Error @wdio/cli:utils: a service failed in the ‘onprepare’ hook

Error Description:

The error you are facing is related to the @wdio/cli:utils package. It occurs during the onprepare hook execution of the testing framework called WebDriverIO (WDIO).

The onprepare hook is typically used to perform setup tasks before running the actual tests. It allows for configuring services and other necessary setup steps.

Possible Causes:

• Incorrect configuration or usage of the WebDriverIO framework.
• Missing or incompatible dependencies required by the @wdio/cli:utils package.
• Errors in the custom service used during setup (if any).

Solutions:

1. Verify the WebDriverIO configuration in your test files and make sure it is correct. Pay attention to the onprepare hook setup.
2. Make sure all the required dependencies for running WDIO and the @wdio/cli:utils package are installed and up to date.
3. Check for any custom services being used during setup. Validate them for any potential errors or misconfigurations.
4. Review the error message and stack trace provided by the framework or testing tool to get more specific details about the failure. It might give you a clue about what exactly caused the issue.
5. Consult the official documentation and community forums related to WDIO and the @wdio/cli:utils package to see if there are any reported issues or similar cases.

Example:

Let’s say you have a WebDriverIO configuration file (wdio.conf.js) where you define the framework setup.

// wdio.conf.js

exports.config = {
    // ...other configuration options

    onPrepare: function() {
        // Custom service initialization or other setup steps
        // that might be causing the error

        // Example of initializing a custom service
        // (Note: This is just an example and may not relate to the actual error)
        const customService = require('custom-service-package');
        customService.init(); // Might be causing the error
    },

    // ...other configuration options
};
    

In this example, the error might be caused by an issue with the initialization or usage of the custom-service-package.
To resolve it, you can review the documentation or seek help from the package maintainers or the WebDriverIO community.