Testing components

Testing components in Aurelia 2 is a straightforward process thanks to the framework's design and the utilities provided by the @aurelia/testing package. This guide will walk you through the steps to test your components effectively, ensuring they work as expected within the context of a view.

In Aurelia, a component typically consists of a view (HTML) and a view model (JavaScript or TypeScript). To ensure the quality and correctness of your components, you should write tests that cover both aspects. Testing components involves checking that the view renders correctly with given data and that the view model behaves as intended when interacting with the view.

Testing Strategy

When testing components, we will focus on integration tests that involve both the view and view model. This approach allows us to verify the component as a whole, as it would function within an Aurelia application.

Example Component

For demonstration purposes, we will use a simple PersonDetail component with bindable properties name and age.

person-detail.ts

import { bindable } from 'aurelia';

export class PersonDetail {
    @bindable name: string;
    @bindable age: number;
}

person-detail.html

<template>
    <p>Person is called ${name} and is ${age} years old.</p>
</template>

Writing the Test

We aim to test that the PersonDetail component renders the expected text when provided with name and age properties.

Test Setup

Before writing the test, ensure your environment is correctly set up for testing. Refer to the Overview section for details on how to initialize the Aurelia testing platform.

Test Implementation

Create a test file for your component, such as person-detail.spec.ts, and implement your tests using the syntax of your chosen test runner. The following example uses Jest:

import { createFixture } from '@aurelia/testing';
import { PersonDetail } from './person-detail';
import { bootstrapTestEnvironment } from './path-to-your-initialization-code';

describe('PersonDetail component', () => {
  beforeAll(() => {
    // Initialize the test environment before running the tests
    bootstrapTestEnvironment();
  });

  it('renders the name and age correctly', async () => {
    const { appHost, startPromise, stop } = createFixture(
      '<person-detail name.bind="testName" age.bind="testAge"></person-detail>',
      class App {
        testName = 'Alice';
        testAge = 30;
      },
      [PersonDetail]
    );

    await startPromise;

    expect(appHost.textContent).toContain('Person is called Alice and is 30 years old.');

    // Use stop(true) instead of deprecated tearDown()
    await stop(true);
  });

  // Additional tests...
});

In this example, createFixture is used to instantiate the component with a test context, binding name and age to specified values. We then assert that the component's text content includes the correct information. After the test completes, stop(true) cleans up the component instance to avoid memory leaks and ensure test isolation.

Testing Components with Dependencies

If your component has dependencies, such as services or other custom elements, you'll need to register these within the Aurelia testing container.

Example with a Dependency

Assume PersonDetail depends on a PersonFormatter service:

import { resolve } from 'aurelia';
import { PersonFormatter } from './person-formatter';

export class PersonDetail {
    private personFormatter = resolve(PersonFormatter);
    @bindable name: string;
    @bindable age: number;

    get formattedDetails() {
        return this.personFormatter.format(this.name, this.age);
    }
}

To test this component, you can create a mock PersonFormatter and register it with the Aurelia container:

import { createFixture } from '@aurelia/testing';
import { Registration } from 'aurelia';
import { PersonDetail } from './person-detail';
import { PersonFormatter } from './person-formatter';

describe('PersonDetail with PersonFormatter dependency', () => {
  it('formats the details using PersonFormatter', async () => {
    const mockPersonFormatter = {
      format: jest.fn().mockImplementation((name, age) => `Formatted: ${name}, age ${age}`),
    };

    const { appHost, startPromise, stop } = createFixture(
      '<person-detail name.bind="testName" age.bind="testAge"></person-detail>',
      class App {
        testName = 'Bob';
        testAge = 40;
      },
      [PersonDetail],
      [Registration.instance(PersonFormatter, mockPersonFormatter)]
    );

    await startPromise;

    expect(mockPersonFormatter.format).toHaveBeenCalledWith('Bob', 40);
    expect(appHost.textContent).toContain('Formatted: Bob, age 40');

    await stop(true);
  });
});

In the test above, we use Jest's jest.fn() to create a mock implementation of PersonFormatter. We then verify that the mock's format method is called with the correct arguments and that the component's text content includes the formatted details.

Advanced Testing Patterns

Testing Component Lifecycle

Components have lifecycle hooks that can be tested to ensure proper behavior:

export class LifecycleComponent {
  created(): void {
    this.initializeData();
  }

  attached(): void {
    this.setupEventListeners();
  }

  detached(): void {
    this.cleanupEventListeners();
  }

  initializeData(): void {
    // initialization logic
  }

  setupEventListeners(): void {
    // event setup logic
  }

  cleanupEventListeners(): void {
    // cleanup logic
  }
}

Test the lifecycle hooks:

describe('LifecycleComponent', () => {
  it('calls lifecycle hooks in correct order', async () => {
    const initializeSpy = jest.spyOn(LifecycleComponent.prototype, 'initializeData');
    const setupSpy = jest.spyOn(LifecycleComponent.prototype, 'setupEventListeners');
    const cleanupSpy = jest.spyOn(LifecycleComponent.prototype, 'cleanupEventListeners');

    const { startPromise, stop } = createFixture(
      '<lifecycle-component></lifecycle-component>',
      class App {},
      [LifecycleComponent]
    );

    await startPromise;

    expect(initializeSpy).toHaveBeenCalled();
    expect(setupSpy).toHaveBeenCalled();
    expect(cleanupSpy).not.toHaveBeenCalled();

    await stop(true);

    expect(cleanupSpy).toHaveBeenCalled();
  });
});

Testing Component Events and Communication

Test components that emit custom events:

import { EventAggregator } from 'aurelia';

export class EventComponent {
  constructor(private ea: EventAggregator) {}

  @bindable item: any;

  handleClick(): void {
    this.ea.publish('item-selected', this.item);
  }
}

Test event publishing:

describe('EventComponent', () => {
  it('publishes event when clicked', async () => {
    const mockEA = {
      publish: jest.fn()
    };

    const { appHost, startPromise, stop } = createFixture(
      '<event-component item.bind="testItem"></event-component>',
      class App {
        testItem = { id: 1, name: 'Test' };
      },
      [EventComponent],
      [Registration.instance(EventAggregator, mockEA)]
    );

    await startPromise;

    const button = appHost.querySelector('button');
    button.click();

    expect(mockEA.publish).toHaveBeenCalledWith('item-selected', { id: 1, name: 'Test' });

    await stop(true);
  });
});

Testing Async Operations

Test components with async operations using task queue utilities:

import { bindable } from 'aurelia';

export class AsyncComponent {
  @bindable loading = false;
  @bindable data: any[] = [];

  constructor(private dataService: DataService) {}

  async loadData(): Promise<void> {
    this.loading = true;
    
    try {
      const response = await this.dataService.fetchData();
      this.data = response.data;
    } finally {
      this.loading = false;
    }
  }
}

Test async operations:

import { tasksSettled } from '@aurelia/runtime';
import { Registration } from '@aurelia/kernel';

describe('AsyncComponent', () => {
  it('handles async data loading', async () => {
    const mockDataService = {
      fetchData: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue({ data: [1, 2, 3] })
    };

    const { component, startPromise, stop } = createFixture(
      '<async-component></async-component>',
      class App {},
      [AsyncComponent],
      [Registration.instance(DataService, mockDataService)]
    );

    await startPromise;

    // Access the component instance through the fixture's component property
    const componentInstance = component;
    
    // Start the async operation
    const loadPromise = componentInstance.loadData();
    
    // Verify loading state
    expect(componentInstance.loading).toBe(true);
    
    // Wait for completion
    await loadPromise;
    await tasksSettled();
    
    // Verify final state
    expect(componentInstance.loading).toBe(false);
    expect(componentInstance.data).toEqual([1, 2, 3]);
    expect(mockDataService.fetchData).toHaveBeenCalled();

    await stop(true);
  });
});

Testing State Management Integration

Test components that use state management:

import { fromState, StateBinding } from '@aurelia/state';

export class StateComponent {
  @fromState(state => state.user.name)
  userName: string;

  @fromState(state => state.user.isLoggedIn)
  isLoggedIn: boolean;
}

Test state bindings:

import { Registration } from '@aurelia/kernel';

describe('StateComponent', () => {
  it('updates when state changes', async () => {
    const mockStore = {
      state: {
        user: { name: 'John', isLoggedIn: true }
      },
      subscribe: jest.fn(),
      dispatch: jest.fn()
    };

    const { component, startPromise, stop } = createFixture(
      '<state-component></state-component>',
      class App {},
      [StateComponent],
      [Registration.instance(Store, mockStore)]
    );

    await startPromise;

    // Access component instance directly through fixture's component property
    expect(component.userName).toBe('John');
    expect(component.isLoggedIn).toBe(true);

    await stop(true);
  });
});

Testing Conditional Rendering

Test components with conditional rendering logic:

export class ConditionalComponent {
  @bindable showContent = false;
  @bindable items: any[] = [];

  get hasItems(): boolean {
    return this.items && this.items.length > 0;
  }
}

With template:

<template>
  <div if.bind="showContent">
    <p if.bind="hasItems">Found ${items.length} items</p>
    <p else>No items found</p>
  </div>
</template>

Test conditional rendering:

import { tasksSettled } from '@aurelia/runtime';

describe('ConditionalComponent', () => {
  it('shows content based on conditions', async () => {
    const { appHost, component, startPromise, stop } = createFixture(
      '<conditional-component show-content.bind="show" items.bind="itemList"></conditional-component>',
      class App {
        show = false;
        itemList: any[] = [];
      },
      [ConditionalComponent]
    );

    await startPromise;

    // Initially hidden
    expect(appHost.textContent).not.toContain('Found');
    expect(appHost.textContent).not.toContain('No items');

    // Show content with no items - modify the app component, not the child
    component.show = true;
    await tasksSettled();

    expect(appHost.textContent).toContain('No items found');

    // Add items
    component.itemList = [1, 2, 3];
    await tasksSettled();

    expect(appHost.textContent).toContain('Found 3 items');

    await stop(true);
  });
});

Testing Component Performance

Test component render performance and memory usage:

describe('PerformanceComponent', () => {
  it('renders within acceptable time limits', async () => {
    const startTime = performance.now();

    const { startPromise, stop } = createFixture(
      '<performance-component items.bind="largeDataSet"></performance-component>',
      class App {
        largeDataSet = Array.from({ length: 1000 }, (_, i) => ({ id: i, value: `Item ${i}` }));
      },
      [PerformanceComponent]
    );

    await startPromise;

    const renderTime = performance.now() - startTime;
    expect(renderTime).toBeLessThan(100); // Should render in under 100ms

    await stop(true);
  });

  it('does not leak memory on repeated renders', async () => {
    const initialMemory = (performance as any).memory?.usedJSHeapSize || 0;
    
    for (let i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
      const { startPromise, stop } = createFixture(
        '<performance-component></performance-component>',
        class App {},
        [PerformanceComponent]
      );

      await startPromise;
      await stop(true);
    }

    // Force garbage collection if available
    if ((global as any).gc) {
      (global as any).gc();
    }

    const finalMemory = (performance as any).memory?.usedJSHeapSize || 0;
    const memoryIncrease = finalMemory - initialMemory;
    
    // Memory increase should be minimal
    expect(memoryIncrease).toBeLessThan(1024 * 1024); // Less than 1MB
  });
});

Best Practices for Advanced Testing

1. Test Organization

• Group related tests using describe blocks

• Use descriptive test names that explain the behavior being tested

• Follow the AAA pattern: Arrange, Act, Assert

2. Async Testing

• Always use await with startPromise and stop(true)

• Use tasksSettled() when testing async operations

• Handle promise rejections properly in tests

• Note: tearDown() is deprecated, use stop(true) instead

3. Mocking Strategies

• Mock external dependencies using Registration.instance from @aurelia/kernel

• Use Jest spies to verify method calls

• Mock only what's necessary for the test

• Register mocks in the fourth parameter of createFixture

4. Performance Testing

• Use performance.now() for timing measurements

• Test with realistic data sizes

• Monitor memory usage in long-running tests

• Always use stop(true) for proper cleanup

5. Error Handling

• Test both success and failure scenarios

• Verify error messages and error states

• Test error recovery mechanisms

Next Steps

For more sophisticated testing scenarios, see:

• Advanced Testing Techniques - Comprehensive fixture API, performance testing, integration patterns

• Testing Attributes - Custom attribute testing

• Testing Value Converters - Value converter testing

• Mocks and Spies - Dependency mocking strategies

Conclusion

Testing Aurelia components involves setting up a test environment, creating fixtures, and writing assertions based on your expectations. By following these patterns and best practices, you can ensure that your components are reliable, performant, and maintainable. Remember to clean up after your tests to maintain a clean test environment and to avoid any side effects between tests.

The patterns shown here cover lifecycle testing, event handling, async operations, state management, conditional rendering, and basic performance testing. For more advanced testing techniques and comprehensive API coverage, refer to the Advanced Testing guide.

Complete Fixture API Reference

The createFixture function returns a comprehensive fixture object with many utility methods for testing:

Query Methods

// Get a single element (throws if multiple or none found)
const button = fixture.getBy('button');
const input = fixture.getBy<HTMLInputElement>('input[type="text"]');

// Get all matching elements
const allButtons = fixture.getAllBy('button');

// Get single element or null (throws if multiple found)
const optionalElement = fixture.queryBy('.optional-class');

Assertion Methods

// Text content assertions
fixture.assertText('Expected text content'); // Whole app
fixture.assertText('h1', 'Expected heading'); // Specific element
fixture.assertTextContain('partial text'); // Contains check

// HTML content assertions
fixture.assertHtml('<p>Expected HTML</p>');
fixture.assertHtml('.content', '<span>Expected</span>');

// Attribute assertions
fixture.assertAttr('button', 'disabled', null); // No disabled attribute
fixture.assertAttr('input', 'value', 'test-value');
fixture.assertAttrNS('svg', 'http://www.w3.org/2000/svg', 'viewBox', '0 0 100 100');

// CSS class assertions
fixture.assertClass('button', 'btn', 'btn-primary'); // Has these classes
fixture.assertClassStrict('button', 'btn', 'btn-primary'); // Has only these classes

// Style assertions
fixture.assertStyles('div', { color: 'red', fontSize: '16px' });

// Form element assertions
fixture.assertValue('input', 'expected value');
fixture.assertChecked('input[type="checkbox"]', true);

Event Triggering

// Generic event triggering
fixture.trigger('button', 'click');
fixture.trigger('input', 'change', { bubbles: true });

// Specific event methods
fixture.trigger.click('button');
fixture.trigger.keydown('input', { key: 'Enter' });
fixture.trigger.mousedown('.draggable', { clientX: 100, clientY: 50 });

// Input simulation
fixture.type('input[type="text"]', 'Hello World');
fixture.type(inputElement, 'Direct element typing');

// Scroll simulation
fixture.scrollBy('.scrollable', 100); // Scroll down 100px
fixture.scrollBy('.scrollable', { top: 50, left: 25 });

Utility Methods

// Debug output
const html = fixture.printHtml(); // Logs and returns innerHTML

// Event creation
const customEvent = fixture.createEvent('my-event', { detail: { data: 'test' } });

// JSX-like element creation (for complex setups)
const element = fixture.hJsx('div', { class: 'test' }, 'Content');

Error Testing Patterns

Test error conditions and recovery:

describe('ErrorComponent', () => {
  it('handles service errors gracefully', async () => {
    const mockService = {
      fetchData: jest.fn().mockRejectedValue(new Error('Service unavailable'))
    };

    const { appHost, component, startPromise, stop } = createFixture(
      '<error-component></error-component>',
      class App {},
      [ErrorComponent],
      [Registration.instance(DataService, mockService)]
    );

    await startPromise;

    // Trigger the error condition
    await component.loadData();
    await tasksSettled();

    // Verify error state
    expect(component.error).toBe('Service unavailable');
    expect(appHost.textContent).toContain('Error loading data');
    
    // Verify UI shows error state
    fixture.assertClass('.error-message', 'visible');

    await stop(true);
  });
});

Testing Custom Events

describe('CustomEventComponent', () => {
  it('emits custom events', async () => {
    const eventSpy = jest.fn();
    
    const { appHost, startPromise, stop } = createFixture(
      '<custom-event-component></custom-event-component>',
      class App {},
      [CustomEventComponent]
    );

    await startPromise;

    // Listen for custom events
    appHost.addEventListener('custom-event', eventSpy);

    // Trigger the event
    fixture.trigger.click('.trigger-button');
    await tasksSettled();

    // Verify event was emitted
    expect(eventSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
      expect.objectContaining({
        type: 'custom-event',
        detail: expect.any(Object)
      })
    );

    await stop(true);
  });
});