e2e-testing-patterns

# E2E Testing Patterns

Build reliable, fast, and maintainable end-to-end test suites that provide confidence to ship code quickly and catch regressions before users do.

## When to Use This Skill

- Implementing end-to-end test automation
- Debugging flaky or unreliable tests
- Testing critical user workflows
- Setting up CI/CD test pipelines
- Testing across multiple browsers
- Validating accessibility requirements
- Testing responsive designs
- Establishing E2E testing standards

## Core Concepts

### 1. E2E Testing Fundamentals

**What to Test with E2E:**

- Critical user journeys (login, checkout, signup)
- Complex interactions (drag-and-drop, multi-step forms)
- Cross-browser compatibility
- Real API integration
- Authentication flows

**What NOT to Test with E2E:**

- Unit-level logic (use unit tests)
- API contracts (use integration tests)
- Edge cases (too slow)
- Internal implementation details

### 2. Test Philosophy

**The Testing Pyramid:**

```
        /\
       /E2E\         ← Few, focused on critical paths
      /─────\
     /Integr\        ← More, test component interactions
    /────────\
   /Unit Tests\      ← Many, fast, isolated
  /────────────\
```

**Best Practices:**

- Test user behavior, not implementation
- Keep tests independent
- Make tests deterministic
- Optimize for speed
- Use data-testid, not CSS selectors

## Detailed patterns and worked examples

Detailed pattern documentation lives in `references/details.md`. Read that file when the navigation tier above is insufficient.

## Best Practices

1. **Use Data Attributes**: `data-testid` or `data-cy` for stable selectors
2. **Avoid Brittle Selectors**: Don't rely on CSS classes or DOM structure
3. **Test User Behavior**: Click, type, see - not implementation details
4. **Keep Tests Independent**: Each test should run in isolation
5. **Clean Up Test Data**: Create and destroy test data in each test
6. **Use Page Objects**: Encapsulate page logic
7. **Meaningful Assertions**: Check actual user-visible behavior
8. **Optimize for Speed**: Mock when possible, parallel execution

```typescript
// ❌ Bad selectors
cy.get(".btn.btn-primary.submit-button").click();
cy.get("div > form > div:nth-child(2) > input").type("text");

// ✅ Good selectors
cy.getByRole("button", { name: "Submit" }).click();
cy.getByLabel("Email address").type("user@example.com");
cy.get('[data-testid="email-input"]').type("user@example.com");
```

## Common Pitfalls

- **Flaky Tests**: Use proper waits, not fixed timeouts
- **Slow Tests**: Mock external APIs, use parallel execution
- **Over-Testing**: Don't test every edge case with E2E
- **Coupled Tests**: Tests should not depend on each other
- **Poor Selectors**: Avoid CSS classes and nth-child
- **No Cleanup**: Clean up test data after each test
- **Testing Implementation**: Test user behavior, not internals

## Debugging Failing Tests

```typescript
// Playwright debugging
// 1. Run in headed mode
npx playwright test --headed

// 2. Run in debug mode
npx playwright test --debug

// 3. Use trace viewer
await page.screenshot({ path: 'screenshot.png' });
await page.video()?.saveAs('video.webm');

// 4. Add test.step for better reporting
test('checkout flow', async ({ page }) => {
    await test.step('Add item to cart', async () => {
        await page.goto('/products');
        await page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Add to Cart' }).click();
    });

    await test.step('Proceed to checkout', async () => {
        await page.goto('/cart');
        await page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Checkout' }).click();
    });
});

// 5. Inspect page state
await page.pause();  // Pauses execution, opens inspector
```