Why is karma or Webstorm crashing when using nested describe statements in a jasmine unit test? Error: Cannot read property * of undefined?

Question

I am using WebStorm combined with karma to run Jasmine javaScript unit tests. If I have nested describe statements then karma is crashing, or maybe it's WebStorm crashing, I'm not sure.

The karma error output says:

ERROR [karma]: [TypeError: Cannot read property 'should return a Foo' of undefined]

• If I run the tests directly in Jasmine SpecRunner.html everything is fine and tests pass.
• If I remove nested describe statements then everything runs fine.

Versions:

• OS X: 10.9 (13A603)
• WebStorm: 7.0.2
• karma: 0.10.8
• karma-jasmine: 0.1.4
• jasmine.js: jasmine-1.3.1

What is causing it to crash?

Code and test:

var Foo = function Foo(name) {

    this.name = name;

};

Foo.prototype.bar = function bar() {

    return "Hello " + this.name;

};


describe("Foo", function () {


   describe("constructor", function () {


        it("should return a Foo", function () {

            var act,
                target;

            act = function () {
                target = new Foo("Gary");
            };

            expect(act).not.toThrow();

            expect(target).not.toBeNull();


        });


    });



   describe("bar", function () {

        it("should return a string like 'Hello' + name", function () {

            var target, actValue;

            target = new Foo("Gary");

            actValue = target.bar();

            expect(actValue).toBe("Hello Gary");


        });

    });


});

Karma error output:

/usr/local/bin/node /Applications/WebStorm.app/plugins/js-karma/js_reporter/karma-intellij/lib/intellijServer.js --karmaPackageDir=/usr/local/lib/node_modules/karma --configFile=/Users/Gary/Documents/DotBox/test/karma.conf.js --coverageTempDir=/private/var/folders/5m/hfxftkwx5fsdnxf3g3nn5_2m0000gn/T/karma-intellij-coverage-4959093687844631591.tmp
INFO [karma]: Karma v0.10.8 server started at http://localhost:9876/
INFO [launcher]: Starting browser Chrome
INFO [Chrome 31.0.1650 (Mac OS X 10.9.0)]: Connected on socket vWDSeE6uTpA6RpuH05Bq
INFO [watcher]: Changed file "/Users/Gary/Documents/DotBox/test/fooSpec.js".
ERROR [karma]: [TypeError: Cannot read property 'should return a Foo' of undefined]
TypeError: Cannot read property 'should return a Foo' of undefined
    at createSpecNode (/Applications/WebStorm.app/plugins/js-karma/js_reporter/karma-intellij/lib/intellijReporter.js:51:37)
    at IntellijReporter.onSpecComplete (/Applications/WebStorm.app/plugins/js-karma/js_reporter/karma-intellij/lib/intellijReporter.js:190:20)
    at EventEmitter.emit (events.js:98:17)
    at onResult (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/karma/lib/browser.js:177:13)
    at Socket.EventEmitter.emit [as $emit] (events.js:117:20)
    at SocketNamespace.handlePacket (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/karma/node_modules/socket.io/lib/namespace.js:335:22)
    at Manager.onClientMessage (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/karma/node_modules/socket.io/lib/manager.js:488:38)
    at WebSocket.Transport.onMessage (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/karma/node_modules/socket.io/lib/transport.js:387:20)
    at Parser.<anonymous> (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/karma/node_modules/socket.io/lib/transports/websocket/hybi-16.js:39:10)
    at Parser.EventEmitter.emit (events.js:95:17)
    at finish (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/karma/node_modules/socket.io/lib/transports/websocket/hybi-16.js:288:16)
    at Parser.expectHandler (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/karma/node_modules/socket.io/lib/transports/websocket/hybi-16.js:299:15)
    at Parser.add (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/karma/node_modules/socket.io/lib/transports/websocket/hybi-16.js:466:24)
    at Parser.expect (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/karma/node_modules/socket.io/lib/transports/websocket/hybi-16.js:499:10)
    at Parser.<anonymous> (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/karma/node_modules/socket.io/lib/transports/websocket/hybi-16.js:298:18)
    at Parser.add (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/karma/node_modules/socket.io/lib/transports/websocket/hybi-16.js:466:24)
    at Parser.expect (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/karma/node_modules/socket.io/lib/transports/websocket/hybi-16.js:499:10)
    at expectData (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/karma/node_modules/socket.io/lib/transports/websocket/hybi-16.js:296:16)
    at Parser.<anonymous> (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/karma/node_modules/socket.io/lib/transports/websocket/hybi-16.js:317:11)
    at Parser.add (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/karma/node_modules/socket.io/lib/transports/websocket/hybi-16.js:466:24)
    at Parser.expect (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/karma/node_modules/socket.io/lib/transports/websocket/hybi-16.js:499:10)
    at Parser.opcodeHandlers.1 (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/karma/node_modules/socket.io/lib/transports/websocket/hybi-16.js:316:14)
    at Parser.processPacket (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/karma/node_modules/socket.io/lib/transports/websocket/hybi-16.js:533:8)
    at Parser.add (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/karma/node_modules/socket.io/lib/transports/websocket/hybi-16.js:466:24)
    at Socket.<anonymous> (/usr/local/lib/node_modules/karma/node_modules/socket.io/lib/transports/websocket/hybi-16.js:141:17)
    at Socket.EventEmitter.emit (events.js:117:20)
    at Socket.<anonymous> (_stream_readable.js:746:14)
    at Socket.EventEmitter.emit (events.js:92:17)
    at emitReadable_ (_stream_readable.js:408:10)
    at emitReadable (_stream_readable.js:404:5)
    at readableAddChunk (_stream_readable.js:165:9)
    at Socket.Readable.push (_stream_readable.js:127:10)
    at TCP.onread (net.js:526:21)

Process finished with exit code 1

SpecRunner Output

Answer 1

Looks like it is an issue in the 7.0.2 version of WebStorm, specifically the old Karma plugin. The fix is to download the new karma plugin version 131.560. Or when the next version 7.0.3 of WebStorm comes out it may have the new plugin.

See some documentation here:

http://youtrack.jetbrains.com/issue/WEB-10010

and

https://github.com/karma-runner/karma-intellij/commit/589062a9500d889a8d328ff91cc185e6ec1fd127