Introduction to Cypress

Cypress is a modern testing framework that makes setting up, writing, running, and debugging tests fast and reliable.

What is Cypress?

Cypress is a next-generation front-end testing tool built for the modern web. Unlike Selenium-based tools, Cypress runs directly in the browser alongside your application, providing faster and more reliable tests.

Key Features

• Time travel - hover over commands to see snapshots
• Automatic waiting - no need for explicit waits
• Real-time reloads when you make changes
• Debuggability with Chrome DevTools
• Network traffic control and stubbing
• Screenshots and videos of test runs

Why Choose Cypress?

• Developer-friendly: Easy setup and intuitive API
• Fast feedback: Instant reloads and parallel execution
• Reliable: Automatic retries and built-in waiting
• Powerful debugging: Time travel and visual feedback

Basic Example

Here's a simple Cypress test:

describe('My First Test', () => {
  it('Visits the Kitchen Sink', () => {
    // Visit a URL
    cy.visit('https://example.cypress.io')
    
    // Find an element with content 'type'
    cy.contains('type').click()
    
    // Verify the URL includes '/commands/actions'
    cy.url().should('include', '/commands/actions')
    
    // Get an input, type into it, and verify the value
    cy.get('.action-email')
      .type('fake@email.com')
      .should('have.value', 'fake@email.com')
  })
})

How Cypress Works

Cypress operates directly in the browser, unlike Selenium which operates remotely. This architectural difference provides several advantages:

• Synchronous execution without async/await complexity
• Automatic waiting without explicit timeouts
• Direct access to application code and events
• Consistent, reliable test execution