This week at work: The hard part of learning Nightwatch.js

This week, at work, I've been attempting to compose a new end-to-end test using libraries that other coders at my workplace have written.

It's a simple test: When you process a patient using Component A, and register them using Component B, in the database you should see status code C.

A + B = C.

Lucky for me, another developer already wrote libraries of Nightwatch.Js tests for Component A and Component B. I am just making logical assumptions on what parts I need and glueing them together, hoping it all works out. Then, I'm using the PostgeSQL library that Node.js provides to get the status code C that I need.

Sometimes, it doesn't all work out.

Hard part reading other's @NightwatchJs: Which is vanilla #JavaScript? #ES6? @NodeJs? #MochaJs? Third party #postgreSQL or in-house library?

— T.J. Maher (@tjmaher1) December 15, 2016

If something goes wrong, and I need to RTFM, which M should I look at to increase my understanding of how the code works? Where is the code from? Is it from:

• Basic Nightwatch: http://nightwatchjs.org/guide
• The Mocha Test Runner: https://mochajs.org/
• A Node.js library: https://nodejs.org/en/docs/
• Vanilla JavaScript: https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript
• ECMAScript2016 (or 2017): https://tc39.github.io/ecma262/
• PostgreSQL: https://www.postgresql.org/docs/
• Node.Js implementation of PostgreSQL: https://www.npmjs.com/package/pg
• Or is it an in-house developer's library? 

Let me tell you, I am having the time of my life trying to figure our how things fit together! :)

My favorite thing has always been attempting to figure things out by burying myself in independent research and taking a hella lot of notes. And more notes equals more blog entries!

When I come up for air in January, after this month's deep dive, expect to see a lot more projects involving Nightwatch.js, an automated testing solution geared towards Node.js projects.

Until then, Happy Testing!

... Wow. I can't believe how happy I am at work, with my new position as a Software Engineer in Test. Great company! Great co-workers! And a really, really great job. Let's hope I can get up to speed quickly.

-T.J. Maher
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// Sr. QA Engineer, Software Engineer in Test, Software Tester since 1996.
// Contributing Writer for TechBeacon.
// "Looking to move away from manual QA? Follow Adventures in Automation on Facebook!"