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Version: 6.x

focus({ skip / skipGroup / onlyGroup }) Patterns

This recipe clarifies a common source of confusion:

  • skip excludes by field name.
  • skipGroup excludes by group name.

Mental model​

Use skip when the question is "which field(s) should not run?". Use skipGroup when the question is "which validation section should not run?".

Pattern 1: Skip one field everywhere​

suite.focus({ skip: 'email' }).run(formData);

This skips every test('email', ...), regardless of whether it is top-level or nested in groups.

Pattern 2: Skip one entire section​

suite.focus({ skipGroup: 'signUp' }).run(formData);

This skips all tests declared inside group('signUp', ...), regardless of field names.

Pattern 3: Validate one field and skip heavy checks​

suite
  .focus({ only: 'username', skipGroup: 'availabilityChecks' })
  .run(formData);

Useful for blur validation in forms where async checks are expensive.

Pattern 4: Wizard step validation​

// run only step2 validations by skipping other groups
suite.focus({ skipGroup: ['step1', 'step3'] }).run(formData);

Pattern 5: Combine both scopes​

suite.focus({ skip: 'password', skipGroup: 'billing' }).run(formData);

This skips all password tests globally and all tests in billing group.

Pattern 6: Validating a Group's Fields only (onlyGroup)​

// Validate ONLY the 'step1' group.
// All other groups AND top-level tests are skipped.
suite.focus({ onlyGroup: 'step1' }).run(formData);

See also​