Panel Discussion: Testing

This ad is not shown to multipass and full ticket holders
React Summit US
React Summit US 2025
November 18 - 21, 2025
New York, US & Online
The biggest React conference in the US
Learn More
In partnership with Focus Reactive
Upcoming event
React Summit US 2025
React Summit US 2025
November 18 - 21, 2025. New York, US & Online
Learn more
Bookmark
Rate this content

FAQ

Iris believes the number one benefit of software testing is ensuring the quality for the end user, making sure that every release is tested automatically without the need for manual checks on every feature.

Sophie finds testing crucial because it ensures that the mobile app works correctly before shipping, reducing the need for frequent bug-fix releases and increasing confidence in the app's performance.

Tomasz values testing for the peace of mind it provides, allowing him to sleep better at night knowing that the software pushed to production is less likely to break.

Kent began his journey in testing with his open source libraries, aiming to save time and effort by automating the manual process of checking and clicking through functionalities before releases.

The advice for starting with React testing is to treat it as a part of regular software development, focusing on writing tests that notify when something isn't working as expected, similar to how one would learn any new software framework or feature.

For a large existing code base, it is recommended to start with end-to-end tests that cover the most crucial functionalities, such as a checkout button or critical financial transactions, and then expand testing coverage gradually.

To convince others of the value of testing, focus on demonstrating the time and resources wasted on resolving issues in production that could have been prevented with testing, emphasizing on enhancing the software's quality rather than merely adding tests.

Common anti-patterns in test code include testing internal component details rather than their outputs or interactions, which can lead to fragile tests that fail when internal implementations change without affecting functionality.

Sophie recommends using Detox for end-to-end testing of React Native apps, noting that while it may be complex to set up, it performs effectively once configured.

Kent C. Dodds
Kent C. Dodds
Iris Schaffer
Iris Schaffer
Tomasz Łakomy
Tomasz Łakomy
Sophie Au
Sophie Au
21 min
17 Jun, 2021

Comments

Sign in or register to post your comment.
Video Summary and Transcription
The video highlights the importance of testing in software development, emphasizing the benefits for developers and end users. Typescript is mentioned as a free tool for web developers. The discussion covers end-to-end testing, with Cypress recommended for web applications and Detox for React Native apps. The importance of unit tests and integration tests is also discussed. Testing tools like Jest and React Testing Library are noted for their stability. The video also touches on best practices for testing, such as avoiding testing internal components and focusing on critical functionalities.

1. Introduction to Testing and Benefits

Short description:

Typescript is a free, free-to-use JavaScript service for web developers. It's free to use any language you want. Everything you need. It's free to use. I feel like a little bit of the imposter in here. I'm excited to hear your opinions and ideas on testing. Let's start with Iris. Iris values the quality for the end user. Sophie values knowing that the stuff she's pushing to production works, especially for mobile apps.

Typescript is a free, free-to-use JavaScript service for web developers. It is open-source, free-of-charge, and free of any unfavorable use cases. It's free to use any language you want. Everything you need. It's free to use.

Any questions? I would like to welcome Tomas Lakomi, Kensi Dotts, Iris Schaffer, and Sophie Au to our panel. Are they all here? Hello! Hello! Excellent. Hi. How are you all doing? Not too bad, not too bad. Awesome. Sweet. That's fantastic.

So I feel like a little bit, coming back to the Among Us thing that was brought up earlier, I feel like a little bit of the imposter in here. Because I do write tests in the projects that I control, but I also worked in many different agencies and companies and projects where testing was met with skepticism, let's put it that way. So I'm really excited to hear your opinions and ideas on this topic. Because I think I was not the only one struggling with this inner tension of knowing that tests provide a big value. But then also seeing bad practices and seeing problems.

So would you all very quickly introduce yourselves and what you think is the number one value from testing? Let's start with Iris. Ok I'll start then. So my name is Iris, I work at Spotify in Stockholm in Sweden. And I think for me, the number one benefit would be the quality for the end user. Just ensuring that on every release. Without having to manually test every time, every feature. Oh yeah, been there, done that, got a t-shirt. What's your take on this, Sophie? Hey everyone, I'm Sophie. I'm a full stack front-end-T developer at Donut in Berlin. And for me, I think the main thing about testing similar to Iris is knowing that the stuff I'm pushing to production works. Especially because we do mobile apps, so it's not like you can just push a quick fix, but you actually have to do a new release. So actually being confident that the app we're shipping to the user works and we don't have to push 20 bug releases quick after. That sounds convincing.

1. Panel Introduction and Testing Importance

Short description:

Introduction of panelists discussing the importance of testing in projects.

I would like to welcome Tomasz Lakomi, Kenzi Dotz, Iris Schaffer, and Sophie Au to our panel. Are they all here? Hello! Hello! Ah, excellent! So good to see you all! Hi! How are you all doing? Yeah, not too bad. Awesome, sweet, that's fantastic. So, I feel like a little bit coming back to the Among Us thing that was brought up earlier. I feel like a little bit of the imposter in here, because I do write tests in the projects that I control, but I also worked in many different agencies and companies and projects where testing was met with skepticism, let's put it that way. So, I'm really excited to hear your opinions and ideas on this topic, because I think I was not the only one struggling with this like, inner tension of kind of knowing that tests provide a big value, but then also seeing like, bad practices and seeing problems.

2. Benefits of Testing and Getting Started

Short description:

Tomasz Rokome, a senior front-end engineer at Olex Group, emphasizes that testing helps him sleep better at night by ensuring that production releases do not break. Kent, the creator of testing-javascript.com, shares how he started testing with his open-source libraries to save time and effort. He describes tests as a thousand little versions of himself, going through different scenarios. When starting with testing, it's important to understand that it is just another aspect of software development. A fundamental test is software that notifies you when things are not working as expected. For developers with existing code bases, starting with web app end-to-end tests is a good approach to ensure the app works as intended.

Tomasz, how about you? Hey everyone, so my name is Tomasz Rokome, I am a senior front-end engineer at Olex Group and I also record videos for Egghead.io. And when it comes to the number one value of testing, apart from the things mentioned by both Iris and Sophie, I would like to say that testing makes me sleep better at night, because I push something to production, I don't have to worry for the entire evening that it is going to break. In fact, we've pushed something to production an hour ago and I am not checking Slack or notifications right now. I know that feeling and I know the other side of this.

Kent, how about you? I learned a bunch from your testing talks and workshops. Yeah, thank you. So, my name is Kent and I made testing-javascript.com, where I teach people everything that I know about testing. And I don't have a whole lot to add to what's been said. One thing is I got started with testing with my open-source libraries, because every time I wanted to push a release, I had to go through this. I brought up the library on a page and clicked around all over the place and it just took a lot of time for something I was doing for free. So I thought, I wonder if I could just clone myself and do that with my clones, so I can go on and move on. And that's what tests are for me. It's like a thousand little Kents going through all of these different things I always did. I see, interesting.

So I heard a bunch of really good reasons for why I want to test. But I know, bear with me, this has been a few years ago when I started. Actually not a few years ago, that has been a long time ago. But when I started with software testing, I basically had to read a really thick book, and it was not very fun. But if I am a react developer who's just starting, how do I get started with writing tests? What's a good path? Well, I'll go ahead and get started there. I think that something that's important to keep in mind with testing is that testing is not anything different from regular software development. So it's just another thing that you're writing software for. And so having an idea of what a fundamental test even is, is really useful. And basically, a test is software that will give you some sort of notification when things are not working as expected. And so yeah, like how do you get started? The answer to that question is the same generally as like, how do I learn Framework X or how do I build this feature or whatever. Because it's no different from any other software that you're going to write. Right. But I've seen lots of courses or literature that basically assumes you're starting on a Greenfield project. But I think for most people, that's not the case. Most people here watching right now probably have a huge code base and wonder, like, how do I even get started? Even if I know how to write tests, which a lot of the material out there covers, how do I know how to start in my existing code base? How do I get the biggest bang for my buck? How do I find out? Where do I start? I'm happy to take that one. So in my experience, like I'll assume it's like React, like web app end-to-end tests are usually kind of my first go-to, which essentially, you know, generally, even if you don't actually write tests yet, you have someone who's checking that the app works, right? I mean, worst case, it's the user when it's in production, but you have someone that's gonna like tell you, hey, like the checkout button is broken.

2. Panelists' Insights on Testing Value

Short description:

Introductions and insights from panelists on the value of testing in software development.

So, would you all very quickly introduce yourselves and what you think is like the number one value from testing? Let's start with Iris. Okay, I'll start then. So, my name is Iris, I work at Spotify in Stockholm in Sweden, and I think for me the number one benefit would be the quality for the end user, just ensuring that on every release without having to manually test every time, every feature. Oh yeah, been there, done that, got a t-shirt. What's your take on this Sophie? Hey everyone, I'm Sophie, I'm a full-stack front-end tea developer at Donut in Berlin, and for me, I think the main thing about testing similar to Iris is knowing that the stuff I'm actually pushing to production works, in my case especially, because we do a mobile app, so it's not like you can just push a quick fix, but you actually have to do a new release. So actually being confident in that the app we're shipping to the user works and we don't have to push 20-bug releases quick after, that's really good. Oh that sounds convincing. Tomas, how about you? Hey everyone, so my name is Tomasz Rakome, I am a senior front-end engineer at Olex Group, and I also record videos for Ekhel.io. And when it comes to the number one value of testing, apart from the things mentioned by both Iris and Sofi, I would like to say that testing makes me sleep better at night. Because I push something to production, I don't have to worry for the entire evening that it is going to break. In fact, we pushed something to production an hour ago, and I'm not checking slack or notifications right now. I know that feeling and I know the other side of this. Kent, how about you? I learned a bunch from your testing talks and workshops, so... Yeah, thank you. Yeah, so my name is Kent and I made TestingJavascript.com, where I teach people everything that I know about testing. And I don't have a whole lot to add to what's been said. One thing is, I got started with testing with my open source libraries, because every time I pushed or I wanted to push a release, I had to go through this. I brought up the library on a page and clicked around all over the place and it just took a lot of time for something I was doing for free. So I wondered if I could just clone myself and do that with my clones so I can go on and move on. That's what tests are for me. It's like a thousand little kents going through all of these different things I always did. I see. Interesting. So I heard a bunch of really good reasons for why I want to test. But I know, bear with me, this has been a few years ago when I started. Actually not a few years ago, that has been a long time ago. When I started with software testing, I basically had to read a really thick book and it was not very fun. But if I am a React developer who is just starting, how do I get started with writing tests? What's a good path? Well, I'll go ahead and get started there. So I think that something that's important to keep in mind with testing is that testing is not anything different from regular software development. So it's just another thing that you're writing software for.

3. Writing End-to-End Tests

Short description:

And just writing end-to-end tests essentially kind of automates that check. So yeah, my general recommendation is kind of what's like the most crucial part of your app? Is it your checkout button? Is it, I don't know, like you're sending some financial data around, just write a single end-to-end test for the most important functionality of your app.

And just writing end-to-end tests essentially kind of automates that check. So yeah, my general recommendation is kind of what's like the most crucial part of your app? Is it your checkout button? Is it, I don't know, like you're sending some financial data around, just write a single end-to-end test for the most important functionality of your app. And then from there, kind of branch out and try to cover it kind of as much as possible. And don't get too bogged down in like unit tests and like the 5,000 edge cases. Just make sure you have like a rough idea that covers like 80% of the functionality.

3. Approaching Testing in Established Projects

Short description:

Exploring the importance of testing in existing projects and strategies for team and manager buy-in.

And so having an idea of what a fundamental test even is, is really useful. And basically a test is software that will give you some sort of notification when things are not working as expected. And so, yeah, like, how do you get started? It really, the answer to that question is the same generally as, like, how do I learn framework X or how do I, you know, build this feature or whatever. Because it's no different from any other software that you're going to write. Right. But I've seen lots of software out there, I'm sorry, courses or literature that basically assumes you're starting on a greenfield project. But I think for most people that's not the case. Most people here watching right now probably have a huge code base and wonder, like, how do I even get started? Even if I know how to write tests, which a lot of the material out there covers, how do I know how to start in my existing code base? How do I get the biggest bang for my buck? How do I find out? Where do I start?

I'm happy to take that one. So in my experience, I'll assume it's the React web app. End-to-end tests are usually my first go-to, which essentially generally, even if you don't actually write tests yet, you have someone who's checking that the app works. I mean, worst case, it's the user when it's in production, but you have someone that's going to tell you, hey, the checkout button's broken. And just writing end-to-end tests essentially kind of automates that check. My general recommendation is what's the most crucial part of your app? Is it your checkout button? I don't know, like you're sending some financial data around, just write a single end-to-end test for the most important functionality of your app. And then from there, branch out and try to cover as much as possible. And don't get too bogged down in unit tests and the 5,000 edge cases. Just make sure you have a rough idea that covers like 80% of the functionality.

That sounds good to me. And I know that I wanted to do that so many times when things broke in production and I was working with customer projects and you get calls to unholy hours to your project manager who then like tries to call you while you're trying to sleep. How can I convince? So now that I might be the person who's like, OK, I see the problem. I want to write tests. I learned how to write tests. And I now know where to start. How do I convince my team to, A, join the effort? And B, also, how do I convince my manager that I'm not slacking off and not spending time on something that's useful? I can take this one because I actually have a blog post around the same idea. So there's a couple of things around here. First up, you shouldn't have to convince your manager, your product manager or anyone, really. Because the same way I don't have to convince my manager that I would like to use useState or useEffect or any other hook from React, consider testing to be a part of the thing that I'm trying to deliver. In other words, I, as a software engineer, I am getting paid to not only build and ship software, but also ship software that actually works and brings value to our users. Ideally, I would love to get paid for shipping broken software, but this is not how the world works. But in a more realistic scenario, in which you have a legacy code base and nobody is writing any tests and you would like to create this test setup and pave the way for future generations who are going to join this project, I would like to start by convincing our managers or product managers or anyone how much time do we waste resolving production issues and how many of those production issues could have been avoided if we simply had an end-to-end test or some other tests, unit tests, and so on.

4. Convincing Team and Manager

Short description:

So now that I might be the person who's like, okay, I see the problem. I want to write tests. I learned how to write tests and I now know where to start. In a more realistic scenario in which you have a legacy code base and nobody's writing any tests and you would like to create this test setup and to pave the way for future generations who are going to join this project, I would like to start, honestly, by convincing our managers or product managers or anyone how much time do we waste resolving production issues and how many of those production issues could have been avoided if we simply had an end-to-end test or other tests, unit tests, and so on. Start with not the fact that I want to write tests, but talk instead about I want to ensure the quality of our software because people are scared of the word tests but they tend to like the word quality a bit more. But what if then your manager asks, well, why are you writing broken code in the first place? Right? I would say that I don't write broken code. My colleagues, they also don't write broken code, but all of us combined tend to produce like something that can be broken. And it's not anybody's fault that something is going to break in production. And by us having the best process in place that we can, we can ensure the utmost quality of our software in production.

Right. That sounds good to me. And I know that I wanted to do that so many times when things broke in production and I was working with customer projects and then you would get calls to unholy hours to your project manager who then like tries to call you while you're trying to sleep. And how can I convince... So now that I might be the person who's like, okay, I see the problem. I want to write tests. I learned how to write tests and I now know where to start. How do I convince my team to a, join the effort and b, also how do I convince my manager that I'm not like slacking off and not spending time on something that's useful? I can take this one because I actually have a blog post around the same idea. So there's a couple of things around here. First up, you shouldn't have to convince your manager, product manager or anyone really, because the same way I don't have to convince my manager that I would like to use your state or use effect or any other hook from React. I consider testing to be a part of the thing that I'm trying to deliver. In other words, I, as a software engineer, I am getting paid to not only build and ship software but also ship software that actually works and brings value to our users. Ideally, I would love to get paid for shipping broken software but that's not how the world works. But in a more realistic scenario in which you have a legacy code base and nobody's writing any tests and you would like to create this test setup and to pave the way for future generations who are going to join this project, I would like to start, honestly, by convincing our managers or product managers or anyone how much time do we waste resolving production issues and how many of those production issues could have been avoided if we simply had an end-to-end test or other tests, unit tests, and so on. Because, for instance, consider a website like Twitter. If on Twitter the login page is broken, you literally cannot do anything because it's like outside of... If you are locked out of Twitter, like Twitter is not really... I mean, you can of course read the tweets, but you cannot tweet, you cannot add anything to the platform, and with only this one test in place, you are able to ensure that, okay, by the way, we are absolutely convinced that the huge part of our website is at least accessible to our users. So start with not the fact that I want to write tests, but talk instead about I want to ensure the quality of our software because people are scared of the word tests but they tend to like the word quality a bit more. But what if then your manager asks, well, why are you writing broken code in the first place? Right? I know the answer to that is like, that's something that I have been asked. Sure. I didn't really have an answer. Sure. I would say that I don't write broken code. My colleagues, they also don't write broken code, but all of us combined tend to produce like something that can be broken. So I would like to say that everybody tries to do their best, but sometimes things just happen. And it's not anybody's fault that something is going to break in production. And by us having the best process in place that we can, we can ensure the utmost quality of our software in production. I think that's a good point. Having a process is key and is something that managers also usually do understand because you usually have a process already, at least for project management purposes or product planning, there should also be a quality assurance process, I guess.

4. Navigating Legacy Code Testing Challenges

Short description:

Discussing legacy code testing challenges and advocating for quality assurance in software development.

But in a more realistic scenario, in which you have a legacy code base and nobody is writing any tests and you would like to create this test setup and pave the way for future generations who are going to join this project, I would like to start by convincing our managers or product managers or anyone how much time do we waste resolving production issues and how many of those production issues could have been avoided if we simply had an end-to-end test or some other tests, unit tests, and so on. Because for instance, consider a website like Twitter. If on Twitter the login page is broken, you literally cannot do anything because if you are locked out of Twitter, like Twitter is not really- I mean, you can of course read the Tweets, but you cannot tweet, you cannot add anything to the platform. And with only this one test in place, you are able to ensure that- Okay, by the way, we are absolutely convinced that the huge part of our website is at least accessible to our users. So start with not the fact that I want to write tests, but talk instead about I want to ensure the quality of our software. Because people are scared of the word test, but they tend to like the word quality a bit more.

Well, what if then your manager asks, so why are you writing broken code in the first place? Right? I know the answer to that is like, that's something that I have been asked. Sure. I didn't really have an answer. Sure. I would say that I don't write broken code. My colleagues, they also don't have broken code, but all of us combined tend to produce something that can be broken. So I would like to say that everybody tries to do their best, but sometimes things just happen. And it's not anybody's fault that something is going to break in production. And by us having the best process in place that we can, we can ensure the utmost quality of our software in production.

I think that's a good point. Having a process is key and is something that managers also usually do understand because you usually have a process already at least for project management purposes or product planning. There should also be a quality assurance process I guess. Also, another interesting question that does come up is when we do start to write tests, especially on a legacy code base, but like the legacy code base also still is alive and still is evolving, then sometimes you end up with situations where the website is perfectly fine. It's just the tests are failing. How do you deal with that? Is there anything you can... any patterns that you can spot in test code that you want to probably avoid to not end up in situations where you create tests that sometimes fail, sometimes pass with no changes in the code made, or there's small changes in the code, but not really in the functionality, but still the tests don't pass anymore? Is there any anti-patterns that I should be looking for in my tests?

5. Dealing with Failing Tests and Testing Tools

Short description:

When dealing with failing tests on a perfectly fine website, it's important to avoid testing internal components and focus on the end result. For end-to-end testing in web applications, Cypress is highly recommended due to its excellent developer experience. For mobile apps, React Native users can use Detox, which is similar to Cypress but requires more setup. Testing tools in the industry evolve rapidly, similar to the proliferation of JavaScript frameworks in the past.

Also, another interesting question that does come up is when we do start to write tests, especially on a legacy code base, but the legacy code base also still is alive and still is evolving, then sometimes you end up with situations where the website is perfectly fine, it's just the tests are failing. How do you deal with that? Is there anything that you can, like any patterns that you can spot in test code that you want to probably avoid to not end up in situations where you create tests that sometimes fail, sometimes pass with no changes in the code made or like there's small changes in the code, but not really in the functionality, but still the tests don't pass anymore. Is there any anti-patterns that I should be looking for in my tests?

I think I can take this one. I would say if you have tests that keep failing over and over and over again, you're probably testing something that is internal to the component that you're testing. So rather than testing how other components communicate with you, you're testing something internal, like maybe you're testing that this exact function is being called, but then you change which function is being called to your test breaks and really what you should be testing is this displayed to the user or is this API being called? It shouldn't be the detail of how you implement it, it should be the end result that you should be testing. Right. Okay, cool.

And you said that a valid point to start are E2E tests, but that raises the question, what do you use for E2E tests, for end-to-end testing and web applications? I don't know about everyone. I know Tomasz's opinion on this, but I'm a huge fan of Cypress. I've been using Cypress for a very long time, and it's fantastic, it has such a great developer experience. That's the biggest reason that I use it. There's Puppeteer, there's TestCafe, there's Selenium, and there's various others. But of all the end-to-end testing software that I've used, Cypress is by far in a way that has the best developer experience, and that's what you really need out of a testing tool. Anything can throw an error when there's a problem, but not every testing tool is capable of helping you identify what's causing the problem, which is really critical when a test is failing. That's fair.

Interesting question follow up on this one. End-to-end testing on browsers, I kind of know what to do, but what if I have a mobile app? If you have a React Native app, the one tool that we're using is Detox. It works somewhat similar to Cypress. It is super annoying to set up, I have to admit. I think it took us two days, so the DX isn't great. But once you get it working, it actually does its job quite well. It's a bit of a different experience, just because you don't have a browser, but it's running in the simulator. If I remember correctly, I haven't actually written into SSS in a while. But syntax-wise, it's very similar to Cypress as well. I see. Cool.

And with the testing tool conversation, comes something else. Because, Kent, you mentioned a bunch of tools already. And I have at least the feeling that's similar to JavaScript frameworks a couple of years back, where they popped up like mushrooms in autumn in a Zurich forest, which there are many, if you haven't been. I think testing tools evolve quite quickly as well.

5. Evolving Landscape of Testing Tools

Short description:

Discussing the importance of testing end results rather than internal details, advocating for Cypress as an E2E testing tool, and debating the longevity of testing tool choices.

I would say if you have tests that keep failing over and over and over again, you're probably testing something that is internal to the component that you're testing, so rather than testing how other components communicate with you, you're testing something internal. Maybe you're testing that this function is being called, but then you change which function is being called, your test breaks, when really what you should be testing is, is this displayed to the user or is this API being called? It shouldn't be the detail of how you implement it, it should be the end result that you should be testing. Right, okay, cool.

And you said that a valid point to start are E2E tests, but that raises the question, what do you use for E2E tests for end-to-end testing in web applications? I don't know about everyone, well I know Tomas's opinion on this, but I'm a huge fan of Cypress, I've been using Cypress for a very long time, and it's fantastic, it has such a great developer experience, that's the biggest reason that I use it, there's Puppeteer, there's Test Café, there's Selenium, and there's various others, but of all the test end-to-end software that I've used, Cypress is by far a way that has the best developer experience, and that's what you really need out of a testing tool, is, you know, anything can throw an error when there's a problem, but not every testing tool is capable of helping you identify what's causing the problem, which is really critical when a test is failing.

And with the testing tool conversation comes something else because Ken, you mentioned a bunch of tools already. And I have at least the feeling that similar to JavaScript Frameworks a couple of years back where they, like, popped up like mushrooms in autumn in a Zurich forest, which there are many if you haven't been. I think, like, testing tools evolve quite quickly as well. And there's, like, at least a bazillion, bajillion different test runners. And every couple of years, our opinion changes on what's the best of them. And I feel the same like a couple of years back. We had Selenium and everyone was happy and then everyone hated it and then everyone jumped to I can't even remember what the bits and pieces in between work were called. But now we're in Cyprus. Once you are committed to a solution, should you, like, stick to it or should you pretty much, like, continue to, to evaluate and jump on the bandwagon? What's your opinion and experience?

6. Testing Solutions and the Role of End-to-End Tests

Short description:

And there's at least a bazillion, bajillion different test runners. Should you stick to a testing solution or evaluate and jump on the bandwagon? My opinion is that the landscape is settled for me with Jest, React Testing Library, and Cyprus. If a testing solution solves your problems without issues, there's no need to jump to a better one. However, if a new solution offers significant improvements, like faster tests or AI-written tests, it's worth considering. The fewer tests I have to write, the better. End-to-end tests alone can't cover all edge cases, especially with component interactions. Integration tests are valuable for testing component interactions.

And there's at least a bazillion, bajillion different test runners. And every couple of years, our opinion changes on what's the best of them. And I feel the same way. A couple of years back, we had Selenium and everyone was happy. And then everyone hated it. And then everyone jumped to I can't even remember what the bits and pieces in between were called. But then now we are in Cyprus.

Once you are committed to a solution, should you stick to it? Or should you pretty much continue to evaluate and jump on the bandwagon? What's your opinion and experience?

I can take this one. So when it comes to testing solutions, in my humble opinion, the landscape is a bit settled, at least for me, because I'm using Jest. I'm using React Testing Library written by Kent, and I'm also using Cyprus. So I am quite convinced that this stack is going to take me to great success in the software that I'm building. But when it comes to chasing this bandwagon and when the next better version of something for end-to-end testing is going to be released, for instance, I am not entirely sure whether you should jump on a bandwagon right away. I tend to think of software in the way that if something is solving your problems and you don't get any issues because of the fact that you are using a certain library, I don't think you should necessarily have to, you know, jump to a better testing solution. Although, if, I don't know, in the next testing solution, it will be, you know, twice as fast or the test will be written by an AI. I would be definitely interested.

Fair. I think, yeah, I think that's a good... The fewer tests that I have to write to be confident in my software, the better.

Exactly. I don't write tests because I enjoy writing tests, I write tests because I like to be able to ship software and be confident that it's working. So if I don't have to do that, if I don't have to write the tests, then I'm totally fine using some AI that does that for me.

Yeah. Same goes for Angular code for the record.

Yeah, that too. That's true. Yeah, I think everyone agrees on that.

Speaking of less tests or fewer tests, if I have unit and integration tests as well as end-to-end tests, can I just scrap these asks, Eluned, from the chat? Can I just stick with end-to-end tests? Because, I mean, they are the closest to what the customer actually gets to interact with, right?

I'm happy to take that one, and in my experience, your end-to-end test is never gonna check all edge cases, especially when it comes to interactions between components. I mean, if your end-to-end test does catch all edge cases, that's, A, very impressive, and B, the suit is probably gonna run for hours because it's really hard to figure out all the different combinations of component interactions. So don't scrap the tests, especially if they pass and then do their job, then leave them in. But when it comes to writing your tests, my general thing is, I go for more an integration-y kind of test than actual unit tests because you very rarely just have one component on your screen, right? It's always about components are interacting with each other.

6. Testing Tool Evolution and AI Advancements

Short description:

Discussing the evolution of testing tools, the importance of sticking to effective solutions, and the preference for AI-driven testing advancements.

I see. Cool. And with the testing tool conversation comes something else because Ken, you mentioned a bunch of tools already. And I have at least the feeling that similar to JavaScript Frameworks a couple of years back where they, like, popped up like mushrooms in autumn in a Zurich forest, which there are many if you haven't been. I think, like, testing tools evolve quite quickly as well. And there's, like, at least a bazillion, bajillion different test runners. And every couple of years, our opinion changes on what's the best of them. And I feel the same like a couple of years back. We had Selenium and everyone was happy and then everyone hated it and then everyone jumped to I can't even remember what the bits and pieces in between work were called. But now we're in Cyprus. Once you are committed to a solution, should you, like, stick to it or should you pretty much, like, continue to, to evaluate and jump on the bandwagon? What's your opinion and experience? I can take this one. So when it comes to, like, testing solutions, in my humble opinion, the landscape is a bit settled, at least for me, because I'm using Jest. I'm using React Testing Library, written by Kent, and I'm also using Cyprus. So I am, you know, quite convinced that this stack is going to take me, you know, to great success in the software that I'm building. But when it comes to chasing this bandwagon, and I know when the next better version of something for end-to-end testing is going to be released, for instance, I am not entirely sure whether you should jump on the bandwagon right away. I tend to think of software in the way that if something is solving your problems and you don't get any issues because of the fact that you are using a certain library, I don't think you should necessarily have to, you know, jump to a better testing solution. Although if, I don't know, in the next testing solution will be, you know, twice as fast or the test would be written by an AI, I would be definitely interested. Fair. I think, yeah, I think that's a good... The fewer tests that I have to write to be confident in my software, the better. Exactly. I don't write tests because I enjoy writing tests. I write tests because I like to be able to ship software and be confident that it's working. So if I don't have to do that, if I don't have to write the test, then I'm totally fine using some AI that does that for me. Yeah, same goes for AngularCode, for the record. Yeah, that too. That's true, yeah. I think everyone agrees on that. Speaking of less tests or fewer tests, if I have unit and integration tests as well as end-to-end tests, can I just scrap these asks, Elonate, from the chat? Can I just stick with end-to-end tests? Because they are the closest to what the customer actually gets to interact with, right? I'm happy to take that one. In my experience, your end-to-end test is never going to check all edge cases.

7. Testing Levels and Unit Tests

Short description:

I think the speed aspect is important, as well as the flakiness of end-to-end tests. Going a level lower and focusing on testing your part of the application can help. I love unit tests for different functions and library stuff.

So I think KenTest is a really pretty testing trophy, which is mostly end-to-end tests and integration tests and all the stuff that is just super weird tests, that's when you do unit tests. I mean, generally, I'm also a very lazy person. So if I can cover all the edge cases with integration tests, why would I write unit tests, right? That's just more code I have to write and more stuff I have to maintain later on. That's fair. But I think the speed aspect is one that's important. Sorry. It's flakiness as well, I think. End-to-end tests do tend to be a little bit flaky sometimes because there are so many different systems at play, right? So going a level lower already helps a lot with that because all of a sudden you're only testing your part of the application rather than also the interaction with seven different backend services. So that can help. And then I actually love unit tests as well, but I use them not as much for React components, but more for, say, all of my different functions that do stuff, like all the library stuff that is just somewhere tucked away, right? Well, unit tests are perfectly suited.

7. Optimizing Testing Strategies for Components

Short description:

End-to-end tests may not cover all edge cases. Integrating various component interactions can be challenging. Prioritize testing effectiveness over quantity of tests to maintain code efficiently and avoid unnecessary complexity. Flakiness in end-to-end tests can be mitigated by utilizing lower-level tests for specific application parts.

In my experience, your end-to-end test is never going to check all edge cases. Especially when it comes to interactions between components. If your end-to-end test does catch all edge cases, that's A, very impressive, and B, the suit is probably going to run for hours because it's really hard to figure out all the different combinations of component interactions. So don't scrap the tests, especially if they pass and do their job, then leave them in.

But when it comes to writing new tests, my general thing is I go for more kind of test than actual unit tests because you very rarely just have one component on your screen. It's always about components interacting with each other. So I think KenTest is really pretty testing trophy, which is mostly end-to-end tests and then integration tests and all the stuff that is super weird tests. That's when you do unit tests. Generally I'm also a very lazy person, so if I can cover all the edge cases with integration tests, why would I write unit tests? That's just more code I have to write and more stuff I have to maintain later on.

Another thing to think about is flakiness. End-to-end tests do tend to be a little bit flaky sometimes because there are so many different systems at play. So going a level lower already helps a lot with that because all of a sudden you're only testing your part of the application rather than also the interaction with seven different back-end services. So that can help. I actually love unit tests as well, but I use them not as much for React components but more for all of my different functions that do stuff, like all the library stuff that is just somewhere tucked away. For that, unit tests are perfectly suited.

Check out more articles and videos

We constantly think of articles and videos that might spark Git people interest / skill us up or help building a stellar career

Network Requests with Cypress
TestJS Summit 2021TestJS Summit 2021
33 min
Network Requests with Cypress
Top Content
Cecilia Martinez, a technical account manager at Cypress, discusses network requests in Cypress and demonstrates commands like cydot request and SCI.INTERCEPT. She also explains dynamic matching and aliasing, network stubbing, and the pros and cons of using real server responses versus stubbing. The talk covers logging request responses, testing front-end and backend API, handling list length and DOM traversal, lazy loading, and provides resources for beginners to learn Cypress.
Testing Pyramid Makes Little Sense, What We Can Use Instead
TestJS Summit 2021TestJS Summit 2021
38 min
Testing Pyramid Makes Little Sense, What We Can Use Instead
Top Content
Featured Video
Gleb Bahmutov
Roman Sandler
2 authors
The testing pyramid - the canonical shape of tests that defined what types of tests we need to write to make sure the app works - is ... obsolete. In this presentation, Roman Sandler and Gleb Bahmutov argue what the testing shape works better for today's web applications.
Full-Circle Testing With Cypress
TestJS Summit 2022TestJS Summit 2022
27 min
Full-Circle Testing With Cypress
Top Content
Cypress is a powerful tool for end-to-end testing and API testing. It provides instant feedback on test errors and allows tests to be run inside the browser. Cypress enables testing at both the application and network layers, making it easier to reach different edge cases. With features like AppActions and component testing, Cypress allows for comprehensive testing of individual components and the entire application. Join the workshops to learn more about full circle testing with Cypress.
Test Effective Development
TestJS Summit 2021TestJS Summit 2021
31 min
Test Effective Development
Top Content
This Talk introduces Test Effective Development, a new approach to testing that aims to make companies more cost-effective. The speaker shares their personal journey of improving code quality and reducing bugs through smarter testing strategies. They discuss the importance of finding a balance between testing confidence and efficiency and introduce the concepts of isolated and integrated testing. The speaker also suggests different testing strategies based on the size of the application and emphasizes the need to choose cost-effective testing approaches based on the specific project requirements.
Playwright Test Runner
TestJS Summit 2021TestJS Summit 2021
25 min
Playwright Test Runner
Top Content
The Playwright Test Runner is a cross-browser web testing framework that allows you to write tests using just a few lines of code. It supports features like parallel test execution, device emulation, and different reporters for customized output. Code-Gen is a new feature that generates code to interact with web pages. Playwright Tracing provides a powerful tool for debugging and analyzing test actions, with the ability to explore trace files using TraceViewer. Overall, Playwright Test offers installation, test authoring, debugging, and post-mortem debugging capabilities.
Everyone Can Easily Write Tests
TestJS Summit 2023TestJS Summit 2023
21 min
Everyone Can Easily Write Tests
Playwright is a reliable end-to-end testing tool for modern web apps that provides one API, full isolation, fast execution, and supports multiple languages. It offers features like auto-weighting, retrying assertions, seamless testing of iframes and shadow DOM, test isolation, parallelism, and scalability. Playwright provides tools like VS Code extension, UiMode, and Trace Viewer for writing, debugging, and running tests. Effective tests prioritize user-facing attributes, use playwright locators and assertions, and avoid testing third-party dependencies. Playwright simplifies testing by generating tests, providing code generation and UI mode, and allows for easy running and debugging of tests. It helps in fixing failed tests and analyzing DOM changes, fixing locator mismatches, and scaling tests. Playwright is open source, free, and continuously growing.

Workshops on related topic

Designing Effective Tests With React Testing Library
React Summit 2023React Summit 2023
151 min
Designing Effective Tests With React Testing Library
Top Content
Featured Workshop
Josh Justice
Josh Justice
React Testing Library is a great framework for React component tests because there are a lot of questions it answers for you, so you don’t need to worry about those questions. But that doesn’t mean testing is easy. There are still a lot of questions you have to figure out for yourself: How many component tests should you write vs end-to-end tests or lower-level unit tests? How can you test a certain line of code that is tricky to test? And what in the world are you supposed to do about that persistent act() warning?
In this three-hour workshop we’ll introduce React Testing Library along with a mental model for how to think about designing your component tests. This mental model will help you see how to test each bit of logic, whether or not to mock dependencies, and will help improve the design of your components. You’ll walk away with the tools, techniques, and principles you need to implement low-cost, high-value component tests.
Table of contents- The different kinds of React application tests, and where component tests fit in- A mental model for thinking about the inputs and outputs of the components you test- Options for selecting DOM elements to verify and interact with them- The value of mocks and why they shouldn’t be avoided- The challenges with asynchrony in RTL tests and how to handle them
Prerequisites- Familiarity with building applications with React- Basic experience writing automated tests with Jest or another unit testing framework- You do not need any experience with React Testing Library- Machine setup: Node LTS, Yarn
Detox 101: How to write stable end-to-end tests for your React Native application
React Summit 2022React Summit 2022
117 min
Detox 101: How to write stable end-to-end tests for your React Native application
Top Content
Workshop
Yevheniia Hlovatska
Yevheniia Hlovatska
Compared to unit testing, end-to-end testing aims to interact with your application just like a real user. And as we all know it can be pretty challenging. Especially when we talk about Mobile applications.
Tests rely on many conditions and are considered to be slow and flaky. On the other hand - end-to-end tests can give the greatest confidence that your app is working. And if done right - can become an amazing tool for boosting developer velocity.
Detox is a gray-box end-to-end testing framework for mobile apps. Developed by Wix to solve the problem of slowness and flakiness and used by React Native itself as its E2E testing tool.
Join me on this workshop to learn how to make your mobile end-to-end tests with Detox rock.
Prerequisites- iOS/Android: MacOS Catalina or newer- Android only: Linux- Install before the workshop
API Testing with Postman Workshop
TestJS Summit 2023TestJS Summit 2023
48 min
API Testing with Postman Workshop
Top Content
WorkshopFree
Pooja Mistry
Pooja Mistry
In the ever-evolving landscape of software development, ensuring the reliability and functionality of APIs has become paramount. "API Testing with Postman" is a comprehensive workshop designed to equip participants with the knowledge and skills needed to excel in API testing using Postman, a powerful tool widely adopted by professionals in the field. This workshop delves into the fundamentals of API testing, progresses to advanced testing techniques, and explores automation, performance testing, and multi-protocol support, providing attendees with a holistic understanding of API testing with Postman.
1. Welcome to Postman- Explaining the Postman User Interface (UI)2. Workspace and Collections Collaboration- Understanding Workspaces and their role in collaboration- Exploring the concept of Collections for organizing and executing API requests3. Introduction to API Testing- Covering the basics of API testing and its significance4. Variable Management- Managing environment, global, and collection variables- Utilizing scripting snippets for dynamic data5. Building Testing Workflows- Creating effective testing workflows for comprehensive testing- Utilizing the Collection Runner for test execution- Introduction to Postbot for automated testing6. Advanced Testing- Contract Testing for ensuring API contracts- Using Mock Servers for effective testing- Maximizing productivity with Collection/Workspace templates- Integration Testing and Regression Testing strategies7. Automation with Postman- Leveraging the Postman CLI for automation- Scheduled Runs for regular testing- Integrating Postman into CI/CD pipelines8. Performance Testing- Demonstrating performance testing capabilities (showing the desktop client)- Synchronizing tests with VS Code for streamlined development9. Exploring Advanced Features - Working with Multiple Protocols: GraphQL, gRPC, and more
Join us for this workshop to unlock the full potential of Postman for API testing, streamline your testing processes, and enhance the quality and reliability of your software. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced tester, this workshop will equip you with the skills needed to excel in API testing with Postman.
Monitoring 101 for React Developers
React Summit US 2023React Summit US 2023
107 min
Monitoring 101 for React Developers
Top Content
WorkshopFree
Lazar Nikolov
Sarah Guthals
2 authors
If finding errors in your frontend project is like searching for a needle in a code haystack, then Sentry error monitoring can be your metal detector. Learn the basics of error monitoring with Sentry. Whether you are running a React, Angular, Vue, or just “vanilla” JavaScript, see how Sentry can help you find the who, what, when and where behind errors in your frontend project. 
Workshop level: Intermediate
Testing Web Applications Using Cypress
TestJS Summit - January, 2021TestJS Summit - January, 2021
173 min
Testing Web Applications Using Cypress
Top Content
Workshop
Gleb Bahmutov
Gleb Bahmutov
This workshop will teach you the basics of writing useful end-to-end tests using Cypress Test Runner.
We will cover writing tests, covering every application feature, structuring tests, intercepting network requests, and setting up the backend data.
Anyone who knows JavaScript programming language and has NPM installed would be able to follow along.
Best Practices for Writing and Debugging Cypress Tests
TestJS Summit 2023TestJS Summit 2023
148 min
Best Practices for Writing and Debugging Cypress Tests
Top Content
Workshop
Filip Hric
Filip Hric
You probably know the story. You’ve created a couple of tests, and since you are using Cypress, you’ve done this pretty quickly. Seems like nothing is stopping you, but then – failed test. It wasn’t the app, wasn’t an error, the test was… flaky? Well yes. Test design is important no matter what tool you will use, Cypress included. The good news is that Cypress has a couple of tools behind its belt that can help you out. Join me on my workshop, where I’ll guide you away from the valley of anti-patterns into the fields of evergreen, stable tests. We’ll talk about common mistakes when writing your test as well as debug and unveil underlying problems. All with the goal of avoiding flakiness, and designing stable test.