Improve Testing Experience with a11y and i18n

The process of labeling test ids in the appropriate locations for our web applications has been consuming a significant amount of engineering hours for our QA teams. Their responsibility lies in writing end-to-end tests, which necessitates the use of test ids. While it is feasible to assign test ids during the development of new features, we can view this challenge as an opportunity to enhance the accessibility of our applications and educate everyone involved about the benefits it offers.

To date, the most frequent areas where test ids are required include forms, graphical elements, description lists, and tables. In this article, I will demonstrate how we can minimize the widespread use of test ids by leveraging accessibility principles (a11y). Additionally, we will explore the potential of integrating internationalization (i18n) and a customized Babel plugin, allowing us to extend the benefits even further.

Accessible Form

To establish a relationship between the <label> element and the <input> element, utilize the for attribute. Additionally, use the aria-describedby attribute to connect the <input> element with descriptive elements such as helper and error messages.

<form>
  <div>
    <label for="title">
      i18n.form.field.title
    </label>
    <input
      id="title"
      name="title"
      aria-describedby="title-helper-message title-error-message"
      type="text"
    />
  </div>
  <div id="title-helper-message">
    i18n.form.field.title.helper_message
  </div>
  <div id="title-error-message">
    i18n.form.field.title.error_message
  </div>
</form>

To test this form using Cypress, consider the following code:

// get input by label
cy.contains('i18n.form.field.title').then(($label) => {
  const forInput = $label.attr('for');
  cy.get(`[name="${forInput}"]`).type('test');
});
 
// get helper text by input
// helper text is not visible by default
cy.get('[name="title"]').then(($input) => {
  const id = $input.attr('aria-describedby').split(' ')[0];
  cy.get(`#${id}`).contains('i18n.form.field.title.helper_message');
});
 
// get error message by input
// error message is not visible by default
cy.get('[name="title"]').then(($input) => {
  const id = $input.attr('aria-describedby').split(' ')[1];
  cy.get(`#${id}`).contains('i18n.form.field.title.error_message');
});

Accessible Graphical Element

When an interactive element lacks an accessible name, employ the aria-label attribute.

<button aria-label="Hide" onClick={handleClick}>
  🫣
</button>

To test this graphical element using Cypress, use the following code:

// get visual indication by aria-label
cy.get('[aria-label="Hide"]').click();

Accessible Description List

To display a list of key-value pairs, utilize the <dl>, <dd>, and <dt> elements.

<dl>
  <dt>i18n.cart.summary.price</dt>
  <dd>$200</dd>
</dl>

To test this description list using Cypress, consider the following code:

// get description by term
cy.contains('i18n.cart.summary.price')
  .closest('dl')
  .find('dd')
  .contains('$200');

It is also acceptable to wrap the elements within a <div> element for styling purposes. This does not impact the accessibility tree or the Cypress test.

<dl>
  <div>
    <div>
      <dt>i18n.cart.summary.price</dt>
    </div>
    <dd>$200</dd>
  </div>
</dl>

Accessible Table

To provide a clear and concise purpose for a table, include a <caption> element that describes it.

<table>
  <caption>i18n.table.caption</caption>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th scope="col">i18n.table.col.header.order_id</th>
      <th scope="col">i18n.table.col.header.order_by</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>9mq1123p</td>
      <td>Leo</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>mkq12ie4</td>
      <td>Leo</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

To test this table using Cypress, use the following code:

// get table by caption
cy.contains('i18n.table.caption').closest('table');
 
// get table's header row
cy.contains('i18n.table.caption')
  .closest('table')
  .find('thead tr') // can also query by "scope=col"
  .within(() => {
    cy.get('th').eq(0).contains('i18n.table.col.header.order_id');
    cy.get('th').eq(1).contains('i18n.table.col.header.order_by');
  });
 
// get table's body rows
cy.contains('i18n.table.caption')
  .closest('table')
  .find('tbody tr')
  .first()
  .within(() => {
    cy.get('td').eq(0).contains('9mq1123p');
    cy.get('td').eq(1).contains('Leo');
  });
cy.contains('i18n.table.caption')
  .closest('table')
  .find('tbody tr')
  .eq(1)
  .within(() => {
    cy.get('td').eq(0).contains('mkq12ie4');
    cy.get('td').eq(1).contains('Leo');
  });

In cases where the <caption> should not be displayed but needs to be maintained in the HTML structure for accessibility, you can utilize the following CSS:

caption {
  position: absolute;
  border: 0;
  padding: 0;
  height: 1px;
  width: 1px;
  margin: -1px;
  overflow: hidden;
}

i18n Key as data-test-id

Supporting internationalization (i18n) within our team is crucial. However, it can complicate our workflow due to the increased language support and the maintenance challenges it poses for testing code. One approach to address this issue is to utilize a customized Babel plugin (or SWC plugin). By doing so, we can leverage the i18n keys as data-test-id, which not only facilitates debugging but also allows us to pinpoint the exact location of any UI issues through web developer tools.

<form>
  <div>
    <label htmlFor="title">
      {t("i18n.form.field.title")}
    </label>
    <input
      id="title"
      name="title"
      aria-describedby="title-helper-message title-error-message"
      type="text"
    />
  </div>
  <div id="title-helper-message">
    {t("i18n.form.field.title.helper_message")}
  </div>
  <div id="title-error-message">
    {t("i18n.form.field.title.error_message")}
  </div>
</form>

The JSX code above will be transformed into the following:

<form>
  <div>
    <label
      htmlFor="title"
      data-test-id="i18n.form.field.title"
    >
      {t("i18n.form.field.title")}
    </label>
    <input
      id="title"
      name="title"
      aria-describedby="title-helper-message title-error-message"
      type="text"
    />
  </div>
  <div
    id="title-helper-message"
    data-test-id="i18n.form.field.title.helper_message"
  >
    {t("i18n.form.field.title.helper_message")}
  </div>
  <div
    id="title-error-message"
    data-test-id="i18n.form.field.title.error_message"
  >
    {t("i18n.form.field.title.error_message")}
  </div>
</form>

By transforming the i18n keys into data-test-id attributes, we enhance the maintainability of our testing code while preserving the ability to quickly identify and debug issues within our UI using the associated i18n keys.

Conclusion

Testing plays a crucial role in delivering a high-quality product, enabling engineers to develop new features with confidence and minimize the risk of introducing defects. Throughout this blog post, we have explored a new approach that leverages two key aspects: accessibility (a11y) and internationalization (i18n). By incorporating these principles, we have successfully reduced the communication overhead between our QA teams and frontend teams, while also fostering a greater emphasis on web accessibility among our frontend engineers. Although there are still some exceptional cases that require manual handling, they are rare occurrences. As a result of implementing this new approach, we are expecting a 90% reduction in engineering hours dedicated to manually labeling the test ids.

By embracing a holistic testing strategy that integrates a11y and i18n, we are well-equipped to deliver robust and inclusive web applications while empowering our engineering teams to focus on innovation and feature development.