Writing Tests for Axe DevTools for Web for WebDriverJS

Writing tests with Axe DevTools

The individual snippets in the sections below are JavaScript, and they compile unchanged in TypeScript. The Complete Sample File section gives the full test in both languages.

Prerequisites

In order to import and initialize Axe DevTools for Web, it needs to be installed first. If you haven't yet, read the guide on how to install it from a bundle, from your artifact repository, or from Deque's Agora. You also need a downloaded and configured Selenium WebDriver of your choice.

Importing and Initializing

Import both Axe DevTools for Web and WebDriverJS. The syntax depends on the language and module system your project uses. Pick the one that matches your project:

JavaScript with CommonJS modules

This is the default for a Node.js project without "type": "module" in its package.json.

const { AxeDevToolsBuilder } = require('@axe-devtools/webdriverjs');
const webdriver = require('selenium-webdriver');

JavaScript with ES modules

Use this syntax in a project with "type": "module" in its package.json, or in .mjs files.

import { AxeDevToolsBuilder } from '@axe-devtools/webdriverjs';
import webdriver from 'selenium-webdriver';

TypeScript

TypeScript uses the same import syntax as ES modules. @axe-devtools/webdriverjs ships its own type declarations, so there is no separate @types/ package to install. Scan results are typed as AxeResults, which axe-core exports:

import { AxeDevToolsBuilder } from '@axe-devtools/webdriverjs';
import { Builder } from 'selenium-webdriver';
import type { WebDriver } from 'selenium-webdriver';
import type { AxeResults } from 'axe-core';

Initializing the Driver

Once you've imported Axe DevTools for Web, you can initialize the driver. Each scan requires its own instance of Axe DevTools for Web, so you'll initialize that while writing tests.

In JavaScript:

const driver = new webdriver.Builder().forBrowser('chrome').build();

In TypeScript, using the Builder and WebDriver types imported above:

const driver: WebDriver = new Builder().forBrowser('chrome').build();

Getting Scan Context

Before you can scan a page for accessibility, it needs to be accessed by the webdriver.

await driver.get('<URL>');

Once the webdriver has accessed the page, you can scan it with Axe DevTools and save the results. The most simple way to view the results of the scan is to console log the results object.

const results = await new AxeDevToolsBuilder(driver).analyze();
console.log(results);

Complete Sample File

The same test is shown below in JavaScript and in TypeScript. The Axe DevTools API is identical in both; the TypeScript version uses import syntax and annotates the driver and the scan results.

JavaScript

const { AxeDevToolsBuilder } = require('@axe-devtools/webdriverjs');
const WebDriver = require('selenium-webdriver');

var driver = new WebDriver.Builder().forBrowser('chrome').build();

driver.get('https://google.com').then(function() {
  new AxeDevToolsBuilder(driver).analyze(function(err, results) {
    if (err) {
      // Handle error
    }
    console.log(results);
  });
});

TypeScript

import { AxeDevToolsBuilder } from '@axe-devtools/webdriverjs';
import { Builder } from 'selenium-webdriver';
import type { WebDriver } from 'selenium-webdriver';
import type { AxeResults } from 'axe-core';

(async () => {
  const driver: WebDriver = new Builder().forBrowser('chrome').build();

  try {
    await driver.get('https://google.com');
    const results: AxeResults = await new AxeDevToolsBuilder(driver).analyze();
    console.log(results);
  } finally {
    await driver.quit();
  }
})();

Next Steps

Now that you've successfully completed an accessibility scan, you're ready to move on to more advanced scanning topics like generating reports and using the results object.

Troubleshooting

If you have trouble with getting scan results, contact your Deque representative directly, reach us via our support desk, or send us an email. We'll be happy to help.