Manipulate Story State with Play Functions and Testing Library Events

Let’s build up a story that utilizes user events.

[Show Page component code].

Start by creating a new component file: src/components/Page.js.

  • import the Page component.
  • Assign in to component on story meta
  • And export a single story that rendres the page in its no-args logged-out state.
Page.stories.js
import {Page} from './Page'


export default {
  component: Page,
}


export const LoggedOut = {}

Great! Now we have a story that renders this page.

We can interact with it right in Storybook. And see that clicking the Log in button renderes the logged in state of the component. But there’s a problem.

We can’t use args to make a new story for this. We have to actually click this button.

If you’ve been testing UI as long as I have, you know that manual testing is a recipe for bugs.

Fortunately, Storybook automatically simplate user events: Play functions.

Let’s implement one.

  • Add a story. I’ll name mine LoggedIn
    • By default, it renders in the default logged in state. That’s expected.
  • Define a play property on the story object.
  • Assign an anonymous async function that takes context as an argument.
  • Use the within helper to create a testing canvas.
  • And query that canvas for a Log in button, using a testing-library query.
  • Finally, simulate a user click event, using testing-library events.
Page.stories.js
 import { within, userEvent } from '@storybook/test';


import {Page} from './Page'


export default {
  component: Page,
}


export const LoggedOut = {}


export const LoggedIn = {
  play: async (context) => {
    const canvas = within(context.canvasElement)
    const loginButton = canvas.getByRole('button', {
      name: /Log in/i,
    })
    await userEvent.click(loginButton)
  },
}

Once we arrive at the desired (LoggedIn) state, for our story, we can also make assertions about what we expect to see.

  • Query the canvas again for the Log out button.
  • expect it toBeInTheDocument
Page.stories.js
import { within, userEvent, expect } from '@storybook/test';


export const LoggedIn = {
  play: async (context) => {
    const canvas = within(context.canvasElement)
    const loginButton = canvas.getByRole('button', {
      name: /Log in/i,
    })


    await userEvent.click(loginButton)


    const logoutButton = canvas.getByRole('button', {
      name: /Log out/i,
    })
    await expect(logoutButton).toBeInTheDocument()
  },
}

With Play function, simple examples like this or complex user flows. This is an incredible way to bring UI narratives to life and protect real-world experiences.