Nightwatch: Timed out while waiting for element to be present. - expected "found" but got "not found"

Question

Using Nighwatch's POM below is a page function to click a button, page needs to be refreshed and validate if element present.

using this.api.refresh() to refresh the page. But waitForElementPresent fails:

checkfile: function () {
        return this
            .click('@confirmButton')
            .waitForElementVisible('@notification', 45000)
            .pause(1000)
            .api.refresh()
            .pause(10000)
            .waitForElementPresent('@dashboardButton', 30000)
            .end();
            
    }

The .waitForElementPresent('@dashboardButton', 30000) returns error:

Error while running .locateMultipleElements() protocol action: invalid selector: An invalid or illegal selector was specified

Timed out while waiting for element <@dashboardButton> to be present for 30000 milliseconds. - expected "found" but got: "not found"

Answer 1

It might be useful for you to provide the selectors in @notification and @dashboardButton for additional troubleshooting. The error indicates a problem with the syntax, or a character that the browser you're testing with doesn't like, in one of those two decorators.

Answer 2

I would change your structure slightly:

checkfile: function () {
    this
        .click('@confirmButton')
        .waitForElementVisible('@notification', 45000)
        .pause(1000)
        .api.refresh()
    this
        .pause(10000)
        .waitForElementPresent('@dashboardButton', 30000)
        .end();
    return this;
}