Notes for a code read at the Boston Software Craftsmanship meeting on 4/1/2013.

Page Objects

Page Objects
"Within your web app's UI there are areas that your tests interact with. 
A Page Object simply models these as objects within the test code. 
This reduces the amount of duplicated code and means that if the UI changes, 
the fix need only be applied in one place."

Page-object gem is used with Cucumber (ruby) either testing via watir or selenium

--- usage snippet --- 

class CreateAnimal
  include PageObject

  page_url "#{@@base_url}/animal/new"

  select_list(:genus, :id => 'genus_selector')
  button(:submit, :value => 'Submit')
  text_field(:name, :id => 'name')
  text_field(:birth_date, :id => 'birthday')
  label(:message, :id => 'success_message')

  def add genus, name
    self.genus = genus
    self.name = name
    self.birth_date = '3/1/2011'
  end

  def find_name
    #get the name out of self.message
  end
end

Given /^I have a "([^"]*)" named "([^"]*)"$/ do |genus, name|
  visit_page(CreateAnimal) { |page| page.add genus, name }
end

Given /^his birthday is "([^"]*)"$/ do |birthday|
  on_page(CreateAnimal) { |page| page.birth_date = birthday }
end

When /^he's added$/ do 
  on_page(CreateAnimal) { |page| page.submit }
end

Then /^"([^"]*)" is successfully saved$/ do |name|
  on_page(CreateAnimal) { |page| page.find_name.should == name }
end

It is test-driven from the outside in using Cucumber and RSpec.
Look into elements (features, specs, elements)

< I wish the element-based features were in an elements folder >

Platforms are platform-specific [watir || selenium] modules for various elements. 
They get mixed-in (essentially multiple inheritance) during page-object element initialization.

TODO: look into root classes

* ele is shorthand for element; eles is elements
* 80 char line lengths would be better
* Any opinions on monkey patching String for is_integer? (and no test?)

--- resources ---

Wiki:
https://github.com/cheezy/page-object/wiki

Google group:
https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups#!forum/page-object

Page Object pattern:
https://code.google.com/p/selenium/wiki/PageObjects