How do I trigger a ngModel model update in an Angular 2 unit test?

Question

I am attempting to test a component containing a text input element. I want to verify that the state of the component changes as expected when the value of the text input changes. The text input, of course, utilizes the ngModel directive (two-way binding).

Although the component works fine at runtime, I'm having trouble creating a valid, passing test. I have posted what I think should work below, and the test result following that.

What am I doing wrong?

TEST:

import {Component} from 'angular2/core';
import {describe, it, injectAsync, TestComponentBuilder} from 'angular2/testing';
import {FORM_DIRECTIVES} from 'angular2/common';
import {By} from 'angular2/platform/common_dom';

class TestComponent {
    static get annotations() {
        return [
            new Component({
                template: '<input type="text" [(ngModel)]="name" /><p>Hello {{name}}</p>',
                directives: [FORM_DIRECTIVES]
            })
        ]
    }
}

describe('NgModel', () => {
    it('should update the model', injectAsync([TestComponentBuilder], tcb => {
        return tcb
            .createAsync(TestComponent)
            .then(fixture => {
                fixture.nativeElement.querySelector('input').value = 'John';
                const inputElement = fixture.debugElement.query(By.css('input'));
                inputElement.triggerEventHandler('input', { target: inputElement.nativeElement });
                fixture.detectChanges();
                expect(fixture.componentInstance.name).toEqual('John');
            });
    }));
});

OUTPUT:

Chrome 45.0.2454 (Mac OS X 10.10.5) NgModel should update the model FAILED
    Expected undefined to equal 'John'.
        at /Users/nsaunders/Projects/ng2-esnext-seed/src/test/ngmodel.spec.js!transpiled:41:52
        at ZoneDelegate.invoke (/Users/nsaunders/Projects/ng2-esnext-seed/node_modules/angular2/bundles/angular2-polyfills.js:322:29)
        at Zone.run (/Users/nsaunders/Projects/ng2-esnext-seed/node_modules/angular2/bundles/angular2-polyfills.js:218:44)
        at /Users/nsaunders/Projects/ng2-esnext-seed/node_modules/angular2/bundles/angular2-polyfills.js:567:58
        at ZoneDelegate.invokeTask (/Users/nsaunders/Projects/ng2-esnext-seed/node_modules/angular2/bundles/angular2-polyfills.js:355:38)
        at Zone.runTask (/Users/nsaunders/Projects/ng2-esnext-seed/node_modules/angular2/bundles/angular2-polyfills.js:254:48)
        at drainMicroTaskQueue (/Users/nsaunders/Projects/ng2-esnext-seed/node_modules/angular2/bundles/angular2-polyfills.js:473:36)
        at XMLHttpRequest.ZoneTask.invoke (/Users/nsaunders/Projects/ng2-esnext-seed/node_modules/angular2/bundles/angular2-polyfills.js:425:22)

Answer 1

Here's a way to do it:

import {Component} from 'angular2/core';
import {describe, it, inject, fakeAsync, tick, TestComponentBuilder} from 'angular2/testing';
import {FORM_DIRECTIVES} from 'angular2/common';

class TestComponent {
    static get annotations() {
        return [
            new Component({
                template: '<input type="text" [(ngModel)]="name" /><p>Hello {{name}}</p>',
                directives: [FORM_DIRECTIVES]
            })
        ]
    }
}

describe('NgModel', () => {
    it('should update the model', inject([TestComponentBuilder], fakeAsync(tcb => {
        let fixture = null;
        tcb.createAsync(TestComponent).then(f => fixture = f);
        tick();

        fixture.detectChanges();
        let input = fixture.nativeElement.querySelector('input');
        input.value = 'John';
        let evt = document.createEvent('Event');
        evt.initEvent('input', true, false);
        input.dispatchEvent(evt);
        tick(50);

        expect(fixture.componentInstance.name).toEqual('John');
    })));
});

Answer 2

NgModel listens to the input event to get notified about changes:

dispatchEvent(inputElement, "input");
tick();

For other input elements other events might be used (checkbox, radio, option,...).

Answer 3

I handled it this way:

import {TestBed, ComponentFixture, async} from "@angular/core/testing";
import {dispatchEvent} from "@angular/platform-browser/testing/browser_util";
import {FormsModule} from "@angular/forms";
import {By} from "@angular/platform-browser";
import {DebugElement} from "@angular/core";

describe('my.component', () => {

    let comp: MyComp,
        fixture: ComponentFixture<MyComp>;

    beforeEach(async(() => {
            TestBed.configureTestingModule({
                imports: [FormsModule],
                declarations: [
                    MyComp
                ]
            }).compileComponents().then(() => {
                fixture = TestBed.createComponent(MyComp);
                comp = fixture.componentInstance;
                fixture.detectChanges();
            });
        })
    );

    it('should handle inputs', () => {
        const sendInputs = (inputs: Array<DebugElement>) => {
            inputs.forEach(input => {
                dispatchEvent(input.nativeElement, 'input');
            });
            fixture.detectChanges();
            return fixture.whenStable();
        };

        let inputs: Array<DebugElement> = fixture.debugElement.queryAll(By.css('input'));

        // set username input value
        inputs[0].nativeElement.value = "Username";

        // set email input value
        inputs[1].nativeElement.value = "Email";

        sendInputs(inputs).then(() => {
            // emit click event to submit form
            fixture.nativeElement.querySelectorAll('button')[0].click();

            expect(comp.username).toBe("Username");
            expect(comp.email).toBe("Email");
        });
    });
});

And my html kinda looking like this:

<form (ngSubmit)="submit()">
    <input type="text" name="username" class="form-control" placeholder="username" required [(ngModel)]="username">
    <input type="email" name="email" class="form-control" placeholder="email" required [(ngModel)]="email">
    <button type="submit" class="btn btn-primary block full-width m-b">Submit</button>
</form>

I also suggest checking out angulars source code testing which helped me alot: Forms tests