Remove an item from localStorage in a protractor test

Question

I am trying to remove an entry in the localStorage from a protractor test

describe('The feature', function() {

  beforeEach(function() {
    browser.executeScript('localStorage.removeItem("key");');
  });

  it('should do this', function() {

  });
});

but i get this error when the test is run in chrome

UnknownError: <unknown>: Access to 'localStorage' is denied for this document. Storage is disabled inside 'data:' URLs.
  (Session info: chrome=32.0.1700.77)
  (Driver info: chromedriver=2.8.241036,platform=Mac OS X 10.9.0 x86_64) (WARNING: The server did not provide any stacktrace information)
Command duration or timeout: 436 milliseconds
Build info: version: '2.39.0', revision: 'ff23eac', time: '2013-12-16 16:11:15'
System info: host: 'MyPC.local', ip: '192.168.1.1', os.name: 'Mac OS X', os.arch: 'x86_64', os.version: '10.9', java.version: '1.7.0_45'
Session ID: 23c01c8f756c653a6345e4b2f20c06e5
Driver info: org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver
Capabilities [{platform=MAC, acceptSslCerts=true, javascriptEnabled=true, browserName=chrome, chrome={userDataDir=/var/folders/9h/6j5pzftn4sxdw3rt25ffrqx80000gn/T/.org.chromium.Chromium.xrCG1d}, rotatable=false, locationContextEnabled=true, version=32.0.1700.77, takesHeapSnapshot=true, cssSelectorsEnabled=true, databaseEnabled=false, handlesAlerts=true, browserConnectionEnabled=false, nativeEvents=true, webStorageEnabled=true, applicationCacheEnabled=false, takesScreenshot=true}]

Poyssick

Is the devtools tab opened when you run the tests? – Humblebee

@IlanFrumer no it isn't. – Poyssick

Did you solve your problem? – Marlysmarmaduke

@MatsStijlaart Not yet. – Poyssick

I realized that this would only occur on my first test before the browser is launched. Because the browser will have a clean context on the first test, I just added a try/catch around the executed javascript to pass the first test. – Marlysmarmaduke

Answer 1

Another potential solution is to put any state clearing in an afterEach, which will run after any test is run: (see https://github.com/angular/protractor/issues/188)

afterEach(function() {
    browser.executeScript('window.sessionStorage.clear();');
    browser.executeScript('window.localStorage.clear();');
});

Denature

Answer 2

I solved this issue by checking the window.location before attempting to clear/modify sessionStorage or localStorage.

If a page has not been loaded then window.location.hostname will equal the empty string ''. So if you get the emptystring, then don't attempt to interact with sessionStorage or localStorage.

Here's some (ES6) code I used in my protractor suite to prevent this error. Note it's a cucumber-js After function, but it is still executed from protractor using chrome, and it demonstrates what you need to do to avoid this error:

this.After(function(scenario) {

  function getWindowLocation() {
    return window.location;
  }

  function clearStorage() {
    window.sessionStorage.clear();
    window.localStorage.clear();
  }

  return browser.executeScript(getWindowLocation).then(function(location) {
    // NB If no page is loaded in the scneario then calling clearStorage will cause exception
    // so guard against this by checking hostname (If no page loaded then hostname == '')
    if (location.hostname.length > 0) {
      return browser.executeScript(clearStorage);
    }
    else {
      return Promise.resolve();
    }
  });
});

Medicare

Answer 3

It happens because your browser is not yet open when you trying to access it's localStorage.

You should move your localStorage manipulation to happen after the browser is open. Or, as suggested in the comment, to try/catch the JS execution of the first test (if it suits your scenario).

Shirty

Answer 4

There is a bug with selenium that opens pages with "data:" urls

The probelm is that localStorage isn't supported on "data:" urls

I found this issue: https://code.google.com/p/chromedriver/issues/detail?id=293

The Chrome 32 upgrade broke it again. Downloading the latest chromedriver (2.8) fixes it.

So just update your chromedriver.

Humblebee

My chrome driver version is : node_modules/protractor/selenium/chromedriver Starting ChromeDriver (v2.8.241036) on port 9515 – Poyssick

I'm getting this same error while using ChromeDriver 2.10.267517 Any possible solution? @Poyssick moved in comment – Armes

Still occurred with 2.8 – Houchens