How can I properly return a value from a Cypress helper function for use in my test?

The key is to return the Cypress chain from your helper function. Cypress commands, such as cy.get(), are asynchronous. You can’t return a value synchronously. Instead, you must “chain” the commands and let the caller capture the value via a .then() callback.

Try updating your helper function as follows:

JAVASCRIPTCopied
// helperFunction.js
module.exports.schemaChecker = () => {
  return cy.get('script:contains("@context")')
    .its('length')
    .then((len) => {
      cy.task('log', 'Schemas: ' + len);
      return len > 1 ? "fail" : "pass";
    });
}

Then in your test file you can use:

JAVASCRIPTCopied
import { schemaChecker } from '../../support/helperFunctions.js';

Given('I am on X page', () => {
  cy.viewport(1480, 1000);
  cy.visit(pageUrl);
  
  schemaChecker().then((response) => {
    if (response === "fail") {
      // Do something, e.g., throw an error or log
    }
  });
});

Explanation

• Returning the Chain:
  When you prefix your Cypress command with a return, you ensure that the function returns the entire chain. This allows you to attach .then() in your tests.

• Avoid Synchronous Returns:
  Since Cypress commands are asynchronous, you should always work in the chained callback (.then). This avoids errors like mixing synchronous and asynchronous code.

• Conditional Return:
  In the helper, after checking the length, we use a ternary operator to return a string ("fail" or "pass"). Adjust this to meet your application logic.

This approach leverages Cypress’s built-in asynchronous handling to work correctly with values extracted from commands.