GitHub Actions integration in Cypress - Test Execution Trace

Test Overview

This test runs a simple Cypress test using GitHub Actions. It opens a webpage, clicks a button, and checks if a message appears. The test verifies that the GitHub Actions workflow correctly runs Cypress tests and reports results.

Test Code - Cypress

Cypress

/// <reference types="cypress" />
describe('GitHub Actions Cypress Test', () => {
  it('Visits example page and checks button click', () => {
    cy.visit('https://example.cypress.io')
    cy.get('a[href="/commands/actions"]').click()
    cy.url().should('include', '/commands/actions')
    cy.get('.action-btn').first().click()
    cy.get('.action-btn').first().should('have.class', 'btn-primary')
  })
})

Execution Trace - 8 Steps

Step	Action	System State	Assertion	Result
1	GitHub Actions workflow starts and sets up Node.js environment	GitHub runner is ready with Node.js and Cypress installed	—	PASS
2	GitHub Actions runs 'npm install' to install dependencies	All Cypress dependencies installed successfully	—	PASS
3	GitHub Actions runs 'npx cypress run' to execute Cypress tests	Cypress opens a headless browser and starts tests	—	PASS
4	Cypress visits 'https://example.cypress.io'	Example Cypress page is loaded in browser	Page loads without errors	PASS
5	Cypress finds link with href '/commands/actions' and clicks it	Browser navigates to '/commands/actions' page	URL includes '/commands/actions'	PASS
6	Cypress finds first button with class '.action-btn' and clicks it	Button is clicked, triggering UI changes	—	PASS
7	Cypress checks that the clicked button has class 'btn-primary'	Button has expected styling class	Button has class 'btn-primary'	PASS
8	Cypress test finishes and reports success	Test results are output to GitHub Actions logs	—	PASS

Failure Scenario

Failing Condition: If the button with class '.action-btn' is not found or does not have class 'btn-primary' after click

Execution Trace Quiz - 3 Questions

What does the test verify after clicking the button?

A The button has the class 'btn-primary'

B The button disappears from the page

C The URL changes to the homepage

D An alert popup appears

Key Result

Use clear, stable selectors and verify UI changes after user actions to ensure tests catch real issues. Integrate tests in CI like GitHub Actions to automate quality checks.

Practice

1. What is the main purpose of integrating Cypress tests with GitHub Actions?

easy

A. To manually trigger tests only when needed

B. To automatically run tests on code changes and catch bugs early

C. To deploy the application to production

D. To write Cypress test scripts inside GitHub

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand GitHub Actions role

   GitHub Actions automates tasks like running tests when code changes.

2. Step 2: Connect Cypress testing purpose

   Cypress tests run automatically to find bugs early without manual effort.

3. Final Answer:

   To automatically run tests on code changes and catch bugs early -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Automation of tests = A [OK]

Hint: GitHub Actions automates tasks on code changes [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking GitHub Actions only deploys code
• Believing tests run manually only
• Confusing test writing with test running

2. Which YAML key is used to specify the event that triggers a GitHub Actions workflow for Cypress tests?

easy

A. jobs

B. run

C. steps

D. on

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify trigger key in GitHub Actions YAML

   The on key defines events like push or pull_request that start the workflow.

2. Step 2: Differentiate from other keys

   run is used inside steps, steps lists commands, jobs groups tasks.

3. Final Answer:

   on -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Trigger event key = on [OK]

Hint: Triggers use 'on' key in GitHub Actions YAML [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing 'run' with trigger event
• Mixing 'steps' with event triggers
• Using 'jobs' as trigger key

3. Given this GitHub Actions snippet, what will happen when code is pushed to the main branch?

on:
  push:
    branches:
      - main
jobs:
  cypress-run:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
      - name: Run Cypress tests
        run: npx cypress run

medium

A. Cypress tests run automatically on push to main branch

B. Tests run only if manually triggered

C. Workflow fails due to missing trigger

D. Tests run on every branch push

Solution

1. Step 1: Analyze trigger event

   The workflow triggers on push to the main branch only.

2. Step 2: Understand job steps

   It checks out code and runs Cypress tests with npx cypress run.

3. Final Answer:

   Cypress tests run automatically on push to main branch -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Push to main triggers tests = C [OK]

Hint: Push to main triggers workflow with Cypress run [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Assuming manual trigger needed
• Thinking tests run on all branches
• Believing workflow lacks trigger

4. You wrote this GitHub Actions workflow but Cypress tests never run:

on:
  push:
    branches:
      - main
jobs:
  test:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - name: Checkout code
        uses: actions/checkout@v3
      - name: Run tests
        run: cypress run

What is the most likely error?

medium

A. Missing 'npx' before 'cypress run' command

B. Wrong branch name under 'push' event

C. Missing 'uses' for Cypress action

D. Incorrect 'runs-on' value

Solution

1. Step 1: Check Cypress run command syntax

   The command should be npx cypress run to run Cypress installed locally.

2. Step 2: Verify other parts

   Branch name 'main' is correct, 'runs-on' is valid, and Cypress action is optional if using CLI.

3. Final Answer:

   Missing 'npx' before 'cypress run' command -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Run command needs 'npx' prefix = B [OK]

Hint: Use 'npx cypress run' to execute tests in GitHub Actions [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Running 'cypress run' without 'npx'
• Changing branch name incorrectly
• Expecting Cypress action is mandatory
• Misconfiguring runner OS

5. You want to run Cypress tests on both push and pull request events but only for the 'develop' branch. Which YAML snippet correctly configures this?

hard

A. on:
push:
branches:
- main
pull_request:
branches:
- main

B. on:
push:
branches:
- main
pull_request:
branches:
- develop

C. on:
push:
branches:
- develop
pull_request:
branches:
- develop

D. on:
push:
branches:
- develop
pull_request:
branches:
- main

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify required events and branches

   Tests must run on both push and pull_request events targeting the 'develop' branch only.

2. Step 2: Match YAML configuration

   on: push: branches: - develop pull_request: branches: - develop correctly lists both events with 'develop' branch under each.

3. Final Answer:

   on: push: branches: - develop pull_request: branches: - develop -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Both events on 'develop' branch = D [OK]

Hint: List both events with same branch under 'on' key [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Mixing branch names between events
• Listing only one event
• Using wrong branch name