property is empty because user typed after page load

💡 Hint

Remember the difference between HTML attributes and DOM properties.

The value attribute is the initial value in HTML. After user input, the DOM property value changes. Cypress's have.value checks the property, so if the attribute is set but the property is empty, the assertion fails. The selector is correct, and syntax is valid. Disabled inputs still have values.

🧠 Conceptual

expert

Best assertion to check if a link opens in a new tab

You want to test that a link with selector a.external-link opens in a new tab by having the attribute target="_blank". Which assertion is best to verify this?

A cy.get('a.external-link').should('contain.text', '_blank')

B cy.get('a.external-link').should('have.attr', 'target', '_blank')

C cy.get('a.external-link').should('have.text', 'target="_blank"')

D cy.get('a.external-link').should('have.prop', 'target', '_blank')

💡 Hint

Attributes are strings set in HTML tags. Properties are DOM object values.

The target attribute controls where the link opens. Using have.attr with the exact value _blank checks this correctly. have.prop may not reflect the attribute as expected. Checking text content does not verify attributes.

Practice

1. What does the Cypress command cy.get('input').should('have.value', 'hello') check?

easy

A. It confirms the input field is enabled for typing.

B. It checks that the input field has an attribute named 'value' regardless of content.

C. It checks that the input field contains the text 'hello' as its value.

D. It verifies the input field is visible on the page.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the command context

   The command targets an input element and uses should('have.value', 'hello') which asserts the value property of the input.

2. Step 2: Interpret the assertion meaning

   This assertion checks the actual content inside the input field, expecting it to be exactly 'hello'.

3. Final Answer:

   It checks that the input field contains the text 'hello' as its value. -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Value assertion = check input content [OK]

Hint: Value assertions check input content, not just attribute presence [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing 'have.value' with checking attribute existence
• Assuming it checks visibility or enabled state
• Mixing up value with text content

2. Which of the following is the correct Cypress syntax to assert that a button has an attribute disabled?

easy

A. cy.get('button').should('have.attr', 'disabled')

B. cy.get('button').should('have.value', 'disabled')

C. cy.get('button').should('contain', 'disabled')

D. cy.get('button').should('be.disabled')

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify attribute assertion syntax

   The correct way to check for an attribute presence is using should('have.attr', 'attributeName').

2. Step 2: Match the attribute name

   Here, the attribute is 'disabled', so the command is should('have.attr', 'disabled').

3. Final Answer:

   cy.get('button').should('have.attr', 'disabled') -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Attribute assertion uses 'have.attr' [OK]

Hint: Use 'have.attr' to check attribute presence [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using 'have.value' instead of 'have.attr' for attributes
• Using 'contain' which checks text content, not attributes
• Confusing 'be.disabled' which checks element state, not attribute

3. Consider this Cypress code snippet:

cy.get('input#email')
  .should('have.attr', 'placeholder', 'Enter your email')
  .and('have.value', '')

What will this test verify?

medium

A. The input has placeholder text 'Enter your email' and is empty.

B. The input has value 'Enter your email' and placeholder is empty.

C. The input is visible and enabled for typing.

D. The input has attribute 'value' set to 'Enter your email'.

Solution

1. Step 1: Analyze the attribute assertion

   should('have.attr', 'placeholder', 'Enter your email') checks the placeholder attribute equals 'Enter your email'.

2. Step 2: Analyze the value assertion

   and('have.value', '') asserts the input's current value is empty (no text typed).

3. Final Answer:

   The input has placeholder text 'Enter your email' and is empty. -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Attribute + value assertions combined = The input has placeholder text 'Enter your email' and is empty. [OK]

Hint: Attribute checks attribute text; value checks input content [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Mixing placeholder attribute with input value
• Assuming value is placeholder text
• Ignoring the empty string value assertion

4. You wrote this Cypress test:

cy.get('input[name="username"]').should('have.value', 'admin')

But it fails even though the input shows 'admin' on the page. What is the likely problem?

medium

A. The test should use 'have.attr' instead of 'have.value'.

B. The selector is incorrect and does not find the input.

C. The input is disabled, so value cannot be read.

D. The input's value attribute is empty; text is shown by placeholder.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand difference between value and placeholder

   If the input visually shows 'admin' but have.value fails, likely 'admin' is placeholder text, not actual value.

2. Step 2: Confirm attribute vs value difference

   Placeholder text appears when value is empty. The test checks value, so it fails if value is empty.

3. Final Answer:

   The input's value attribute is empty; text is shown by placeholder. -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Value assertion fails if text is placeholder [OK]

Hint: Check if text is placeholder, not actual input value [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing placeholder text with input value
• Assuming selector is wrong without checking
• Using 'have.attr' incorrectly for value check

5. You want to verify a checkbox is checked and has a custom attribute data-test with value agree. Which Cypress assertion chain is correct?

hard

A. cy.get('input[type="checkbox"]').should('have.attr', 'checked').and('have.value', 'agree')

B. cy.get('input[type="checkbox"]').should('be.checked').and('have.attr', 'data-test', 'agree')

C. cy.get('input[type="checkbox"]').should('have.value', 'checked').and('have.attr', 'data-test')

D. cy.get('input[type="checkbox"]').should('be.checked').and('have.value', 'agree')

Solution

1. Step 1: Check checkbox state assertion

   To verify a checkbox is checked, use should('be.checked').

2. Step 2: Check attribute with specific value

   To verify an attribute and its value, use should('have.attr', 'data-test', 'agree').

3. Step 3: Combine assertions correctly

   Chain both assertions with and() to check both conditions on the same element.

4. Final Answer:

   cy.get('input[type="checkbox"]').should('be.checked').and('have.attr', 'data-test', 'agree') -> Option B

5. Quick Check:

   Checkbox checked + attribute value = cy.get('input[type="checkbox"]').should('be.checked').and('have.attr', 'data-test', 'agree') [OK]

Hint: Use 'be.checked' for checkbox state, 'have.attr' for attribute value [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using 'have.value' to check checkbox state
• Checking 'checked' attribute instead of state
• Not specifying attribute value in assertion