E2E Tests: Verify Session Statistics Values Accurately

by Alex Johnson 55 views

Introduction

In the realm of software development, ensuring the reliability and accuracy of application features is paramount. End-to-end (E2E) tests play a crucial role in validating the entire workflow, from the user interface to the database and back. This article delves into the importance of robust E2E tests for session statistics in a learning platform, highlighting the shortcomings of existing tests and outlining a comprehensive approach to verify the actual values of key metrics.

The Problem: Weak Placeholders in Existing E2E Tests

Currently, the E2E tests in answer-feedback.spec.ts suffer from a significant deficiency: they are weak placeholders that fail to accurately verify session statistics values. Specifically, the tests labeled 'correct answer increments correct count' and 'answering questions correctly updates accuracy percentage' only check for the visibility of certain UI elements, such as the "Nächste Aufgabe" button or the presence of the text "genau" or "%." They do not validate the actual numeric values of crucial session statistics like completedCount, correctCount, or the accuracy percentage. This lack of precision undermines the reliability of the tests and leaves room for potential bugs to slip through.

Why Accurate Session Statistics Matter

Session statistics provide valuable insights into a user's learning progress and performance. Accurate tracking of metrics like completedCount, correctCount, and accuracy percentage is essential for several reasons:

  • Personalized Learning: Accurate statistics enable the platform to tailor the learning experience to each user's individual needs and strengths.
  • Progress Monitoring: Users can track their progress and identify areas where they need to improve.
  • Motivation and Engagement: Seeing their progress reflected in accurate statistics can motivate users to stay engaged with the learning material.
  • Data-Driven Insights: The platform can use aggregated session statistics to gain insights into the effectiveness of the learning content and identify areas for improvement.

The Consequences of Inaccurate Statistics

Inaccurate session statistics can have several negative consequences:

  • Misleading Feedback: Users may receive misleading feedback on their performance, leading to frustration and demotivation.
  • Ineffective Learning: The platform may fail to identify areas where users are struggling, hindering their learning progress.
  • Erosion of Trust: Inaccurate statistics can erode user trust in the platform's reliability.
  • Poor Decision-Making: The platform may make poor decisions based on inaccurate data, leading to ineffective learning strategies.

It is therefore crucial to ensure that session statistics are tracked and displayed accurately.

Related Issues: Addressing the 0% Accuracy Bug

This issue is directly related to a reported bug, #157, where session statistics show 0% during and after practice sessions. This bug highlights the importance of having robust E2E tests that can accurately verify the values of session statistics.

Acceptance Criteria: Defining the Scope of Verification

To address the problem of weak E2E tests, the following acceptance criteria must be met:

  • Verify beantwortet (completedCount) Increments: The E2E test should verify that the completedCount increments correctly after answering a question, regardless of whether the answer is correct or incorrect.
  • Verify richtig (correctCount) Increments: The E2E test should verify that the correctCount increments correctly only after answering a question correctly.
  • Verify genau (Accuracy %) Calculates Correctly: The E2E test should verify that the accuracy percentage is calculated correctly based on the completedCount and correctCount values. The accuracy percentage should be calculated as (correctCount / completedCount) * 100.
  • Check Actual Numeric Values: The tests should check the actual numeric values of completedCount, correctCount, and accuracy percentage, not just the visibility of certain UI elements. This ensures that the tests are accurately verifying the session statistics.

Technical Details: Diving into the Code

File: tests/e2e/answer-feedback.spec.ts

This file contains the E2E tests that need to be updated to meet the acceptance criteria.

SessionStats Component (src/modules/ui/components/practice/session/SessionStats.tsx)

The SessionStats component is responsible for displaying the session statistics. The component receives data from the session.execution object, which contains the completedCount, correctCount, and accuracy percentage values.

Test Approach: A Step-by-Step Guide

To create robust E2E tests for session statistics, the following approach should be followed:

  1. Start a Session: Begin by starting a new practice session.
  2. Get Initial Stats: Retrieve the initial values of completedCount, correctCount, and accuracy percentage. These values should be 0 at the beginning of a new session.
  3. Answer a Question Correctly: Answer a question correctly and submit the answer.
  4. Verify Session Statistics: Verify that the session statistics have been updated correctly. Specifically, beantwortet (completedCount) should be 1, richtig (correctCount) should be 1, and genau (accuracy %) should be 100%.
  5. Answer a Question Incorrectly: Answer a question incorrectly and submit the answer.
  6. Verify Session Statistics: Verify that the session statistics have been updated correctly. Specifically, beantwortet (completedCount) should be 2, richtig (correctCount) should remain 1, and genau (accuracy %) should be 50%.
  7. Repeat Steps 3-6: Repeat steps 3-6 with different combinations of correct and incorrect answers to ensure that the session statistics are calculated correctly in all scenarios.

Implementing the Test Approach

Here's how you can implement the test approach in the answer-feedback.spec.ts file:

test('session stats update correctly when answering', async ({ page }) => {
  // Start session
  await page.goto('/practice'); // Assuming '/practice' starts a session

  // Get initial stats (should be 0)
  let beantwortet = await page.locator('#completedCount').innerText();
  let richtig = await page.locator('#correctCount').innerText();
  let genau = await page.locator('#accuracy').innerText();

  expect(beantwortet).toBe('0');
  expect(richtig).toBe('0');
  expect(genau).toBe('0%');

  // Answer a question correctly (replace with actual UI interaction)
  await page.click('#correctAnswerButton'); // Example: Click a button for correct answer
  await page.click('#submitButton');

  // Verify: beantwortet = 1, richtig = 1, genau = 100%
  beantwortet = await page.locator('#completedCount').innerText();
  richtig = await page.locator('#correctCount').innerText();
  genau = await page.locator('#accuracy').innerText();

  expect(beantwortet).toBe('1');
  expect(richtig).toBe('1');
  expect(genau).toBe('100%');

  // Answer a question incorrectly (replace with actual UI interaction)
  await page.click('#incorrectAnswerButton'); // Example: Click a button for incorrect answer
  await page.click('#submitButton');

  // Verify: beantwortet = 2, richtig = 1, genau = 50%
  beantwortet = await page.locator('#completedCount').innerText();
  richtig = await page.locator('#correctCount').innerText();
  genau = await page.locator('#accuracy').innerText();

  expect(beantwortet).toBe('2');
  expect(richtig).toBe('1');
  expect(genau).toBe('50%');
});

Important Considerations:

  • Replace Placeholder Interactions: The code above includes placeholder interactions (e.g., await page.click('#correctAnswerButton')). Replace these with the actual UI interactions required to answer questions correctly and incorrectly in your learning platform.
  • Element Selectors: Adjust the element selectors (#completedCount, #correctCount, #accuracy) to match the actual IDs or CSS classes used in your SessionStats component.
  • Asynchronous Operations: Ensure that you handle asynchronous operations correctly using await to avoid race conditions and ensure that the session statistics have been updated before you verify their values.

Conclusion

By implementing robust E2E tests that accurately verify the values of session statistics, you can ensure the reliability and accuracy of your learning platform. This will lead to a better user experience, more effective learning, and improved data-driven decision-making. Remember to focus on testing the actual numeric values and not just the visibility of UI elements. This will provide a more comprehensive and reliable validation of your session statistics functionality.

For more information on E2E testing best practices, check out Cypress Documentation.