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cypress-click-practice

In this article, we will guide you through possible reasons for failure of the .click() method and how to resolve them using alternative techniques.

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Understanding the Context

Cypress provides the cy.click() method to simulate the click of a user. Sometimes, however, this command might not work as expected due to varying reasons such as the targeted element not being ready, among other reasons. Here are a few common reasons that could lead to the .click() function failing:

  1. Element is not ready: Cypress attempts to interact with elements as soon as they are identified. If a selected element is not fully loaded at the instant Cypress tries to interact with it, the click command might fail.

  2. Element is disabled: In instances where the targeted element is disabled at the time Cypress attempts to interact with it, the click event will not be triggered.

  3. Real user interaction not simulated: Sometimes, Cypress's synthetic style of triggering events can lead to varying results compared to real user interactions.

Fortunately, Cypress is versatile and provides alternative solutions in case the traditional cy.click() command fails.

Ensure the Element is Ready

Firstly, always ensure that your elements are fully loaded before interacting with them:

*.cy.ts

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// Use assertions to ensure the element is ready
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cy.get('#your-selector').should('be.visible')
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cy.get('#your-selector').click()

Ensure the Element is Enabled

Make sure the button or the element with which you're trying to interact is enabled before clicking:

*.cy.ts

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// Use assertions to ensure the element is enabled
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cy.get('#your-selector').should('be.enabled')
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cy.get('#your-selector').click()

Simulate Real User Interactions

If the traditional cy.click() function is not making the cut, we can use cy.realClick(). One of the benefits of the cy.realClick() method, part of the cypress-real-events package, is that it provides a more realistic simulation of a user clicking on an element.

To use cy.realClick():

*.cy.ts

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cy.get('#your-selector').should('be.visible')
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cy.get('#your-selector').realClick() // .click() replaced with .realClick()

Click on Specific Coordinates

Even after implementing all the above fixes, you might still face issues. One alternative could be to click at a specific location in the element:

*.cy.ts

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cy.get('#your-selector').realClick({ position: 'top' })
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// parameters can be 'bottom', 'center', 'left', 'right', 'topLeft', 'topRight', 'bottomLeft', 'bottomRight'

Conclusion

Cypress is an excellent tool for testing the interactivity of your web application. However, like all tools, it can sometimes behave unexpectedly. Ensuring elements are both visible and interactable before trying to interact with them, simulating more realistic clicks with cy.realClick(), or defining specific coordinates for these clicks can mitigate these issues, leading to more robust and reliable tests.