@testing-libraries/user-event NPM

The problem

From testing-library/dom-testing-library#107:

... it is becoming apparent the need to express user actions on a web page using a higher-level abstraction than fireEvent

The solution

user-event tries to simulate the real events that would happen in the browser as the user interacts with it. For example userEvent.click(checkbox) would change the state of the checkbox.

The library is still a work in progress and any help is appreciated.

Installation

With NPM:

npm install @testing-library/user-event @testing-library/dom --save-dev

With Yarn:

yarn add @testing-library/user-event @testing-library/dom --dev

Now simply import it in your tests:

import userEvent from '@testing-library/user-event'

// or

const { default: userEvent } = require('@testing-library/user-event')

API

`click(element, eventInit, options)`

Clicks element, depending on what element is it can have different side effects.

import React from 'react'
import {render, screen} from '@testing-library/react'
import userEvent from '@testing-library/user-event'

test('click', () => {
  render(
    <div>
      <label htmlFor="checkbox">Check</label>
      <input id="checkbox" type="checkbox" />
    </div>,
  )

  userEvent.click(screen.getByText('Check'))
  expect(screen.getByLabelText('Check')).toHaveAttribute('checked', true)
})

You can also ctrlClick / shiftClick etc with

userEvent.click(elem, {ctrlKey: true, shiftKey: true})

See the MouseEvent constructor documentation for more options.

Note that click will trigger hover events before clicking. To disable this, set the skipHover option to true.

`dblClick(element, eventInit, options)`

Clicks element twice, depending on what element is it can have different side effects.

import React from 'react'
import {render, screen} from '@testing-library/react'
import userEvent from '@testing-library/user-event'

test('double click', () => {
  const onChange = jest.fn()
  render(<input type="checkbox" id="checkbox" onChange={onChange} />)
  const checkbox = screen.getByTestId('checkbox')
  userEvent.dblClick(checkbox)
  expect(onChange).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(2)
  expect(checkbox).not.toBeChecked()
})

`type(element, text, [options])`

Writes text inside an <input> or a <textarea>.

import React from 'react'
import {render, screen} from '@testing-library/react'
import userEvent from '@testing-library/user-event'

test('type', () => {
  render(<textarea />)

  userEvent.type(screen.getByRole('textbox'), 'Hello,{enter}World!')
  expect(screen.getByRole('textbox')).toHaveValue('Hello,\nWorld!')
})

options.delay is the number of milliseconds that pass between two characters are typed. By default it's 0. You can use this option if your component has a different behavior for fast or slow users. If you do this, you need to make sure to await!

To be clear, userEvent.type always returns a promise, but you only need to await the promise it returns if you're using the delay option. Otherwise everything runs synchronously and you can ignore the promise.

type will click the element before typing. To disable this, set the skipClick option to true.

Special characters

The following special character strings are supported:

Text string	Key	Modifier	Notes
`{enter}`	Enter	N/A	Will insert a newline character (`<textarea />` only).
`{space}`	`' '`	N/A
`{esc}`	Escape	N/A
`{backspace}`	Backspace	N/A	Will delete the previous character (or the characters within the `selectedRange`, see example below).
`{del}`	Delete	N/A	Will delete the next character (or the characters within the `selectedRange`, see example below)
`{selectall}`	N/A	N/A	Selects all the text of the element. Note that this will only work for elements that support selection ranges (so, not `email`, `password`, `number`, among others)
`{arrowleft}`	ArrowLeft	N/A
`{arrowright}`	ArrowRight	N/A
`{shift}`	Shift	`shiftKey`	Does not capitalize following characters.
`{ctrl}`	Control	`ctrlKey`
`{alt}`	Alt	`altKey`
`{meta}`	OS	`metaKey`

A note about modifiers: Modifier keys ({shift}, {ctrl}, {alt}, {meta}) will activate their corresponding event modifiers for the duration of type command or until they are closed (via {/shift}, {/ctrl}, etc.). If they are not closed explicitly, then events will be fired to close them automatically (to disable this, set the skipAutoClose option to true).

We take the same stance as Cypress in that we do not simulate the behavior that happens with modifier key combinations as different operating systems function differently in this regard.

An example of an usage with a selection range:

import React from 'react'
import {render, screen} from '@testing-library/react'
import userEvent from '@testing-library/user-event'

test('delete characters within the selectedRange', () => {
  render(
    <div>
      <label htmlFor="my-input">Example:</label>
      <input id="my-input" type="text" value="This is a bad example" />
    </div>,
  )
  const input = screen.getByLabelText(/example/i)
  input.setSelectionRange(10, 13)
  userEvent.type(input, '{backspace}good')

  expect(input).toHaveValue('This is a good example')
})

`upload(element, file, [{ clickInit, changeInit }])`

Uploads file to an <input>. For uploading multiple files use <input> with multiple attribute and the second upload argument must be array then. Also it's possible to initialize click or change event with using third argument.

import React from 'react'
import {render, screen} from '@testing-library/react'
import userEvent from '@testing-library/user-event'

test('upload file', () => {
  const file = new File(['hello'], 'hello.png', {type: 'image/png'})

  render(
    <div>
      <label htmlFor="file-uploader">Upload file:</label>
      <input id="file-uploader" type="file" />
    </div>,
  )
  const input = screen.getByLabelText(/upload file/i)
  userEvent.upload(input, file)

  expect(input.files[0]).toStrictEqual(file)
  expect(input.files.item(0)).toStrictEqual(file)
  expect(input.files).toHaveLength(1)
})

test('upload multiple files', () => {
  const files = [
    new File(['hello'], 'hello.png', {type: 'image/png'}),
    new File(['there'], 'there.png', {type: 'image/png'}),
  ]

  render(
    <div>
      <label htmlFor="file-uploader">Upload file:</label>
      <input id="file-uploader" type="file" multiple />
    </div>,
  )
  const input = screen.getByLabelText(/upload file/i)
  userEvent.upload(input, files)

  expect(input.files).toHaveLength(2)
  expect(input.files[0]).toStrictEqual(files[0])
  expect(input.files[1]).toStrictEqual(files[1])
})

`clear(element)`

Selects the text inside an <input> or <textarea> and deletes it.

import React from 'react'
import {render, screen} from '@testing-library/react'
import userEvent from '@testing-library/user-event'

test('clear', () => {
  render(<textarea value="Hello, World!" />)

  userEvent.clear(screen.getByRole('textbox', 'email'))
  expect(screen.getByRole('textbox', 'email')).toHaveAttribute('value', '')
})

`selectOptions(element, values)`

Selects the specified option(s) of a <select> or a <select multiple> element.

import React from 'react'
import {render, screen} from '@testing-library/react'
import userEvent from '@testing-library/user-event'

test('selectOptions', () => {
  render(
    <select multiple data-testid="select-multiple">
      <option data-testid="val1" value="1">
        A
      </option>
      <option data-testid="val2" value="2">
        B
      </option>
      <option data-testid="val3" value="3">
        C
      </option>
    </select>,
  )

  userEvent.selectOptions(screen.getByTestId('select-multiple'), ['1', '3'])

  expect(screen.getByTestId('val1').selected).toBe(true)
  expect(screen.getByTestId('val2').selected).toBe(false)
  expect(screen.getByTestId('val3').selected).toBe(true)
})

The values parameter can be either an array of values or a singular scalar value.

It also accepts option nodes:

userEvent.selectOptions(screen.getByTestId('select-multiple'), [
  screen.getByText('A'),
  screen.getByText('B'),
])

`deselectOptions(element, values)`

Remove the selection for the specified option(s) of a <select multiple> element.

import * as React from 'react'
import {render, screen} from '@testing-library/react'
import userEvent from '@testing-library/user-event'

test('deselectOptions', () => {
  render(
    <select multiple>
      <option value="1">A</option>
      <option value="2">B</option>
      <option value="3">C</option>
    </select>,
  )

  userEvent.selectOptions(screen.getByRole('listbox'), '2')
  expect(screen.getByText('B').selected).toBe(true)
  userEvent.deselectOptions(screen.getByRole('listbox'), '2')
  expect(screen.getByText('B').selected).toBe(false)
  // can do multiple at once as well:
  // userEvent.deselectOptions(screen.getByRole('listbox'), ['1', '2'])
})

The values parameter can be either an array of values or a singular scalar value.

`tab({shift, focusTrap})`

Fires a tab event changing the document.activeElement in the same way the browser does.

Options:

shift (default false) can be true or false to invert tab direction.
focusTrap (default document) a container element to restrict the tabbing within.

A note about tab: jsdom does not support tabbing, so this feature is a way to enable tests to verify tabbing from the end user's perspective. However, this limitation in jsdom will mean that components like focus-trap-react will not work with userEvent.tab() or jsdom. For that reason, the focusTrap option is available to let you ensure your user is restricted within a focus-trap.

import React from 'react'
import {render, screen} from '@testing-library/react'
import '@testing-library/jest-dom/extend-expect'
import userEvent from '@testing-library/user-event'

it('should cycle elements in document tab order', () => {
  render(
    <div>
      <input data-testid="element" type="checkbox" />
      <input data-testid="element" type="radio" />
      <input data-testid="element" type="number" />
    </div>,
  )

  const [checkbox, radio, number] = screen.getAllByTestId('element')

  expect(document.body).toHaveFocus()

  userEvent.tab()

  expect(checkbox).toHaveFocus()

  userEvent.tab()

  expect(radio).toHaveFocus()

  userEvent.tab()

  expect(number).toHaveFocus()

  userEvent.tab()

  // cycle goes back to the body element
  expect(document.body).toHaveFocus()

  userEvent.tab()

  expect(checkbox).toHaveFocus()
})

`hover(element)`

Hovers over element.

import React from 'react'
import {render, screen} from '@testing-library/react'
import userEvent from '@testing-library/user-event'
import Tooltip from '../tooltip'

test('hover', () => {
  const messageText = 'Hello'
  render(
    <Tooltip messageText={messageText}>
      <TrashIcon aria-label="Delete" />
    </Tooltip>,
  )

  userEvent.hover(screen.getByLabelText(/delete/i))
  expect(screen.getByText(messageText)).toBeInTheDocument()
  userEvent.unhover(screen.getByLabelText(/delete/i))
  expect(screen.queryByText(messageText)).not.toBeInTheDocument()
})

`unhover(element)`

Unhovers out of element.

See above for an example

`paste(element, text, eventInit, options)`

Allows you to simulate the user pasting some text into an input.

test('should paste text in input', () => {
  render(<MyInput />)

  const text = 'Hello, world!'
  userEvent.paste(getByRole('textbox', {name: /paste your greeting/i}), text)
  expect(element).toHaveValue(text)
})

You can use the eventInit if what you're pasting should have clipboardData (like files).