Cypress run doesn't terminate app instance after all tests finishes

[majdkhasib]

How can I terminate app instance after cypress finish testing? it looks like the default is to keep app instance for further debugging

[DevJSter]

By default, Cypress keeps the application instance running after the test suite has finished executing to allow for easier debugging and inspection. This can be helpful for diagnosing issues, but it might also result in unwanted behavior, like holding up system resources or affecting subsequent test runs.

If you want to ensure that the application instance is terminated after Cypress finishes testing, you have a couple of options:

1. Using Custom Commands:

   You can create a custom command in Cypress that stops or closes your application instance. This command can be added to your test scripts to ensure that the application is properly terminated after the tests are complete.

   In your commands.js file (located in your cypress/support directory), you can add a custom command like this:

   Cypress.Commands.add('terminateApp', () => {
     // Insert code to terminate or close your application instance here
   });

   Then, in your test scripts, you can call this custom command after your tests:

   describe('Your Test Suite', () => {
     it('Your Test Case', () => {
       // Your test steps here
     });
   
     afterEach(() => {
       cy.terminateApp(); // Call the custom command to terminate the app instance
     });
   });

2. Using a Task:

   Cypress provides a feature called "task" which allows you to run asynchronous code outside of the test context. You can define a task to stop or close your application instance.

   In your commands.js file, define a task:

   Cypress.Commands.add('terminateApp', () => {
     cy.task('terminateApp'); // Calls the task named 'terminateApp'
   });

   In your cypress/plugins/index.js file, define the task:

   module.exports = (on, config) => {
     on('task', {
       terminateApp: () => {
         // Insert code to terminate or close your application instance here
         return null; // Return a value if needed
       },
     });
   };

   Then, in your test scripts, you can call this task after your tests:

   describe('Your Test Suite', () => {
     it('Your Test Case', () => {
       // Your test steps here
     });
   
     afterEach(() => {
       cy.terminateApp(); // Call the task to terminate the app instance
     });
   });

Remember that the exact implementation of terminating or closing the application instance depends on your specific setup and technology stack. It could involve shutting down the server, stopping Docker containers, or any other necessary steps to fully terminate the application. Be sure to adjust the code in the custom command or task according to your application's requirements.

[majdkhasib]

Thank you so much
I used $NPX kill-port $PORT

[silvanaweb]

I am not sure if terminating the app at each cycle would be ideal. I suppose we should terminate it after a batch of tests. 🤔

[majdkhasib]

Hey @DevJSter
I have a bash script that runs this:

$NYC_CMD $NPX $EXEC $CMD $CYPRESS_CFG --browser $BROWSER --env updateSnapshots=true,SNAPSHOTS_DIR=$SNAPSHOTS_DIR,E2E=true,E2E_RECORD=$E2E_RECORD & test_pid=$!

// Wait until test runner is done
wait $test_pid
$NPX kill-port $PORT

sometimes cypress fails to exit and keeps the runner in the background(wait $test_pid keeps waiting forever and kill-port command never gets executed)

Not sure how to debug the problem and fix

[DevJSter]

Dealing with a situation where your bash script hangs can be quite frustrating, but we can work through this step by step. Here are some suggestions to help you figure out and fix the problem:

1. Check for Errors: Take a closer look at your script to make sure there are no errors or unexpected behaviors. You can add some print statements in your script to see what's happening at different stages.

2. Exit Codes: It's important to know if any of the commands you're running are failing. You can use $? to capture the exit code of each command. If the exit code is not zero, it means the command didn't run successfully.

3. Logging: Cypress likely generates logs that can provide insights into what's causing the issue. Redirect both the standard output and errors to a log file to capture these details:

   $NYC_CMD $NPX $EXEC $CMD $CYPRESS_CFG --browser $BROWSER --env updateSnapshots=true,SNAPSHOTS_DIR=$SNAPSHOTS_DIR,E2E=true,E2E_RECORD=$E2E_RECORD > cypress.log 2>&1 &
   test_pid=$!

4. Signal Handling: Sometimes, processes can misbehave if they're not handling certain signals correctly. Make sure that Cypress is responding properly to signals like SIGTERM and SIGINT. You can send these signals manually to see if Cypress reacts.

   # Sending SIGTERM to the process
   kill -15 $test_pid

5. Cypress Configuration: Check your Cypress configuration to ensure everything is set up correctly. Mistakes in the configuration can lead to unexpected behavior.

6. Dependency Check: Keep your dependencies, including Cypress, updated. Sometimes, outdated or incompatible dependencies can cause problems.

7. Environmental Factors: Think about any special conditions that might be causing Cypress to misbehave. Are there any specific situations where it fails to exit properly?

8. Manual Investigation: If the other steps don't lead to a solution, you might need to do some manual investigation. Try running each command separately outside of the script to see if any of them cause the hang.

Remember, troubleshooting can take time, and it's okay to experiment and try different things to get to the bottom of the issue.

[majdkhasib]

thank you so much, I used SIGINT and EXIT status to control both ctrl-c and failure/success exists