FAQ

Here are some frequently asked questions about Quickstrom:

Isn’t this just property-based testing for web applications?

Quickstrom definitely is a form of property-based testing (PBT), but it’s not only that. Being specifically designed for testing web applications, Quickstrom can reduce the amount of work you need to do in order to test properties of your system:

  • Quickstrom discovers and performs actions automatically

  • You specify only the properties you care about, and you don’t have to write a fully functional model

  • Quickstrom aims to (in the future) perform fault injection automatically, such as delaying, cancelling, or manipulating XHR responses, run in concurrent tabs, manipulate cookies or web storage, etc

It might be useful to think of Quickstrom as a mix of PBT, black-box browser testing, and a specification system like TLA+. One aim is “to be the Jepsen for web applications.”

Why should I use Quickstrom instead of a model-based property test?

You might argue that this is just property-based testing, and that you could do this with state machine testing. And you’d be right! Similar tests could be written using a state machine model, WebDriver, and property-based testing.

With Quickstrom, however, you don’t have to write a model that fully specifies the behavior of your system. Instead, you describe the most important state transitions and leave the rest unspecified. You can gradually adopt Quickstrom and improve your specifications over time.

Furthermore, in problem domains where there’s lots of of essential complexity, models tend to become as complex. For example, it’s often hard to find a naive implementation for your model when your modelling a business system with a myriad of arbitrary rules.

Finally, by using linear temporal logic, we can express safety and liveness properties in specifications. This is something that you’d have to build yourself on top of regular property tests.