JavaScript 🆚 TypeScript in Test Automation. A Closer Look at Playwright and Cypress.
For any software development project, selecting the right language and tools is crucial to ensure effective test automation. Two languages that have caught the attention of developers worldwide are JavaScript (JS) and TypeScript (TS). Let’s dive into a comparison between these two languages, and specifically how they apply in two popular testing tools — Playwright and Cypress.
JavaScript VS TypeScript:
JavaScript, a high-level interpreted language, has proven its worth due to its compatibility across browsers. This dynamic language has an easy learning curve and is the backbone of many frameworks and libraries used in web development.
Pros:
- Ease of Use: JavaScript has a less steep learning curve and is easier to set up. It’s ideal for beginners who want to start coding quickly.
- Flexibility: JavaScript is dynamically typed, allowing more flexibility in writing code.
- Popularity: Being around for a long time, JavaScript has a large community, abundant resources, and widespread support across browsers and platforms.Cons:
- Lack of Type Safety: The biggest drawback of JavaScript is its lack of static type-checking, increasing the possibility of runtime errors.
- Less Suitable for large-scale applications: For complex applications, the lack of static types can lead to difficulties in maintaining and scaling the codebase.
On the other hand, TypeScript, a statically typed superset of JavaScript, offers additional features like type checking that catches potential bugs at compile time. TypeScript enhances code quality and understandability, hence making maintenance easier.
However, TypeScript’s learning curve is steeper compared to JavaScript. It may also require additional setup time, as TypeScript code has to be transpiled to JavaScript to run in a browser.
Pros:
- Static Type-Checking: TypeScript’s main advantage is its ability to check types at compile time, allowing for early error detection.
- Scalability: TypeScript is more structured and robust, making it best suited for large-scale project development.
- Down Compilation: TypeScript code can be compiled down to a JavaScript version for broader browser compatibility.Cons:
- Learning Curve: TypeScript has a steeper learning curve than JavaScript due to its typing system and more complex syntax.
- Compilation Step: TypeScript needs an extra compilation step to transpile down to JavaScript, which can slow down development.
- Verbose Syntax: Due to static typing and advanced features, TypeScript can have more verbose syntax compared to JavaScript.
In a nutshell, the choice between JavaScript and TypeScript comes down to your team’s skills and the requirements of your project. Your decision may also depend on your development environment: If your team values type safety and uses large codebases, TypeScript could be the better choice. If your team consists of novice programmers coding a small project, JavaScript may be the way to go.
Playwright and Cypress JavaScript vs TypeScript:
Playwright and Cypress are two advanced, modern automation testing tools that can be used with both JavaScript and TypeScript. Playwright supports multiple browsers and offers fast, reliable, and capable automation for web components by using the modern browser API. Alternatively, Cypress focuses on providing a comprehensive end-to-end testing experience.
Choosing between JavaScript and TypeScript when working with Playwright and Cypress depends on various factors, including your team’s skillset, the complexity of the project, and personal preference.
JavaScript:
Playwright — Choosing JavaScript could make sense if your team is more comfortable with dynamic typing or if you want to avoid the setup that TypeScript requires. Also, if your project isn’t very complex and doesn’t require the added type of safety that TypeScript provides, then using JavaScript could be a better choice.
Playwright supports JavaScript out of the box. There is nothing to configure. Only Node.js to be installed
Cypress — was initially built to support JavaScript. If your team is more comfortable with JavaScript or if you’re working on a small to mid-sized project, using Cypress with JavaScript can be a good option.
Cypress supports JavaScript out of the box. There is nothing to configure. Only Node.js to be installed
TypeScript:
Playwright — TypeScript could be a better choice for larger, more complex projects where type safety can help prevent bugs. By catching errors early at compile time, you can save time and resources that would have been spent finding and fixing them at runtime. TypeScript also provides better autocompletion, making it easier to use Playwright APIs.
To support TypeScript, you must specify Playwright during the initial installation:
Or install everything listed manually:
- add
tsconfig.json
Playwright TypeScript configuration example
Cypress — However, if type safety is crucial for your project, or if you’re working on a larger codebase, TypeScript could be the better choice. TypeScript’s static typing can help catch errors during compile-time before they crash your application. This feature, combined with improved autocompletion and tooling support, often leads to cleaner, more maintainable codebases.
To support TypeScript, you must install the nessesary dependancy and add ts configuration:
- npm install — save-dev typescript
- add
tsconfig.json
Cypress TypeScript configuration example
In conclusion, choosing between JavaScript and TypeScript, and between Playwright and Cypress, depends on your project needs, team skills, and specific requirements. TypeScript, combined with Playwright or Cypress, is an excellent choice for large-scale projects where reliability, maintainability, and advanced features are crucial. On the other hand, JavaScript, because of its simplicity, remains a solid choice for quick and effective test automation.
Thanks to everyone who read this article to the end, I hope you found it useful.
Sources used in the article:
https://github.com/VadimNastoyashchy/playwright-saucedemo.com
https://github.com/VadimNastoyashchy/demoblaze.com
https://docs.cypress.io/guides/tooling/typescript-support
https://playwright.dev/docs/test-typescript