Approach to nested step in async tests

[ctapobep]

Currently it's impossible to nest steps in a lot of cases when async tests are used. Consider this Protractor code that uses Promises:

allure.createStep('Outer step', function() {
  element.click().then(function () {
    allure.createStep('Step inside of promise', function () {})();
  });
})();

While the code is nested, it's actually executed in Control Flow of WebdriverJS and therefore zeroes out all the nestiness.

Because this is a usual thing in WebdriverJS I'd think on general approach to address this.

[ctapobep]

Suggestion # 1 - add startStep(), endStep() methods

Example:

var step = allure.startStep('Outer step');
element.click().then(function () {
  //nesting - invoking createStep() on step, not on allure
  step.createStep('Step inside of promise', function () {})();
}).then(function(){
  step.endStep('pass');
}).thenCatch(function(){
  step.endStep('failed');
});

In the end all the non-finished steps are marked as passed (or as failed to notify about bugs in tests).

[just-boris]

I got the point. I have the suggestion too:

Suggestion # 2 – await promise returned from a step function.

var bigStep = allure.createStep('make some clicks', function() {
    return clickStep()
       .then(clickStep)
       .then(clickStep);
});
var clickStep = allure.createStep('click', function() {
    return element.click(); // if promise returned, we will wait this before finish the step
});

it('should make three clicks', function() {
    return bigStep();
});

Most webdrivers libraries as far as I know, support promised interfaces, to that code would more natural for them

[just-boris]

also, startStep and endStep methods already accessible via current API:

allure._allure.startStep('my step');
allure._allure.finishStep('broken'); 

You can play around that methods in existing tests code and find out better solution

[ctapobep]

Suggestion # 2 looks cool from the API perspective. These concerns come to my mind:

• It will break backward compatibility since previously it was returning a straight value. This can be overcome with a configuration option defaulting to straight value instead of promises.
• How would you technically recognize nested steps if they are inside of Promises?
• Promises may not be enough since WebdriverJS uses an orchestrator (ControlFlow). Though I don't know what impact this can have.

PS: allure._allure may work.. Need to try it out.

[just-boris]

Released as 1.1.0. If you want to use this, you should install it aside with reporter. In package.json

{
  "dependencies": {
    "jasmine-allure-reporter": "~0.2.0"
    "allure-js-commons": "~1.1.0"
  }
}

If you omit explicit allure-js-commons dependency, you will get version derived from jasmine-allure-reporter. Once you will test compatibility, please bump version declaration in jasmine-adapter dependency too.

[just-boris]

also I am going to update my example with mocha – https://github.com/allure-examples/mocha-allure-example
Here you can see new features in action