What is the best way to hold off until a specific condition is met?

Question

What is the best way to hold off until a specific condition is met?

Seeking guidance as a newbie in the world of Protractor, I am currently attempting to implement an end-to-end test. However, facing some challenges as the page I wish to test is not entirely Angular-based. My initial spec looks like this:

describe('should open contact page', function() {
var ptor = protractor.getInstance();

beforeEach(function(){

   var Login = require('./util/Login');
   new Login(ptor);
});

In my quest to navigate to the contact page post-login, Protractor persistently attempts to find elements before the page is fully loaded.

I have tried utilizing the following code snippet:

browser.driver.wait(function() {

    expect(browser.findElement(by.xpath("//a[@href='#/contacts']")).isDisplayed());
    ptor.findElement(by.xpath("//a[@href='#/contacts']")).click();

});

Regrettably, this approach has been unsuccessful, with Protractor consistently attempting to locate elements prior to page completion. Another attempt made was:

browser.driver.wait(function() {
    expect(ptor.isElementPresent(by.xpath("//a[@href='#/contacts']")));          
    ptor.findElement(by.xpath("//a[@href='#/contacts']")).click();
});

While resorting to browser.sleep(); does get the job done, I acknowledge it may not be the most efficient solution. In my login class, the following line is present:

ptor.ignoreSynchronization = true;

Is there a way to pause and wait for @href='#/contacts' before Protractor attempts to perform a click action?

javascript angularjs selenium-webdriver protractor automated-tests

Answer 1

Answer №1

With the release of Protractor version 1.7.0, a new feature has been introduced: Expected Conditions.

This update includes various predefined conditions that can be used to explicitly wait for certain events. For example, if you need to wait for an element to appear:

var EC = protractor.ExpectedConditions;

var e = element(by.id('xyz'));
browser.wait(EC.presenceOf(e), 10000);

expect(e.isPresent()).toBeTruthy();

Additional resources:

Understanding expected conditions in Protractor

Answer 2

With the release of Protractor version 1.7.0, a new feature has been introduced: Expected Conditions.

This update includes various predefined conditions that can be used to explicitly wait for certain events. For example, if you need to wait for an element to appear:

var EC = protractor.ExpectedConditions;

var e = element(by.id('xyz'));
browser.wait(EC.presenceOf(e), 10000);

expect(e.isPresent()).toBeTruthy();

Additional resources:

Understanding expected conditions in Protractor

Answer 3

Answer №2

After some trial and error...

   var loadingElem = by.css('#loading.loader-state-hidden');

   browser.wait(function() {
       return ptor.isElementPresent(loadingElem);
   }, 8000);

   expect(ptor.isElementPresent(loadingElem)).toBeTruthy();

   var contactLink = by.xpath("//a[@href='#/contacts']");
   element(contactLink).click();

This method allowed Protractor to wait for the element until the page finished loading. Big thanks to those who offered assistance! 😄

Answer 4

After some trial and error...

   var loadingElem = by.css('#loading.loader-state-hidden');

   browser.wait(function() {
       return ptor.isElementPresent(loadingElem);
   }, 8000);

   expect(ptor.isElementPresent(loadingElem)).toBeTruthy();

   var contactLink = by.xpath("//a[@href='#/contacts']");
   element(contactLink).click();

This method allowed Protractor to wait for the element until the page finished loading. Big thanks to those who offered assistance! 😄

Answer 5

Answer №3

For a while, I struggled with the same issue while using protractor in my e2e tests. My scenario involved transitioning between non-angular and angular portions, which posed some challenges. The key to overcoming this is understanding promises and how they function. Below are snippets of code from my actual e2e test that may provide insights on structuring your own tests. While there might be room for improvement, this approach has proven to be effective.

To navigate to the angular section, I utilize:

var ptor;
var events = require('events');
var eventEmitter = new events.EventEmitter();
var secondClick = require('./second-click');

beforeEach(function () {
    browser.driver.get('http://localhost:8080/', 10000);
});

it("should start the test", function () {
    describe("starting", function () {
        it("should find the link and initiate the test", function(){
            var elementToFind = by.linkText('Start');
            browser.driver.isElementPresent(elementToFind).then(function(isPresent){
                expect(isPresent).toBe(true);
                browser.driver.findElement(elementToFind).then(function(start){
                    start.click().then(function(){
                        ptor = protractor.getInstance();
                        secondClick(eventEmitter, ptor);
                    });
                });
            });
        });
    });
}, 60000);

The following code functions within the angular context:

describe("type in a message ", function(){
        it("should locate and input a random message", function(){
            var elementToFind = by.css('form textarea.limited');
            browser.driver.isElementPresent(elementToFind).then(function(isPresent){
                element(elementToFind).sendKeys(randomSentence).then(function(){
                    console.log("typed in random message");
                    continueOn();
                });
            });
        });
    }, 15000);

Upon exiting the angular part:

browser.driver.wait(function(){
   console.log("polling for a firstName to appear");
   return    browser.driver.isElementPresent(by.name('firstName')).then(function(el){
         return el === true;
       });
     }).
   then(function(){
       somefunctionToExecute()
    });

I hope these examples offer some guidance and assist you in resolving your issue!

Answer 6

For a while, I struggled with the same issue while using protractor in my e2e tests. My scenario involved transitioning between non-angular and angular portions, which posed some challenges. The key to overcoming this is understanding promises and how they function. Below are snippets of code from my actual e2e test that may provide insights on structuring your own tests. While there might be room for improvement, this approach has proven to be effective.

To navigate to the angular section, I utilize:

var ptor;
var events = require('events');
var eventEmitter = new events.EventEmitter();
var secondClick = require('./second-click');

beforeEach(function () {
    browser.driver.get('http://localhost:8080/', 10000);
});

it("should start the test", function () {
    describe("starting", function () {
        it("should find the link and initiate the test", function(){
            var elementToFind = by.linkText('Start');
            browser.driver.isElementPresent(elementToFind).then(function(isPresent){
                expect(isPresent).toBe(true);
                browser.driver.findElement(elementToFind).then(function(start){
                    start.click().then(function(){
                        ptor = protractor.getInstance();
                        secondClick(eventEmitter, ptor);
                    });
                });
            });
        });
    });
}, 60000);

The following code functions within the angular context:

describe("type in a message ", function(){
        it("should locate and input a random message", function(){
            var elementToFind = by.css('form textarea.limited');
            browser.driver.isElementPresent(elementToFind).then(function(isPresent){
                element(elementToFind).sendKeys(randomSentence).then(function(){
                    console.log("typed in random message");
                    continueOn();
                });
            });
        });
    }, 15000);

Upon exiting the angular part:

browser.driver.wait(function(){
   console.log("polling for a firstName to appear");
   return    browser.driver.isElementPresent(by.name('firstName')).then(function(el){
         return el === true;
       });
     }).
   then(function(){
       somefunctionToExecute()
    });

I hope these examples offer some guidance and assist you in resolving your issue!

Answer 7

Answer №4

browser.driver.wait(function() {
    return browser.driver.isElementPresent(by.xpath("//a[@href='#/contacts']"));
});

This method also works for me (without specifying a timeout parameter)..

For further details, visit http://angular.github.io/protractor/#/api?view=webdriver.WebDriver.prototype.wait

Answer 8

browser.driver.wait(function() {
    return browser.driver.isElementPresent(by.xpath("//a[@href='#/contacts']"));
});

This method also works for me (without specifying a timeout parameter)..

For further details, visit http://angular.github.io/protractor/#/api?view=webdriver.WebDriver.prototype.wait

Answer 9

Answer №5

Gratitude to the responses provided earlier, I have incorporated a simplified and revised approach:

function waitForElement(selector) {
  return browser.wait(function () {
    return browser.isElementPresent(by.css(selector));
  }, 50000);
}

Answer 10

Gratitude to the responses provided earlier, I have incorporated a simplified and revised approach:

function waitForElement(selector) {
  return browser.wait(function () {
    return browser.isElementPresent(by.css(selector));
  }, 50000);
}

Answer 11

Answer №6

Did you consider placing the ng-app attribute within the <html> tag (if possible to do so)? I found that this simple adjustment helped resolve several initialization timing issues.

Answer 12

Did you consider placing the ng-app attribute within the <html> tag (if possible to do so)? I found that this simple adjustment helped resolve several initialization timing issues.

Answer 13

Answer №7

Optimizing wait conditions in Protractor for displaying accurate error messages tied to specific elements upon test failure

const EC = ExpectedConditions;
const targetElement = element(by.xpath(your xpath));

return browser.wait(EC.visibilityOf(targetElement), 9000, 'Element not found').then(() => {
            targetElement.click();
         });

Answer 14

Optimizing wait conditions in Protractor for displaying accurate error messages tied to specific elements upon test failure

const EC = ExpectedConditions;
const targetElement = element(by.xpath(your xpath));

return browser.wait(EC.visibilityOf(targetElement), 9000, 'Element not found').then(() => {
            targetElement.click();
         });

Answer 15

Answer №8

It's surprising that no one has mentioned this solution yet. In situations where modal dialogues are used, there may be instances where an element is visible and appears clickable but is actually not responsive due to the modal dialogue being in the foreground. This occurs because Protractor operates faster than Angular, causing it to attempt clicking on the next element before Angular has finished closing the modal.

One possible solution is to use:

public async clickElementBug(elementLocator: Locator) {
const elem = await element(elementLocator);
await browser.wait(
  async function() {
    try {
      await elem.click();
      return true;
    } catch (error) {
      return false;
    }
  },
  this.TIMEOUT_MILLIS,
  'Failed to click element: ' + elem
);

}

Answer 16

It's surprising that no one has mentioned this solution yet. In situations where modal dialogues are used, there may be instances where an element is visible and appears clickable but is actually not responsive due to the modal dialogue being in the foreground. This occurs because Protractor operates faster than Angular, causing it to attempt clicking on the next element before Angular has finished closing the modal.

One possible solution is to use:

public async clickElementBug(elementLocator: Locator) {
const elem = await element(elementLocator);
await browser.wait(
  async function() {
    try {
      await elem.click();
      return true;
    } catch (error) {
      return false;
    }
  },
  this.TIMEOUT_MILLIS,
  'Failed to click element: ' + elem
);

}

Answer 17

Answer №9

browser.wait is more than just your average function...

browser.wait may seem like a simple concept at first, but it holds immense power. By passing a function with a condition to wait for, you can control the flow of your automation tasks. For instance, you can wait until a loading animation disappears from the page.

let $animation = $$('.loading');

await browser.wait(
  async () => (await animation.count()) === 0, // This function determines when to stop waiting
  5000, // Timeout in milliseconds
  `Custom message displayed on timeout` 
);

Remember to always use await alongside browser.wait.

You also have access to the ExpectedConditions library, which offers a range of predefined conditions to aid your waiting operations.

The possibilities are endless...

Here are a few examples:

Waiting for the browser to have exactly two tabs open

// Wait for the browser to have exactly two tabs open
await browser.wait(
  async () => {
    let tabCount = await browser.getAllWindowHandles();
    return tabCount.length === 2;
  },
  5000,
  'New window did not open as expected'
);

Ensuring that a loading animation is absent for at least 750ms

// Ensure that the loading animation is gone for at least 750ms
await browser.wait(
  async () => (await this.$$loadAnimations.count()) === 0 && !(await browser.sleep(750)) && (await this.$$loadAnimations.count()) === 0,
  5000,
  `Timeout while waiting`
);

Waiting for any number of elements to be present

// Wait for any number of elements to be present
async waitForElements($elem, timeout = 120000, start = +new Date()) {
    let conditions = [];

    for (let i = 0; i < $elem.length; i++) {
        conditions.push(ExpectedConditions.presenceOf($elem[i]));
    }

    await browser.wait(
        ExpectedConditions.and(...conditions), 
        remainingTimeout(timeout, start), 
        `Wait for all elements to appear`
    );
}

// Usage example

await waitForElements([
  $usernameField, 
  $passwordFiend, 
  $submitButton
])

Answer 18

browser.wait is more than just your average function...

browser.wait may seem like a simple concept at first, but it holds immense power. By passing a function with a condition to wait for, you can control the flow of your automation tasks. For instance, you can wait until a loading animation disappears from the page.

let $animation = $$('.loading');

await browser.wait(
  async () => (await animation.count()) === 0, // This function determines when to stop waiting
  5000, // Timeout in milliseconds
  `Custom message displayed on timeout` 
);

Remember to always use await alongside browser.wait.

You also have access to the ExpectedConditions library, which offers a range of predefined conditions to aid your waiting operations.

The possibilities are endless...

Here are a few examples:

Waiting for the browser to have exactly two tabs open

// Wait for the browser to have exactly two tabs open
await browser.wait(
  async () => {
    let tabCount = await browser.getAllWindowHandles();
    return tabCount.length === 2;
  },
  5000,
  'New window did not open as expected'
);

Ensuring that a loading animation is absent for at least 750ms

// Ensure that the loading animation is gone for at least 750ms
await browser.wait(
  async () => (await this.$$loadAnimations.count()) === 0 && !(await browser.sleep(750)) && (await this.$$loadAnimations.count()) === 0,
  5000,
  `Timeout while waiting`
);

Waiting for any number of elements to be present

// Wait for any number of elements to be present
async waitForElements($elem, timeout = 120000, start = +new Date()) {
    let conditions = [];

    for (let i = 0; i < $elem.length; i++) {
        conditions.push(ExpectedConditions.presenceOf($elem[i]));
    }

    await browser.wait(
        ExpectedConditions.and(...conditions), 
        remainingTimeout(timeout, start), 
        `Wait for all elements to appear`
    );
}

// Usage example

await waitForElements([
  $usernameField, 
  $passwordFiend, 
  $submitButton
])

What is the best way to hold off until a specific condition is met?

Answer №1

Answer №2

Answer №3

Answer №4

Answer №5

Answer №6

Answer №7

Answer №8

Answer №9

browser.wait is more than just your average function...

The possibilities are endless...

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