Use Nightwatch for Automated Testing

Pete Prestipino
by Pete Prestipino 20 Feb, 2014
Use Nightwatch for Automated Testing

If you're looking for a simpler way to conduct automated testing of browser-based apps and websites, look no further than NightWatch.js.

Written in Node.js and using the Selenium WebDriver API, developers can perform different commands and assertions on DOM elements. NightWatch features a rather straightforward syntax which uses only Javascript and CSS selectors, so there's no need to initialize other objects and classes - just write out the test specs and you're done. 

NightWatch works by sending HTTP requests to the Selenium server with the parameters and then interprets the response. There are instances when NightWatch needs to send at least two requests to the Selenium server in order to perform a command or assertion - the first being the request to locate an element given a CSS selector (or Xpath expression) and the next to perform the actual command/assertion on the given element.

Pete Prestipino
Pete Prestipino
Digital marketing executive with proven experience in all aspects of search engine optimization (SEO), performance-based advertising, consumer-generated/social media, email marketing, lead generation, Web design, usability, and analytics. - 20-year Internet marketing veteran, currently serving as the Digital Marketing Campaign Manager at Antenna Group (formerly Chicago Digital). - Former Editor-In-Chief of Website Magazine, and a regular speaker on Web technology digital marketing strategy - Author of several books on digital marketing Including Web 360: The Fundamentals of Web Success; Affiliate 360: The Fundamentals of Performance Marketing; Domains 360: The Fundamentals of Buying & Selling Domain Names, and SEO 360: The Fundamentals of Search Engine Optimization.