When `plugins/index.js` file is left blank, need more descriptive error on what to export

[xxinyiwho]

Message: The pluginsFile must export a function.

We loaded the pluginsFile from: /Users/xinyi/Documents/X/Xinyi/event-calendar-app/cypress/plugins/index.js

It exported:

Details: {}

Stack trace:

[object Object]
    at Object.get (/Users/xinyi/Library/Caches/Cypress/4.1.0/Cypress.app/Contents/Resources/app/packages/server/lib/errors.js:344:11)
    at EventEmitter.<anonymous> (/Users/xinyi/Library/Caches/Cypress/4.1.0/Cypress.app/Contents/Resources/app/packages/server/lib/plugins/index.js:105:21)
    at EventEmitter.emit (events.js:203:13)
    at ChildProcess.<anonymous> (/Users/xinyi/Library/Caches/Cypress/4.1.0/Cypress.app/Contents/Resources/app/packages/server/lib/plugins/util.js:25:29)
    at ChildProcess.emit (events.js:203:13)
    at emit (internal/child_process.js:876:12)
    at processTicksAndRejections (internal/process/task_queues.js:77:11)
From previous event:
    at fn (file:///Users/xinyi/Library/Caches/Cypress/4.1.0/Cypress.app/Contents/Resources/app/packages/desktop-gui/dist/app.js:88596:14)
    at ipcBus (file:///Users/xinyi/Library/Caches/Cypress/4.1.0/Cypress.app/Contents/Resources/app/packages/desktop-gui/dist/app.js:88614:10)
    at Object.ipc.<computed> [as openProject] (file:///Users/xinyi/Library/Caches/Cypress/4.1.0/Cypress.app/Contents/Resources/app/packages/desktop-gui/dist/app.js:88655:69)
    at openProject (file:///Users/xinyi/Library/Caches/Cypress/4.1.0/Cypress.app/Contents/Resources/app/packages/desktop-gui/dist/app.js:91044:67)
    at file:///Users/xinyi/Library/Caches/Cypress/4.1.0/Cypress.app/Contents/Resources/app/packages/desktop-gui/dist/app.js:91063:12
From previous event:
    at Object.reopenProject (file:///Users/xinyi/Library/Caches/Cypress/4.1.0/Cypress.app/Contents/Resources/app/packages/desktop-gui/dist/app.js:91062:32)
    at Project._this._reopenProject (file:///Users/xinyi/Library/Caches/Cypress/4.1.0/Cypress.app/Contents/Resources/app/packages/desktop-gui/dist/app.js:90605:78)
    at Object.ka (file:///Users/xinyi/Library/Caches/Cypress/4.1.0/Cypress.app/Contents/Resources/app/packages/desktop-gui/dist/app.js:63367:205)
    at qa (file:///Users/xinyi/Library/Caches/Cypress/4.1.0/Cypress.app/Contents/Resources/app/packages/desktop-gui/dist/app.js:63367:359)
    at ra (file:///Users/xinyi/Library/Caches/Cypress/4.1.0/Cypress.app/Contents/Resources/app/packages/desktop-gui/dist/app.js:63368:35)
    at wa (file:///Users/xinyi/Library/Caches/Cypress/4.1.0/Cypress.app/Contents/Resources/app/packages/desktop-gui/dist/app.js:63368:236)
    at Aa (file:///Users/xinyi/Library/Caches/Cypress/4.1.0/Cypress.app/Contents/Resources/app/packages/desktop-gui/dist/app.js:63369:248)
    at ya (file:///Users/xinyi/Library/Caches/Cypress/4.1.0/Cypress.app/Contents/Resources/app/packages/desktop-gui/dist/app.js:63369:57)
    at Ba (file:///Users/xinyi/Library/Caches/Cypress/4.1.0/Cypress.app/Contents/Resources/app/packages/desktop-gui/dist/app.js:63369:412)
    at Kd (file:///Users/xinyi/Library/Caches/Cypress/4.1.0/Cypress.app/Contents/Resources/app/packages/desktop-gui/dist/app.js:63433:493)
    at hb (file:///Users/xinyi/Library/Caches/Cypress/4.1.0/Cypress.app/Contents/Resources/app/packages/desktop-gui/dist/app.js:63637:185)
    at Qd (file:///Users/xinyi/Library/Caches/Cypress/4.1.0/Cypress.app/Contents/Resources/app/packages/desktop-gui/dist/app.js:63435:253)
    at Hc (file:///Users/xinyi/Library/Caches/Cypress/4.1.0/Cypress.app/Contents/Resources/app/packages/desktop-gui/dist/app.js:63436:470)
    at Pd (file:///Users/xinyi/Library/Caches/Cypress/4.1.0/Cypress.app/Contents/Resources/app/packages/desktop-gui/dist/app.js:63436:98)
    at ../../node_modules/scheduler/cjs/scheduler.production.min.js.exports.unstable_runWithPriority (file:///Users/xinyi/Library/Caches/Cypress/4.1.0/Cypress.app/Contents/Resources/app/packages/desktop-gui/dist/app.js:73703:437)
    at fg (file:///Users/xinyi/Library/Caches/Cypress/4.1.0/Cypress.app/Contents/Resources/app/packages/desktop-gui/dist/app.js:63472:325)
    at fb (file:///Users/xinyi/Library/Caches/Cypress/4.1.0/Cypress.app/Contents/Resources/app/packages/desktop-gui/dist/app.js:63637:46)
    at Nd (file:///Users/xinyi/Library/Caches/Cypress/4.1.0/Cypress.app/Contents/Resources/app/packages/desktop-gui/dist/app.js:63434:277)

[jennifer-shehane]

@xxinyiwho Can you provide the code in your plugings/index.js? (Feel free to remove any sensitive info)

The plugins/index.js file will technically export whatever you tell it to export, but there could be a bug with the usage depending on what we see from your file.

[xxinyiwho]

@jennifer-shehane thanks for your quick reply!! I havent change anything in the index file, please see the following:

/// <reference types="cypress" />
// ***********************************************************
// This example plugins/index.js can be used to load plugins
//
// You can change the location of this file or turn off loading
// the plugins file with the 'pluginsFile' configuration option.
//
// You can read more here:
// https://on.cypress.io/plugins-guide
// ***********************************************************

// This function is called when a project is opened or re-opened (e.g. due to
// the project's config changing)

/**
 * @type {Cypress.PluginConfig}
 */
// module.exports = (on, config) => {
//   // `on` is used to hook into various events Cypress emits
//   // `config` is the resolved Cypress config
// }

// CLEAN DATABASE NOT WORKING
// module.exports = on => {
//   on('task', {
//     'db:teardown': () => {
//       const teardown = require('../../db/teardown.js')
//       return teardown()
//     },
//     'db:seed': () => {
//       const seed = require('../../db/seed.js')
//       return seed()
//     },
//   })
// }

[jennifer-shehane]

Hey @xxinyiwho, you have changed the content from the originally seeded plugins/index.js file. The plugins/index.js file requires that you export the function below code at a minimum to work within Cypress, which you have commented out.

module.exports = (on, config) => {}

I do however feel that this error could maybe be improved, so will keep this issue open to improve this error message.

Current error if plugins/index.js file is blank

Code for error message: https://github.com/cypress-io/cypress/blob/develop/packages/server/lib/errors.coffee#L589:L589

The error message should at the least link to https://on.cypress.io/writing-a-plugin

[xxinyiwho]

Hi Jennifer, I tried to remove the comment too still didnt work. in the end I uninstalled it and reinstalled again but with react test config. Thank you for your answers