“The test has finished, but Cypress still has commands in its queue”: What Does It Mean?

Hari Mahesh

“The test has finished, but Cypress still has commands in its queue” is an error message frequently seen by Cypress users. This message suggests that while Cypress has finished executing the test script, there remain unexecuted or unresolved asynchronous commands or tasks in its command queue. Such situations arise when Cypress awaits the completion of an asynchronous operation, but either it times out, or an error occurs, leaving some commands in the queue unaddressed.

For better clarity, let’s dissect the key elements:

• Cypress Commands: These are the building blocks of Cypress test scripts, enabling interactions with the web application under test. Commands can encompass various actions, such as clicking buttons, entering text into fields, and validating the application’s state through assertions.
• Asynchronous Nature: Many web interactions involve asynchronous operations, such as making HTTP requests, waiting for elements to appear, or waiting for animations to complete. Cypress handles these asynchronous operations using its own queuing mechanism.
• Test Completion: A Cypress test is considered finished when all its commands have been executed or an assertion fails. Cypress may also set a timeout for the test to complete.
• Flaky Tests: Tests not correctly synchronized with the application’s state can result in commands piling up in the queue, especially if assertions fail intermittently.
• Incorrect Command Sequencing: Incorrect ordering or sequencing of commands can also lead to commands being left in the queue.

Now, let us explore what can cause it:

Causes of the Error

• Asynchronous Operations: A frequent cause of this error stems from test scripts having asynchronous tasks, such as waiting for an element to load. These tasks might exceed the preset timeout duration, leading to issues.
• Unanticipated Errors: Should an unexpected error arise while a command is running, Cypress might halt, leaving several commands unprocessed in the queue.
• Assertions: A failed assertion can lead to the premature termination of the test, resulting in leftover commands in the queue that haven’t been executed.

How to Resolve it?

• Adjust Cypress Configuration:
  • Increase the timeout for specific commands or the entire test suite using cypress.config(‘defaultCommandTimeout’, newTimeout). This allows more time for asynchronous operations to complete.
  • Configure retries for flaky commands using cy.retry(). This can help if commands fail due to occasional network issues or transient problems.
• Check for Errors: Review your test script for errors or issues that may cause premature commands to fail. Fixing these issues can prevent the error from occurring.
• Assertions and Errors: Ensure that your assertions are correctly written and you handle unexpected errors gracefully. Use try…catch blocks to catch and handle errors when necessary.
• Debugging: Cypress provides powerful debugging tools. You can use cy.debug() to pause the test and inspect the application state. Additionally, you can use cy.log() to add debugging messages to your test script.
• Use Wait Commands: If your test relies on elements or conditions that may not be immediately available, use Cypress wait commands like cy.wait() or cy.get().should() to ensure that Cypress waits for the necessary elements or conditions to be met.
• Check for Continuous Operations: Ensure that your test doesn’t involve continuous or long-running operations that prevent Cypress from moving on to the following command.
• Plugin Interactions: If you are using Cypress plugins, make sure they are not causing conflicts or issues that result in unhandled commands.
• Review Application Code: Sometimes, issues may stem from the application code itself. Review the application code to identify potential problems that might interfere with Cypress commands.
• Update Cypress: Ensure that you are using the latest version of Cypress, as newer versions often include bug fixes and improvements that can help resolve issues.

Automation Transformation: The Smart Path

Dealing with synchronization challenges, troubleshooting, and errors in Cypress test scripts can be burdensome. This is why Cypress is rarely viewed as a cutting-edge automation tool and needs more traction among contemporary web frameworks. In contrast, modern tools like testRigor harness the power of AI to combat timeout and synchronization issues. Here are a couple of standout features of testRigor:

• Automatic Waits: testRigor’s automatic wait handling handles synchronization issues. You need not manually provide any explicit wait times; hence, it avoids the ‘element not found’ and many other similar errors.
• Automatic Test Generation – Leveraging generative AI, testRigor streamlines the process of test script creation. Simply input the test case title in the description, and watch as test steps are produced automatically within seconds.

• User-friendly Test Script Creation & Maintenance: testRigor enables the drafting of test scripts in simple English, bypassing the need for coding. This design ensures that anyone can create, execute, or update test cases. Even your non-technical team members can participate in test creation and execution with testRigor’s simple, plain English test cases.

  testRigor’s self-healing capabilities automatically update the test script whenever there are changes in UI or element attributes, saving enormous maintenance costs.
• Cloud-hosted: As a cloud-based automation tool, testRigor removes the hassles of tool setup, environment creation, and dependency configuration. Once you have acquired the license for testRigor, all that is left is to log in and get to work, saving both time and effort.
• Universal Browser and Platform Compatibility: testRigor facilitates automation testing across multiple browsers, their respective versions, and diverse platforms. testRigor accomplishes this without a hitch.
• Intuitive Element Locators: testRigor doesn’t lean on the often inconsistent XPaths or CSS selectors. Instead, it harnesses a distinct AI-driven method for pinpointing elements. You can define the element either by UI text they see or its location on the screen, such as:

  enter "Kindle" into "Search"
  enter enter
  click "Kindle"
  click "Add To Cart"
  check that page contains "Item Added To Cart"

Discover how testRigor stands as an exemplary replacement for Cypress.

Summing Up

Synchronization errors can be challenging to troubleshoot because it’s tough to identify the root of the problem. This is a significant limitation when using Cypress for software testing. Choosing an automation testing tool that’s cutting-edge and in tune with modern tech trends is crucial. testRigor excels in this domain, offering optimized test scripts through its self-healing feature and a streamlined, simple, codeless test script creation process.

Dive in by signing up for a free trial here.

“We spent so much time on maintenance when using Selenium, and we spend nearly zero time with maintenance using testRigor.”

Keith Powe VP Of Engineering - IDT