expect.element().to.not.be.present throws error when using the new element() apis in v2

[michal-ra]

Describe the bug

When testing assertion that element is not present on page, error is thrown when element is not found.

Sample test

sampleTest.js

  'error thrown on missing element': function test() {
    browser.url('http://google.com');
    var nothing = element(by.css('#not-to-be-found'));

    expect(nothing).to.not.be.present;
  },

Run with command
no arguments

Verbose output

debug.log

[Validation Test] Test Suite
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
⠋ Starting ChromeDriver on port 4444...
 Starting ChromeDriver with server_path=/Users/m/projects/XXX-test/node_modules/chromedriver/lib/chromedriver/chromedriver...
   Request POST /session  
   {
     desiredCapabilities: {
       browserName: 'chrome',
       w3c: false,
       acceptInsecureCerts: true,
       chromeOptions: {
         args: [ 'no-sandbox', 'ignore-certificate-errors', 'disable-infobars' ]
       },
       name: ' Validation Test',
       'goog:chromeOptions': {}
     },
     capabilities: {
       alwaysMatch: {
         browserName: 'chrome',
         acceptInsecureCerts: true,
         'goog:chromeOptions': {}
       }
     }
⠏ Starting ChromeDriver on port 4444...
   Response 200 POST /session (1501ms)
   {
     value: {
       capabilities: {
         acceptInsecureCerts: true,
         browserName: 'chrome',
         browserVersion: '96.0.4664.93',
         chrome: {
           chromedriverVersion: '96.0.4664.45 (76e4c1bb2ab4671b8beba3444e61c0f17584b2fc-refs/branch-heads/4664@{#947})',
           userDataDir: '/var/folders/31/4h8wpxl91k3brhb07p1k99qc0000gn/T/.com.google.Chrome.wq3MPd'
         },
         'goog:chromeOptions': { debuggerAddress: 'localhost:51974' },
         networkConnectionEnabled: false,
         pageLoadStrategy: 'normal',
         platformName: 'mac os x',
         proxy: {},
         setWindowRect: true,
         strictFileInteractability: false,
         timeouts: { implicit: 0, pageLoad: 300000, script: 30000 },
         unhandledPromptBehavior: 'dismiss and notify',
         'webauthn:extension:credBlob': true,
         'webauthn:extension:largeBlob': true,
         'webauthn:virtualAuthenticators': true
       },
       sessionId: 'f8849d86357c9954e81dbed964db8b73'
     }
ℹ Connected to ChromeDriver on port 4444 (1545ms).
  Using: chrome (96.0.4664.93) on MAC OS X.

 Received session with ID: f8849d86357c9954e81dbed964db8b73

Running error thrown on missing element:
───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
→ Running command: url (' http://google.com', )
   Request POST /session/f8849d86357c9954e81dbed964db8b73/url  
   { url: ' http://google.com' }
   Response 200 POST /session/f8849d86357c9954e81dbed964db8b73/url (1403ms)
   { value: null }
  → Completed command: url (' http://google.com', ) (1404ms)

→ Running command: element ({name, __index, __selector, locateStrategy, pseudoSelector, parent, resolvedElement})
   Request POST /session/f8849d86357c9954e81dbed964db8b73/elements  
   { using: 'css selector', value: '#not-to-be-found' }
   Response 200 POST /session/f8849d86357c9954e81dbed964db8b73/elements (13ms)
   { value: [] }
  ✖ Expected element <#not-to-be-found> to not be present - element was not found - expected "not present" but got: "error while locating the element" (15ms)
    at Object.test [as error thrown on missing element] (/Users/m/projects/XXX-test/scenarios/validation-test.js:239:5) 

  → Completed command: element ({name, __index, __selector, locateStrategy, pseudoSelector, parent, resolvedElement}) (17ms)

FAILED: 1 assertions failed, 1 errors and  1 passed (4.043s)

→ Running command: end ()
  → Completed command: sessionLog ('browser', [Function]) (13ms)
 
 → Running command: session ('delete', [Function])
   Request DELETE /session/f8849d86357c9954e81dbed964db8b73  

   Response 200 DELETE /session/f8849d86357c9954e81dbed964db8b73 (118ms)
   { value: null }
  → Completed command: session ('delete', [Function]) (120ms)
   
  → Completed command: end () (122ms)

────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

  TEST FAILURE (7.896s): 
   - 1 error during execution; 
   - 1 assertions failed; 1 passed

 NoSuchElementError: Unable to locate element: #not-to-be-found using css selector
   

  ✖ 1) validation-test
 – error thrown on missing element (4.043s)
   Expected element <#not-to-be-found> to not be present - element was not found - expected "not present" but got: "error while locating the element" (15ms)
       at Object.test [as error thrown on missing element] (/Users/m/projects/XXX-test/scenarios/validation-test.js:239:5)

Configuration

nightwatch.json

no special config

Your Environment

Executable	Version
nightwatch --version	2.0.0-beta.1
yarn --version	1.22.4
node --version	v14.15.5

Browser driver	Version
NAME	VERSION
chromedriver	96

OS	Version
NAME	VERSION
macOS Monterey	12.0.1 (21A559)

[beatfactor]

This is actually only a problem when using the new element() apis that were introduced in v2. I think if you just pass the selector directly, it works as expected:

browser.url('http://google.com');
expect.element('#not-to-be-found').to.not.be.present;

[irealsourav]

It is not working with elements described via xpaths as well in v2.
example ::

 const windoXpath='//div[contains(@id,"cdk-overlay")]';
this.expect.element(windoXpath).to.not.be.present;

error message:: 
element was not found - expected "not present" but got: "error while locating the element"

[PawelK2012]

I see the same error with nightwatch 2.0.10 when I try

browser.expect.element('#elemenetID').to.not.be.present;

Error:

Expected element <#elemenetID> to not be present - element was not found - expected "not present" but got: "error while locating the element"

I can see on screen shot that DOM element with #elemenetID is not visible.

[beckyhu]

I got the same error with 2.0.10 by pass the selector directly:
expect.element('#not-to-be-found').to.not.be.present;
The same code works fine with 1.x.
@beatfactor

[ohanslik-vendavo]

I have a problem that might be related.

I am trying to upgrade nightwatch from 0.x to 2.x version right now. Unfortunately, we had some hacks implemented so I am not 100% sure my problem is caused by NW 2 but I think it is.

I am waiting for element not to be present using waitForElementNotPresent('@lockedModelIndicator') on a section in a page object.
From my debugging it seems that:

1. if the element is not present during the first check that everything works fine
2. if the first check fails (element is present), the next check actually looks at the parent element (which is always) present and periodically checks it until timeout.

[lukaszw82]

Experiencing same problem when upgrading from 1.7.8 to 2.1.4:
The codebase contains several hundreds tests and this problem occurs in dozens of them.

this.page = client.page.MyPage();
// command below fails: element was not found - expected "not present" but got: "error while locating the element".
this.page.expect.section('@mySelector').to.not.be.present;

[richardjimenez52]

has this been addressed/solved yet?

[oriolcastellvi]

Hello,
any news about this issue ?
Thanks.