Are you encountering the frustrating "NoSuchElementError: No element found using locator" error when using Protractor with the "isDisplayed" function in your code? Don't worry, you're not alone! This common issue can be easily resolved with a few simple adjustments in your Protractor test scripts.
When working with Protractor for your end-to-end testing of Angular applications, the "isDisplayed" method is commonly used to check if an element is visible on the web page before interacting with it. However, sometimes this can lead to the NoSuchElementError due to various reasons that we'll explore in this article.
One of the primary reasons for this error is the timing mismatch between when Protractor tries to find the element and when it actually becomes visible on the page. This can happen when the element is dynamically loaded or takes some time to render after the page is loaded. In such cases, Protractor may not find the element immediately, resulting in the NoSuchElementError.
To address this issue, you can implement implicit or explicit waits in your Protractor tests. Implicit waits allow Protractor to wait for a specified amount of time for the element to be present before throwing an error. On the other hand, explicit waits provide more control by allowing you to wait for specific conditions to be met before proceeding with the test steps.
Here's an example of how you can use an explicit wait with Protractor to handle the NoSuchElementError:
import { browser, by, element } from 'protractor';
describe('Example Protractor Test', () => {
it('should wait for element to be displayed', async () => {
await browser.get('https://example.com');
const elementToCheck = element(by.css('.example-class'));
await browser.wait(async () => {
return await elementToCheck.isDisplayed();
}, 5000, 'Element is not displayed within 5 seconds');
// Continue with your test steps after the element is displayed
});
});
In this code snippet, we navigate to a test page, locate an element using CSS selector, and then use `browser.wait` to wait until the element is displayed or until a timeout of 5 seconds is reached. This way, you can prevent the NoSuchElementError by ensuring that the element is available before checking its visibility.
Additionally, you can also enhance the robustness of your Protractor tests by using proper locators, handling asynchronous operations effectively, and structuring your tests in a modular and maintainable way.
By understanding the common causes of the NoSuchElementError and applying the techniques discussed in this article, you can write more reliable and stable Protractor tests for your Angular applications. Happy testing!