08. Testing Angular Applications

What we will learn in this post?

• 👉 Unit Testing Components
• 👉 Testing Services
• 👉 Mocking Dependencies
• 👉 End-to-End Testing
• 👉 Conclusion!

Testing Angular Components with Jasmine & Karma 🎉

This guide shows you how to write unit tests for your Angular components using Jasmine and Karma. We’ll focus on testing component methods and template bindings.

Setting up your Test Environment ⚙️

Before you start, make sure you have Karma and Jasmine set up in your Angular project. You’ll typically find test files alongside your component files (e.g., my-component.component.ts and my-component.component.spec.ts).

Testing Component Methods 💪

Let’s say you have a component with a method to increment a counter:

// my-component.component.ts
import { Component } from "@angular/core"

@Component({
  selector: "app-my-component",
  template: `...`,
})
export class MyComponent {
  counter = 0

  incrementCounter() {
    this.counter++
  }
}

Here’s how you’d test the incrementCounter method:

// my-component.component.spec.ts
import { ComponentFixture, TestBed } from "@angular/core/testing"
import { MyComponent } from "./my-component.component"

describe("MyComponent", () => {
  let component: MyComponent
  let fixture: ComponentFixture<MyComponent>

  beforeEach(() => {
    TestBed.configureTestingModule({
      declarations: [MyComponent],
    })
    fixture = TestBed.createComponent(MyComponent)
    component = fixture.componentInstance
  })

  it("should increment the counter", () => {
    expect(component.counter).toBe(0)
    component.incrementCounter()
    expect(component.counter).toBe(1)
  })
})

Key Points

• We use TestBed to create a testing module.
• componentInstance gives access to the component’s properties and methods.
• expect and toBe are Jasmine matchers for assertions.

Testing Template Bindings & User Interactions 🖱️

Let’s test if a property is correctly displayed in the template:

// my-component.component.ts
// ... (same component as above)
template: `<h1>Counter: </h1>`

// my-component.component.spec.ts
it("should display the counter in the template", () => {
  component.counter = 5 // Set the counter value
  fixture.detectChanges() // Update the template
  const compiled = fixture.nativeElement // Get the rendered HTML
  expect(compiled.querySelector("h1").textContent).toContain("Counter: 5")
})

Simulating User Interactions 🎭

To simulate user clicks, use triggerEventHandler:

it("should call a method on button click", () => {
  spyOn(component, "incrementCounter") // Spy on the method
  const button = fixture.debugElement.query(By.css("button")).nativeElement
  button.click() // Simulate click
  expect(component.incrementCounter).toHaveBeenCalled()
})

For more in-depth information, check out the official Angular documentation: https://angular.io/guide/testing

Remember, writing good unit tests is crucial for building robust and maintainable Angular applications! Happy testing! 🚀

Testing Angular Services 🎉

Let’s learn how to write tests for your Angular services, especially those interacting with APIs. We’ll use HttpClientTestingModule to make testing easier and more reliable.

Setting up the Test Environment ⚙️

Before we start writing tests, ensure you have the necessary modules imported:

import { TestBed } from "@angular/core/testing"
import {
  HttpClientTestingModule,
  HttpTestingController,
} from "@angular/common/http/testing"
// ... your service import ...

In your beforeEach block, set up the testing module:

beforeEach(() => {
  TestBed.configureTestingModule({
    imports: [HttpClientTestingModule],
    providers: [YourApiService], //Replace YourApiService with your service name
  })
  service = TestBed.inject(YourApiService)
  httpController = TestBed.inject(HttpTestingController)
})

Testing HTTP Calls 🌐

Let’s say you have a service YourApiService that fetches data from an API endpoint:

//YourApiService.ts
import { Injectable } from "@angular/core"
import { HttpClient } from "@angular/common/http"
import { Observable } from "rxjs"

@Injectable({
  providedIn: "root",
})
export class YourApiService {
  constructor(private http: HttpClient) {}

  getData(): Observable<any> {
    return this.http.get("/api/data")
  }
}

Mocking the HTTP Request

In your test, you’ll mock the HTTP request using httpController.expectOne:

it("should fetch data successfully", () => {
  const mockData = { name: "Test Data" }
  service.getData().subscribe((data) => expect(data).toEqual(mockData))

  const req = httpController.expectOne("/api/data")
  req.flush(mockData) // Return mock data
  httpController.verify() // Ensure no outstanding requests
})

This test simulates a successful API call. You can similarly test error scenarios by using req.error(new Error('API Error')).

Example Flowchart

graph TD
    A["🛠️ Test Setup"] --> B{"🌐 Make API call"};
    B -- "✅ Success" --> C["🔍 Verify response"];
    B -- "❌ Error" --> D["🚨 Verify error handling"];
    C --> E["🏁 Test Passed"];
    D --> E;

    class A setupStyle;
    class B apiCallStyle;
    class C verifyResponseStyle;
    class D verifyErrorStyle;
    class E testPassedStyle;

    classDef setupStyle fill:#90CAF9,stroke:#1E88E5,color:#000000,font-size:14px,stroke-width:2px,rx:10,shadow:3px;
    classDef apiCallStyle fill:#FFCC80,stroke:#FB8C00,color:#000000,font-size:14px,stroke-width:2px,rx:10,shadow:3px;
    classDef verifyResponseStyle fill:#A5D6A7,stroke:#388E3C,color:#000000,font-size:14px,stroke-width:2px,rx:10,shadow:3px;
    classDef verifyErrorStyle fill:#FFAB91,stroke:#E64A19,color:#000000,font-size:14px,stroke-width:2px,rx:10,shadow:3px;
    classDef testPassedStyle fill:#B39DDB,stroke:#673AB7,color:#000000,font-size:14px,stroke-width:2px,rx:10,shadow:3px;

Remember to always verify your requests using httpController.verify() to avoid unexpected behavior!

Resources:

• Angular Testing Guide
• HttpClientTestingModule Docs

This approach ensures your tests are fast, reliable, and independent of your actual backend API. Remember to replace placeholders like YourApiService and /api/data with your actual service and endpoint. Happy testing! 🧪

Mocking Dependencies in Angular Tests 🎉

Testing Angular components and services often involves dealing with dependencies. Mocking helps isolate your code and focus on the unit under test. Let’s see how spies and stubs help!

Spies and Stubs: Your Testing Sidekicks 🕵️‍♂️

• Spies: These track interactions with a dependency. You use them to verify if a method was called, how many times, and with what arguments. Think of them as secret agents reporting back on the actions of your dependencies.

• Stubs: These replace a dependency with a simplified version that returns predefined values. They’re like actors playing the role of your dependencies in your test, providing consistent, controlled behavior.

Example: Mocking an API Call 💻

Let’s say you have a UserService that fetches user data from an API:

// UserService
import { HttpClient } from "@angular/common/http"

@Injectable({ providedIn: "root" })
export class UserService {
  constructor(private http: HttpClient) {}

  getUser(id: number) {
    return this.http.get(`/api/users/${id}`)
  }
}

In your test, you’d mock the HttpClient:

import { TestBed } from "@angular/core/testing"
import { UserService } from "./user.service"
import { HttpClient, HttpClientModule } from "@angular/common/http"
import { of } from "rxjs"

describe("UserService", () => {
  let service: UserService
  let httpSpy: jasmine.SpyObj<HttpClient>

  beforeEach(() => {
    const spy = jasmine.createSpyObj("HttpClient", ["get"])
    TestBed.configureTestingModule({
      imports: [HttpClientModule],
      providers: [{ provide: HttpClient, useValue: spy }],
    })
    service = TestBed.inject(UserService)
    httpSpy = TestBed.inject(HttpClient) as jasmine.SpyObj<HttpClient>
  })

  it("should get user", () => {
    const mockUser = { id: 1, name: "John Doe" }
    httpSpy.get.and.returnValue(of(mockUser)) // Stubbing the response
    service.getUser(1).subscribe((user) => expect(user).toEqual(mockUser))
  })
})

Here, httpSpy.get is a spy that records the calls to get. We use and.returnValue to stub its response.

Resources 📚

• Angular Testing Guide
• Jasmine Documentation

Remember, mocking is crucial for writing effective unit tests in Angular. It lets you isolate your code’s logic, leading to more reliable and maintainable tests. Happy testing! 😊

End-to-End Testing for Angular Apps: Protractor & Cypress 🧪

End-to-End (E2E) testing is like taking your Angular app for a test drive. It checks if everything works together smoothly, from the user’s perspective. We’ll explore two popular tools: Protractor and Cypress.

Protractor: A Selenium-based Approach 🤖

Protractor uses Selenium to automate browser actions. It’s specifically designed for Angular apps, understanding their architecture.

Example: Logging In

describe("Login", () => {
  it("should log in successfully", () => {
    browser.get("/login") // Navigate to login page
    element(by.id("username")).sendKeys("testuser") //Enter username
    element(by.id("password")).sendKeys("password") //Enter password
    element(by.buttonText("Login")).click() //Click login button

    expect(element(by.css(".welcome-message")).getText()).toEqual(
      "Welcome, testuser!",
    ) //Assert success
  })
})

Protractor Documentation

Cypress: A Modern Approach ✨

Cypress is a more modern E2E testing framework known for its ease of use and debugging capabilities.

Example: Submitting a Form

describe("Form Submission", () => {
  it("should submit the form successfully", () => {
    cy.visit("/form")
    cy.get("#name").type("Test User")
    cy.get("#email").type("test@example.com")
    cy.get('button[type="submit"]').click()
    cy.contains("Thank you for submitting the form!").should("be.visible")
  })
})

Cypress Documentation

Choosing Your Tool 🤔

• Protractor: Mature, specifically for Angular, but can be less intuitive.
• Cypress: Modern, user-friendly, excellent debugging, but might require some Angular-specific configurations.

Ultimately, the best tool depends on your team’s experience and project needs. Both are powerful options for ensuring a smooth user experience in your Angular application.

graph TD
    A["🏁 Start"] --> B{"🤔 Protractor or Cypress?"};
    B -- "📌 Protractor" --> C["🛠️ Selenium-based, Angular specific"];
    B -- "✨ Cypress" --> D["💻 Modern, user-friendly"];
    C --> E["✍️ Write tests"];
    D --> E;
    E --> F["🚀 Run tests"];
    F --> G["✅ Success / ❌ Failure"];

    class A startStyle;
    class B choiceStyle;
    class C protractorStyle;
    class D cypressStyle;
    class E writeTestsStyle;
    class F runTestsStyle;
    class G resultStyle;

    classDef startStyle fill:#90CAF9,stroke:#1E88E5,color:#000000,font-size:14px,stroke-width:2px,rx:10,shadow:3px;
    classDef choiceStyle fill:#FFCC80,stroke:#FB8C00,color:#000000,font-size:14px,stroke-width:2px,rx:10,shadow:3px;
    classDef protractorStyle fill:#A5D6A7,stroke:#388E3C,color:#000000,font-size:14px,stroke-width:2px,rx:10,shadow:3px;
    classDef cypressStyle fill:#FFAB91,stroke:#E64A19,color:#000000,font-size:14px,stroke-width:2px,rx:10,shadow:3px;
    classDef writeTestsStyle fill:#FFE082,stroke:#F9A825,color:#000000,font-size:14px,stroke-width:2px,rx:10,shadow:3px;
    classDef runTestsStyle fill:#B39DDB,stroke:#673AB7,color:#000000,font-size:14px,stroke-width:2px,rx:10,shadow:3px;
    classDef resultStyle fill:#EF9A9A,stroke:#D32F2F,color:#000000,font-size:14px,stroke-width:2px,rx:10,shadow:3px;

Conclusion

So there you have it! We hope you enjoyed this post and found it helpful 😊. We’re always looking to improve, so we’d love to hear your thoughts! What did you think? Anything you’d like to see more of? Let us know in the comments below 👇 We can’t wait to read your feedback! Let’s chat! 💬