Salesforce is the world’s #1 CRM, and it supports this with constant innovation. There has been no shortage of impressive and powerful features introduced over the last few years, but the emergence of Lightning Web Components (LWC) in 2018 has been incredibly impactful.
But while LWC has been a game changer for programmers, it presents a unique set of testing challenges for teams and new developers with limited coding experience. At Provar, we’ve been working hard to deliver solutions to support LWC testing — today, tomorrow, and every upcoming Salesforce release.
In this blog, we’ll give some background on LWC, outline what makes them so tricky to test, and discuss how Provar’s robust suite of automation tools can alleviate these challenges.
What Is LWC?
LWC is a modern UI framework for building web components and applications on the Salesforce platform. Upon its induction, LWC aimed to offer a more efficient, reliable, and robust way to develop web applications in Salesforce.
LWC is based on modern web standards, specifically the Web Components standard. Developers can utilize standard HTML, JavaScript, and CSS to create reusable components. It enables developers to build applications with customizable components without requiring knowledge of the Aura framework. LWC integrates smoothly with the Salesforce platform, facilitating the creation of custom user interfaces, application extensions, custom pages, and interactions with real-time data.
Why Are LWC Tough To Test?
LWC offers incredible advantages regarding performance, reliability, and development speed. But it is also notoriously tricky to test. This has nothing to do with any inherent flaws in the framework; LWC is complex, and those complexities translate to testing challenges.
Here are some of the challenges that LWC testing presents.
Complexity of Component Interactions
LWCs are often composed of many interconnected components. Testing these components requires setting up complex interactions, making writing repeatable, reliable tests a real challenge.
XPath and CSS Locator Limitations
Many traditional XPath and CSS locators used to test LWC will be unable to find elements. Often, Shadow DOM encapsulates web components, making them private and undetectable by XPath and CSS locators — and ultimately causing tests to fail.
Steep Learning Curve for LWC Testing
For citizen testers and developers new to testing LWC, understanding the best practices and strategies for effective and efficient testing can be a steep learning curve.
How Provar Can Help Teams Test LWC
At Provar, we build robust automated testing solutions for Salesforce from the ground up. Provar Automation leverages Salesforce’s metadata to help teams create resilient, repeatable, and reliable tests.
Provar Automation includes innovative capabilities for testing LWC by providing a layer of abstraction, allowing the solution to seamlessly navigate the internal workings of Salesforce components susceptible to change. With these capabilities, there is no need for manual web element mapping, allowing for reduced failures and unmatched efficiency.
Let’s dive deeper into how these powerful features can help you.
Adaptive Automation
Salesforce components can change, and with Provar Automation’s LWC support, your automation remains adaptable and effortlessly keeps pace with Salesforce updates.
Reliability Reinvented
Say farewell to potential failures caused by manual web element mapping. Provar Automation ensures that your automation scripts consistently target the right components, resulting in more dependable testing and less troubleshooting.
Manage Complexity
Feature your classic components, LWC, and custom LWC on one page for a singular view of your testing strategy across all components. Future-proof your automation with a stable foundation, even as Salesforce evolves.
How Does It Work?
Want to know more about Provar Automation’s secret sauce regarding LWC support? Here are some ways this solution will enhance your LWC testing strategy.
Standardized Abstraction
Provar Automation abstracts the internal details of Salesforce components, shielding your automation from the complexities of their inner workings.
Seamless Adaptation
As Salesforce components change, Provar Automation automatically adjusts, ensuring your automation scripts continue to function flawlessly.
Reduced Failures
Manual web element mapping can lead to brittle scripts and unexpected failures. Provar Automation’s LWC support mitigates these risks, providing robust and resilient automation.
Enhanced Efficiency
Focus on what truly matters – efficient testing. Provar Automation frees you from constant script maintenance, allowing you to achieve more with less effort.
Learn more about Provar Automation’s powerful LWC support in our documentation!
Since 2014, Provar has been a leader in Salesforce’s test automation and quality management. Provar Automation’s powerful features can help testing teams tackle complex testing challenges, including testing Salesforce Lightning Web Components. With Provar Automation and our other powerful tools, organizations can streamline their testing efforts and achieve their testing goals.
To learn more about how Provar Automation can help you transform your testing, contact our team today!
