Child commands in Cypress - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What are child commands in Cypress?

Child commands in Cypress are commands that operate on elements found within a parent element. They help you narrow down your search to elements inside a specific container.

beginner

How do you chain child commands in Cypress?

You chain child commands by first selecting a parent element, then using commands like .find() or .children() to get elements inside it.

intermediate

What is the difference between .find() and .children() in Cypress?

.find() searches for all descendants matching the selector inside the parent, while .children() only gets direct children elements.

beginner

Why use child commands instead of global selectors in Cypress?

Using child commands limits the search to a specific part of the page, making tests faster and more reliable by avoiding selecting wrong elements.

beginner

Example: How to get all li elements inside a ul with id menu using child commands?

Use cy.get('#menu').find('li'). This first gets the ul with id menu, then finds all li inside it.

Which Cypress command gets only direct children of an element?

A .find()

B .children()

C .parent()

D .siblings()

.children() gets only direct children, while .find() gets all descendants.

What does cy.get('.list').find('li') do?

A Finds all <code>li</code> elements on the page

B Finds direct children with class <code>list</code>

C Finds elements with class <code>list</code> inside <code>li</code>

D Finds <code>li</code> elements inside elements with class <code>list</code>

It first gets elements with class list, then finds li inside them.

Why is chaining child commands useful in Cypress?

A To select elements globally

B To slow down tests

C To select elements faster and more precisely

D To avoid using selectors

Chaining narrows the search, making tests faster and more reliable.

Which command would you use to get all descendants matching a selector inside a parent element?

A .find()

B .children()

C .parent()

D .closest()

.find() searches all descendants matching the selector.

If you want to get only direct children elements, which command is best?

A .children()

B .siblings()

C .find()

D .next()

.children() returns only direct children.

Explain how child commands work in Cypress and why they are useful.

Think about selecting elements inside a container.

Describe the difference between .find() and .children() commands in Cypress.

Consider the depth of element selection.

Practice

1. What does the .find() command do in Cypress testing?

easy

A. It clicks on an element.

B. It types text into an input field.

C. It waits for a page to load.

D. It locates child elements inside a parent element.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the purpose of .find()

   The .find() command is used to search for elements inside another element, meaning it looks for child elements.

2. Step 2: Compare with other commands

   Commands like .click(), .type(), and .wait() perform actions or wait, but do not locate child elements.

3. Final Answer:

   It locates child elements inside a parent element. -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   .find() locates children = B [OK]

Hint: Remember: .find() searches inside a parent element [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing .find() with .click() or .type()
• Thinking .find() waits for elements
• Using .find() without a parent element

2. Which of the following is the correct syntax to find a button inside a div with class container using Cypress?

easy

A. cy.get('.container').find('button')

B. cy.find('.container').get('button')

C. cy.get('button').find('.container')

D. cy.find('button').get('.container')

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand chaining commands in Cypress

   First, cy.get() selects the parent element. Then, .find() locates child elements inside it.

2. Step 2: Analyze each option

   cy.get('.container').find('button') correctly uses cy.get('.container') to select the parent, then .find('button') to find the child button. Other options misuse the order or commands.

3. Final Answer:

   cy.get('.container').find('button') -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Parent first with get(), then child with find() = A [OK]

Hint: Use cy.get() first, then .find() for child elements [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Swapping .get() and .find() order
• Using .find() without cy.get() first
• Selecting child before parent

3. What will the following Cypress code select?

cy.get('ul.menu').find('li.active').should('have.length', 2)

medium

A. It selects all li elements inside ul.menu with class active and checks there are 2.

B. It selects 2 ul elements with class menu.

C. It clicks on the first li.active element.

D. It types '2' into the ul.menu element.

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the selector chain

   cy.get('ul.menu') selects the ul element with class menu. Then .find('li.active') finds li children with class active.

2. Step 2: Understand the assertion

   .should('have.length', 2) asserts that exactly 2 such li.active elements exist inside the ul.menu.

3. Final Answer:

   It selects all li elements inside ul.menu with class active and checks there are 2. -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Find children with class and check count = A [OK]

Hint: Find children, then assert count with .should('have.length') [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing parent and child selectors
• Thinking it clicks or types instead of asserting
• Misreading the assertion purpose

4. Identify the error in this Cypress code snippet:

cy.find('.list').get('li').should('have.length', 3)

medium

A. There is no error; the code is correct.

B. The selector '.list' is invalid.

C. The order of commands is incorrect; .get() should come before .find().

D. The assertion .should('have.length', 3) is not valid.

Solution

1. Step 1: Check command order

   cy.find() is not a valid starting command. cy.get() must be used first to select the parent element.

2. Step 2: Correct usage

   The correct order is cy.get('.list').find('li') to find li children inside the element with class list.

3. Final Answer:

   The order of commands is incorrect; .get() should come before .find(). -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Use cy.get() first, then .find() = D [OK]

Hint: Always start with cy.get() before .find() [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Starting with .find() instead of cy.get()
• Assuming .find() works alone
• Ignoring command chaining rules

5. You want to verify that a form with id login contains exactly 3 input fields that are visible. Which Cypress code correctly uses child commands to do this?

hard

A. cy.find('#login').get('input:visible').should('have.length', 3)

B. cy.get('#login').find('input:visible').should('have.length', 3)

C. cy.get('#login').find('input').should('have.length', 3).and('be.visible')

D. cy.get('input:visible').find('#login').should('have.length', 3)

Solution

1. Step 1: Select the parent form element

   Use cy.get('#login') to select the form with id 'login'.

2. Step 2: Find visible input children and assert count

   Use .find('input:visible') to get visible input fields inside the form, then assert there are exactly 3 with .should('have.length', 3).

3. Final Answer:

   cy.get('#login').find('input:visible').should('have.length', 3) -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Parent get(), then find visible inputs, then check length = C [OK]

Hint: Chain get() then find(':visible') before asserting length [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using .find() before cy.get()
• Checking visibility after length assertion
• Incorrect selector order