Websites using Testing-library

Okay, let s break down the testing-library ecosystem. It s a bit unique because it s primarily a collection of open-source tools with a commercial entity providing support and tooling around them.

Overview of testing-library

• What it is: testing-library is a set of libraries for testing user interfaces (UIs) in a way that focuses on simulating real user behavior. Instead of testing implementation details (like the classes or states of components), you interact with the UI as a user would – by finding elements based on text, roles, and other attributes a user can see and interact with.

• Key Principles:

  • User-centric testing: Test from the perspective of the end-user.
  • Avoid implementation details: Reduce reliance on internal component states or methods.
  • Accessibility: Encourage testing with accessibility in mind (e.g., using ARIA roles).
  • Confidence: Tests should provide confidence that the UI works as expected.
  • Maintainability: Reduce brittle tests that break easily when internal code changes.

• Core Libraries:

  • @testing-library/react: For testing React components. (The most popular)
  • @testing-library/vue: For testing Vue components.
  • @testing-library/angular: For testing Angular components.
  • @testing-library/svelte: For testing Svelte components.
  • @testing-library/dom: The underlying library that provides the core querying and assertion methods used by the framework-specific libraries. You can use this directly for testing plain HTML/JavaScript.
  • @testing-library/jest-dom: Provides custom Jest matchers for asserting on DOM nodes (e.g., toBeVisible, toHaveTextContent). This is typically used in conjunction with the framework-specific libraries.
  • @testing-library/user-event: Simulates complex user interactions (like typing, clicking, hovering) more realistically than basic fireEvent.

Revenue

The revenue model for the testing-library ecosystem is somewhat nuanced:

• Open Source: The core testing-library packages themselves are free and open-source (MIT License). This means you can use them in commercial projects without paying any license fees.

• Kent C. Dodds LLC: This company, founded by Kent C. Dodds, is a significant contributor to the testing-library ecosystem. They generate revenue through the following avenues:

  • Epic React Dev Training This is a popular, premium training course that covers React development best practices, including extensive sections on testing-library.
  • TestingJavaScript.com Workshop: A focused workshop specifically on testing JavaScript applications using testing-library and related tools.
  • Enterprise Support and Training: Kent C. Dodds LLC offers tailored support, training, and consulting services to companies using testing-library. This is likely a significant source of revenue.
  • Sponsorships & Donations: The project may receive sponsorships or donations through platforms like Open Collective or GitHub Sponsors, although this is likely a smaller portion of the overall revenue.

• Third-party tools/services: Other companies might build commercial tools or services that integrate with or enhance testing-library.

Alternatives

The choice of testing libraries depends on your framework and testing philosophy. Here s a breakdown of alternatives, categorized by framework:

• React:

  • Jest + Enzyme: A very common combination. Enzyme (from Airbnb, now maintained by the community) provides utilities for traversing and manipulating React component trees. It s more focused on implementation details than testing-library. Less recommended now.
  • Cypress: An end-to-end (E2E) testing framework that runs in a real browser. Good for testing integrations and user flows. Can be slower than unit/component testing.
  • Playwright: Another E2E testing framework, similar to Cypress.
  • React Test Renderer (React s built-in): Allows rendering React components to plain JavaScript objects, making it easy to assert on the rendered output. Useful for very simple tests, but less suitable for complex interactions.

• Vue:

  • Vue Test Utils: The official testing library for Vue. Provides utilities for mounting components, interacting with them, and making assertions.
  • Jest + Vue Test Utils: A common setup.
  • Cypress/Playwright: For E2E testing, similar to React.

• Angular:

  • Angular s built-in testing tools: Angular provides its own testing utilities within the framework (using Jasmine and Karma by default).
  • Jest + Angular Testing Library: You can use Jest with testing-library for Angular.
  • Cypress/Playwright: For E2E testing.

• General JavaScript (DOM):

  • Jest + jsdom: jsdom is a pure-JavaScript implementation of the DOM and browser APIs. You can use it with Jest to test code that interacts with the DOM in a Node.js environment.
  • Mocha + Chai/Sinon: A classic testing framework combination. Mocha is a test runner, Chai is an assertion library, and Sinon provides mocking/stubbing capabilities.
  • Jasmine: A behavior-driven development (BDD) testing framework.

Key Comparison Points When Choosing Alternatives:

• Philosophy: Does the library encourage testing implementation details or user behavior?
• Ease of Use: How easy is it to learn and use the library?
• Community Support: How active and helpful is the community?
• Integration: How well does the library integrate with your chosen framework and testing tools?
• Performance: How fast are the tests?
• E2E vs. Unit/Component: Are you testing the entire application flow (E2E) or individual components in isolation?

Pricing

• Core testing-library Packages: Free (MIT License)
• Epic React Dev Training/TestingJavaScript.com Workshop: These are paid courses/workshops. Pricing varies, typically in the hundreds or thousands of dollars, depending on the format and content. Check the specific websites for current pricing.
• Enterprise Support/Consulting: Pricing is custom and depends on the scope of the engagement. Contact Kent C. Dodds LLC directly for a quote.
• Third-party Tools/Services: If you use any commercial tools that integrate with testing-library, they will have their own pricing structures.

Customer Care Details

Since the core testing-library is open-source, there s no traditional customer care in the same way as a commercial product. However, there are several avenues for support:

• GitHub:
  • Issue Tracking: Report bugs, request features, or ask questions on the GitHub repositories for the specific testing-library packages (e.g., @testing-library/react).
  • Discussions: The GitHub Discussions area can be a good place to ask more general questions and get help from the community.
• Community:
  • Stack Overflow: Search Stack Overflow for questions related to testing-library. You can also ask your own questions, tagging them appropriately (e.g., react-testing-library ).
  • Discord/Slack: Some communities have Discord or Slack channels dedicated to testing-library. Search online for relevant communities.
• Kent C. Dodds LLC:
  • Paid Support/Consulting: If you have a complex issue or need dedicated support, you can contact Kent C. Dodds LLC about their enterprise support services.
  • Course/Workshop Support: If you ve purchased a course or workshop, you may have access to support channels specific to that product.

In summary:

testing-library is a powerful, free, and open-source set of tools for testing UIs. It promotes user-centric testing and avoids implementation details, leading to more maintainable and confident tests. While the core libraries are free, commercial support and training are available from Kent C. Dodds LLC. The best way to get customer care is through their official support or the community. When considering alternatives, carefully evaluate your framework, testing philosophy, and project needs.