Insights

When it comes to building an automation framework, choosing the right framework is crucial.

Cypress is a popular and powerful automation framework that can help create reliable and maintainable tests. In fact, according to a 2021 survey conducted by TestProject, Cypress is the second most popular automation framework, with 24.3% of respondents reporting that they use it. Additionally, Cypress has a growing community of developers and contributors, with over 21,000 stars on GitHub and an active Discord community. Its popularity is expected to continue to grow as more developers discover its benefits and capabilities.

We’ve been building and using multiple Cypress frameworks for both E2E and API automation for our client, easyJet. We have had a great experience using Cypress as the framework's easy-to-use interface and quick setup time made it a breeze to get started.

One of the most significant benefits we've seen is Cypress' powerful debugging capabilities, which have saved us a lot of time and effort in identifying and resolving issues. Its ability to automatically take screenshots at any point during the test has been particularly useful in identifying visual issues. In addition, we have found Cypress' integration with other tools and platforms, such as BrowserStack and GitHub Actions, to be extremely helpful in incorporating it into our existing workflows.

Using Cypress has allowed us to streamline our testing process and improve the quality of front end and backend API test applications, ultimately resulting in increased client satisfaction. Along with that, Cypress' intuitive interface made it easy to demonstrate the strengths and capabilities to the client to help gain their confidence in the tool as we went from PoC (proof of concept) to full automation of several of their key projects.

Here are some considerations to keep in mind when choosing and building an automation framework with Cypress

1. Keep Your Tests Simple: One of the most important things to keep in mind when building an automation framework is to keep your tests simple. Write tests that are easy to understand and maintain and avoid complex test cases that can be difficult to debug.
2. Follow Good Coding Practices: It’s essential to follow good coding practices when building an automation framework. This includes writing clean, readable code, using descriptive variable names, and organizing your code into logical functions and classes.
3. Define Application Actions: Application actions are a set of functions that represent the actions a user can perform on your application, such as clicking a button or filling out a form. This approach allows you to define actions that are not necessarily tied to a specific page or component.
   
   Additionally, it can make your tests more readable and maintainable by abstracting away implementation details.
4. Make Your Framework Modular: Making your framework modular can help you create more flexible and reusable automation tests. This involves breaking your code into smaller, self-contained modules that can be easily plugged into your test suite.
5. Use Version Control: Using version control is critical when building an automation framework. Version control enables you to track changes to your code over time, collaborate with team members, and revert to previous versions if necessary.
6. Integrate with CI/CD Pipelines: Integrating your automation framework with a Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipeline can help you automate your testing process and ensure that your code is always production-ready. This involves setting up automated tests to run on every code change, and automatically deploying your code to production when all tests pass.
7. Leverage Third-Party Tools: Leveraging third-party tools can help you extend the capabilities of your automation framework and make your testing process more efficient. This includes tools like BrowserStack for cross-browser testing, Slack for notifications, and JIRA for issue tracking.

You can take advantage of Cypress unique capabilities

1. Cypress Commands: Cypress provides a set of built-in commands that make it easy to write expressive and reliable tests. Take advantage of these commands to keep your tests simple and easy to maintain.
2. Cypress Test Runner: The Cypress Test Runner is a powerful tool that allows you to debug your tests in real-time. Use the Test Runner to identify and fix issues quickly, and to get instant feedback on your tests as you write them.
3. Cypress Dashboard: The Cypress Dashboard is a cloud-based service that provides valuable insights into your test runs. Use the Dashboard to track test results over time, identify flaky tests, and troubleshoot issues.
4. Cypress Plugins: Cypress provides a rich ecosystem of plugins that can help you extend the capabilities of your automation framework. Take advantage of these plugins to add new functionality to your tests, such as custom commands, network mocking, and performance testing.
5. Integration with BrowserStack: Cypress integrates seamlessly with BrowserStack, a cloud-based testing platform that provides access to a wide range of browsers and devices. Use BrowserStack to run your tests on different browsers and devices, and to ensure that your application works as expected in all environments.
6. Integration with GitHub Actions: GitHub Actions is a popular CI/CD platform that can be easily integrated with Cypress. Use GitHub Actions to automate your testing process, and to ensure that your tests are always up-to-date and reliable.

By keeping these considerations in mind when building an automation framework with Cypress, you can create a robust and reliable testing process that helps your team deliver high-quality software with confidence.