Value and attribute assertions in Cypress - Test Execution Trace

Test Overview

This test checks if an input field has the correct value and if a button has the expected attribute. It verifies that the input contains the text 'Hello' and the button has a 'type' attribute set to 'submit'.

Test Code - Cypress

Cypress

describe('Value and attribute assertions test', () => {
  it('checks input value and button attribute', () => {
    cy.visit('https://example.cypress.io/commands/actions')
    cy.get('.action-email')
      .type('Hello')
      .should('have.value', 'Hello')
    cy.get('.action-btn')
      .should('have.attr', 'type', 'submit')
  })
})

Execution Trace - 6 Steps

Step	Action	System State	Assertion	Result
1	Test starts	Test runner initialized, no browser opened yet	—	PASS
2	Browser opens and navigates to 'https://example.cypress.io/commands/actions'	Browser displays the Cypress example actions page	—	PASS
3	Finds input element with class '.action-email'	Input field is visible and ready for typing	—	PASS
4	Types 'Hello' into the input field	Input field value is now 'Hello'	Check input field has value 'Hello'	PASS
5	Finds button element with class '.action-btn'	Button is visible on the page	—	PASS
6	Checks button has attribute 'type' with value 'submit'	Button attribute 'type' equals 'submit'	Verify button's 'type' attribute is 'submit'	PASS

Failure Scenario

Failing Condition: Input field does not contain the value 'Hello' or button does not have attribute 'type'='submit'

Execution Trace Quiz - 3 Questions

What does the test verify about the input field?

A It has the value 'Hello'

B It is visible on the page

C It is disabled

D It has a placeholder text

Key Result

Always assert both the value and attributes of elements to ensure the UI behaves as expected and the elements have correct properties.

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