Child commands in Cypress - Test Execution Trace

Test Overview

This test uses Cypress child commands to find a list and click a specific item inside it. It verifies that the clicked item has the expected text.

Test Code - Cypress

Cypress

describe('Child commands test', () => {
  it('Clicks a child item in a list and verifies text', () => {
    cy.visit('https://example.cypress.io/commands/actions')
    cy.get('.action-list')
      .find('li')
      .contains('Click')
      .click()
      .should('have.text', 'Click')
  })
})

Execution Trace - 7 Steps

Step	Action	System State	Assertion	Result
1	Test starts	Cypress test runner initialized	—	PASS
2	Browser opens and navigates to 'https://example.cypress.io/commands/actions'	Page with action commands loaded, showing a list with class 'action-list'	—	PASS
3	Find element with class '.action-list'	List element found containing multiple <li> items	Element '.action-list' exists	PASS
4	Within '.action-list', find all 'li' child elements	List items found inside '.action-list'	Child 'li' elements exist	PASS
5	From the 'li' elements, find the one containing text 'Click'	Specific list item with text 'Click' found	List item text contains 'Click'	PASS
6	Click the found list item	List item clicked, page may respond to click	—	PASS
7	Assert the clicked item has text 'Click'	Text verified on clicked item	Text equals 'Click'	PASS

Failure Scenario

Failing Condition: The list item with text 'Click' is not found inside '.action-list'

Execution Trace Quiz - 3 Questions

What does the command '.find('li')' do in this test?

A It verifies the text of the list

B It clicks the first 'li' element on the page

C It finds all 'li' child elements inside '.action-list'

D It navigates to a new page

Key Result

Using child commands like '.find()' helps narrow down elements inside a parent, making tests more precise and easier to maintain.

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