JavaScript is one of the most popular languages for web development. Almost 95% of the total websites around the world are using it, mainly for client-side programming. Big businesses such as Google, Facebook, and Youtube use JavaScript for their functional and interactive requirements.
Given that popularity, JavaScript services are in high demand, especially for testing purposes. In fact, many of the companies looking for those services end up partnering with JavaScript development companies. By doing so, they can access talented professionals to add testing capabilities into their strategies. What’s more, doing that allows them to dive into automation testing.
This is a major benefit, as automation testing reduces time and costs, allowing you to perform many repetitive test cases without manual intervention. Nowadays, there are JavaScript frameworks for functional testing, unit test, and end-to-end (E2E) testing. Let’s have a look at JavaScript automation frameworks that you can use.
1. Jasmine
Jasmine is a behavior-driven JavaScript testing framework that programmers use for asynchronous testing, i.e., the framework understands whether a particular test has reached the end of its control flow. Developers also use Jasmine for unit testing.
It has test launchers and test structure providers that help you structure your sites in a readable format.. It structures tests in a scalable way and makes sure that tests rerun the way you want them to run.
Jasmine is very flexible and it’s compatible with many libraries and frameworks. Besides there are many online tutorials, documents, and video lessons available to better understand it and leverage all its features. It’s important to know, though, that even when it can provide significant advantages, Jasmine does have integration problems and its configuration can be somewhat confusing. However, if you want flexibility, Jasmine is the way to go.
2. Nightwatch
Nightwatch is a selenium web-driver testing framework that can perform end-to-end and functional testing as well as offering options for parallel testing. It’s easy to use and has browser controls that allow you to imitate user actions.It’s an open-source tool that lets you write continuous tests and integrate them directly into your current development schema. There is large community support available for this.
Nightwatch is easy to understand and works on OOP concepts. To use it, you need to install Node.js and npm along with a selenium server. Sometimes the syntax is challenging to understand and read, but if you want a node.js framework that focuses on functional testing, this is the framework for you.
3. Protractor
This is an automated framework that focuses on angular js application testing. It tests through your browser and offers dedicated end-to-end testing. It also has an option for cross-browser testing.
You can customize Protractor for behavior-driven frameworks and codes. It has a default wait function and automated screen capturing. Though it doesn’t support robot class, it can still be useful when testing for angular applications.
4. Jest
Jest is a popular testing framework created by Facebook. It’s one of the most popular frameworks out there, thanks to its zero-configuration testing (which requires very few commands to get started). One of its biggest advantages is that it’s a quick performing framework.
Jest has flexible code coverage and a simple user interface. It comes with a mocking library. It has features like code covering and snapshot. It’s node.js-friendly, and can also work with Angular and React. It can perform visual regression as it has a snapshot option, too. What’s more – if you’re stuck with something, it has a thriving community and lot of resources online to help you out.
5. Puppeteer
Puppeteer is a node.js testing library for automated testing. It provides a high-level API for cross-browser testing. It has features such as timeline tracing and snapshots. It’s highly automated, i.e., the library will launch the browser, perform tests, and take the snapshot without any intervention from your side. It can also create PDFs for web pages.
You can also influence selectors to ensure that the current test is more effective than the last one. You can automate UI and form submission. It’s fast and reliable as it allows users to mimic systems. Just like Nightwatch, it needs npm with Node.js.
One of its major disadvantages is that it only works with chromium or Chrome. Also, if you need to perform cross-browser tests, you need to use some other frameworks along with this. Other than that, this is an important tool to consider if you’re performing server-side rendering.
6. Mocha Js
It’s a JavaScript testing application for node.js projects. It provides an elegant testing structure to display tests and test summaries. It’s open-source and very flexible. It’s compatible with both front and back end operations. It also supports asynchronous testing.
Mocha JS has a node.js debugger for accurate error tracking. It’s very easy to write and has consistent documentation that can be leveraged by beginners. You can also map exceptions for test cases through Mocha. Even though developer options and general onboard options can be improved, Mocha js is the right choice if you require a vast ecosystem and flexibility.
Conclusion
As one of the most popular languages out there, JavaScript has dozens of options available for automation frameworks, and many more are developed every day. This turns it into a great alternative for automation testing, which is one of the reasons why the language
Each framework has its own pros and cons. If you need flexibility, you can go for Mocha. For testing on angular, you can use Protractor. To make a knowledgeable choice, you have to understand your infrastructure and business requirements. Your experience, along with your business needs, will determine which framework is perfect for you.
