selenium-server won't `setValue` - selenium

Question

I'm using selenium-server version 3.0.1 and nightwatch version ^0.9.12 on node 8.9.0. My e2e test do run, clicks work, and reading the DOM works, but setValue just doesn't.
For example, the following test:
browser
.url("...")
.waitForElementPresent('select[name=foo]', 5000)
.click('select[name=foo] option:nth-child(2)')
.waitForElementPresent('input[name=bar]', 5000)
.setValue('input[name=bar]', "hello world")
.getValue('input[name=bar]', function(input) {
this.assert.equal(input.value, "hello world");
})
.end();
will open the url, wait for foo and click the second option. It will wait for bar, then fails:
Running: test
✔ Element <select[name=foo]> was present after 24 milliseconds.
✔ Element <input[name=bar]> was present after 28 milliseconds.
✖ Failed [equal]: ('' == 'hello world') - expected "hello world" but got: ""
at Object.<anonymous> (/test/e2e/specs/test.js:49:21)
FAILED: 1 assertions failed and 2 passed (4.692s)
_________________________________________________
TEST FAILURE: 1 assertions failed, 2 passed. (4.9s)
✖ test
- run through apply process (4.692s)
Failed [equal]: ('' == 'hello world') - expected "hello world" but got: ""
If I replace the setValue with a delay and enter a value by hand, the test will pass, so getValue is working.
This does run, and pass, on other systems, but I can't get it working on my own so I think it's a selenium-server issue.
I've tried a lot of the 101 fixes, clearing the npm cache, re-running an npm install, etc. But with no errors other than the failure, how do I debug this?

Answer 1

Assuming you are trying to test using Chrome, you need to update your ChromeDriver.
Chrome 65 was released recently and older ChromeDriver versions are apparently incompatible with it.
Download the latest one from the downloads page.
Make Nightwatch use it, nightwatch.json -
{
...
"selenium": {
...
"cli_args": {
"webdriver.chrome.driver": "path/to/chromedriver.exe"
Assuming Nightwatch uses it (you can see which one it uses using the Windows Task Manager - assuming you are using Windows - look for the command line of chromedriver.exe), setValue should now work again.

Answer 2

The error says it all :
Failed [equal]: ('' == 'hello world') - expected "hello world" but got: ""
In your code block you have induced wait for the WebElement identified as 'input[name=bar]' and next invoked setValue() which is successful as follows :
.waitForElementPresent('input[name=bar]', 5000)
.setValue('input[name=bar]', "hello world")
Now the JavaScript associated with this WebElement identified as 'input[name=bar]' will require some time to render the value within the HTML DOM. But in you code block you are trying to access the entered value (in the previous step) too early. Hence your script finds <null> as the value.
Solution
You need to induce a waiter i.e. expect clause for the value to be rendered within the HTML DOM through the associated JavaScript as follows :
.waitForElementPresent('input[name=bar]', 5000)
.setValue('input[name=bar]', "hello world")
.expect.element('input[name=bar]').to.have.value.that.equals('hello world');
.getValue('input[name=bar]', function(input) {
this.assert.equal(input.value, "hello world");
})