WebdriverIO + Jasmine: How to exclude a specific test file when running a suite based on that test file name

ONLINECAST

2 min read

·

05-10-2024

8

0

Share

WebdriverIO + Jasmine: Excluding Tests by Filename for Focused Execution

Running an entire test suite can be time-consuming, especially when you're working on a specific feature or bug. WebdriverIO, a popular test automation framework, empowers you to selectively run tests using Jasmine, a popular JavaScript testing framework. This article will guide you through how to exclude specific test files from your suite using filename-based filtering.

The Problem:

Let's say you have a large test suite with multiple files, and you want to focus on testing a particular feature. Manually commenting out the tests related to other features is tedious and prone to errors. We need a way to exclude specific test files from the suite when running our tests.

The Solution:

WebdriverIO provides a straightforward solution using Jasmine's configuration. By setting a specific specPattern configuration in your wdio.conf.js file, you can control which test files are included in the suite.

Example:

Let's assume you have a test file named login.spec.js that you want to exclude. Here's how you can modify your wdio.conf.js file:

exports.config = {
  // ... other configurations
  specs: [
    './test/specs/**/*.spec.js', // Include all spec files
  ],
  exclude: [
    './test/specs/login.spec.js' // Exclude login.spec.js from the suite
  ],
  // ... other configurations
};

In this configuration:

• specs defines the pattern for including test files. In this case, it includes all .spec.js files within the test/specs directory and its subdirectories.
• exclude defines the pattern for excluding specific test files. In this case, it explicitly excludes the login.spec.js file.

When you run wdio wdio.conf.js, WebdriverIO will execute all tests except those listed in the exclude array.

Additional Tips:

• You can use wildcard patterns in the exclude array to exclude multiple files. For example, you could exclude all files starting with "login_" using './test/specs/login_*'.
• You can also use this approach to exclude files based on other criteria, like specific features or modules.

Benefits of Excluding Tests:

• Focused Testing: This approach allows you to focus on testing specific features or bug fixes without the overhead of running unnecessary tests.
• Faster Execution: Excluding irrelevant tests can significantly speed up your test suite execution time.
• Reduced Maintenance: Avoiding manual commenting out of test code reduces the potential for errors and simplifies test suite maintenance.

Conclusion:

By leveraging Jasmine's configuration options within WebdriverIO, you can effectively exclude specific test files from your suite. This allows you to streamline your testing process, improve efficiency, and focus on the desired tests. This technique is a powerful tool for managing complex test suites and ensuring efficient and focused test execution.