Cucumber Best Practices to follow for efficient BDD Testing

What is Cucumber Tool?

is a testing creature that supports behavior-driven development (BDD).

• BDDbridges the gap between the stakeholders and technical squad through a common program.
• Gherkin is used as thelanguageuse which the test cases are indite. It is a simple format and can too be read and change by a non-technical user.

In BDD, “Given-When-And-Then-But” is the proposed approach for writing test cases. Listed below is an example of BDD.

Feature: I want to login into the site with valid datum and Invalid data Background: Given I navigate to the Website Scenario: Login as a new sign-up user with valid data When I entered the exploiter name And I entered the password And chink on the sign-in button Then formalise user successfully logged-in But log-in button is not present Scenario: Login as a new sign-up user with invalid data When I entered an invalid user name And I entered the password And click on the sign-in push Then Error content should display But Re-login option be useable What are Gherkin Keywords

In the above example, there are manykeywords, and every keyword has its own meaning and use.

Let ’ s explain each keyword with respect to the above example.

• Feature Keyword: The lineament file starts with the keyword Feature. Under feature, you can mention the lineament name which is to be tested, as see below

I want to login into the site with valid data and Invalid data

• Scenario Keyword: There can be more than one scenario under one feature file, and each scenario starts with the keyword Scenario, follow by the scenario name. In the below example, we can see there are two scenario.

Scenario: Login as a sign-up user with valid data Scenario: Login as a sign-up user with invalid datum

• Given Keyword: Given keyword is normally used when we feature to give some pre-condition in our trial instance as see in the example below

Given User is on the home page of the site or Given User is on the Log-in page of the situation.

• When Keyword: When the keyword is utilise to perform some action, as show in the example below

When the user enters an email or When the User clicks on the `` Log in '' button

• And Keyword: There isno notation for ANDkeyword. It is habituate toconnecttwo statements and ply the logicalANDcondition between any two statement.ANDcan be used in combination withGIVEN, WHEN and THENstatements and utilize for positive asseveration

When I entered my `` username '' And I entered “ password ”

• Then Keyword: Then Keyword is habituate for the net outcome or for establishment

Then formalise the user successfully logged in Or Then an Error content should display

• But Keyword: But the keyword is used to represent negative assertions in addition to the previous statement.
• Background Keyword: If there is any repetitive step that is going to be used in every exam case. We exactly add the repetitive step under Keyword Background. Step keep under Background would be run before every examination case.

Background: Given I sail to the Website

Cucumber Best Practices for Effective Testing

1. Write test scenario as early as potential

It & # 8217; s a full practice if we are ready to write test scenarios before creating test code. Developing scenarios early helps you define package behavior and understand possible problem in a better way. Once a scenario is ready and reviewed by team members who agree with it, we can start implementing the functionality. This will save clip and effort and take away uncertainty later, during the evolution, or when your team will run acceptance tests.

2. Features and Scenarios

A feature is a product functionality, whereas a scenario is the specification of behavior.

Feature file:

1. Feature file should be specific to the page, entail if you have to cover the login scenario we should make a “ login.feature ”
2. A single feature file can contain multiple scenarios
3. Avoid mixing feature files
4. Every feature should be ready to be fulfil alone

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Scenario:

To draw the scenario, Gherkin keywords are employ: Given, When, Then, But and And During writing the scenario we have to make certain we should use keywords in anappropriate way.

See below an example of apoorly pen scenario

Scenario: As an existing user, I want to log in successfully Given the user is on the Home page When the user clicks on the login link on Home Page And the user can see the login blind And the exploiter participate his username and password And the user is able to click on the login push Then the exploiter is logged in successfully And the successful login content is displayed

A better wayto write the like above scenario with fewer line is as postdate. It is better to avoid details that don ’ t contribute lots.

Scenario: As an be user, I want to log in successfully. Given the user is on the Home page When the user navigates to the Login page And the exploiter enters the username and countersign Then the successful login substance is displayed

3. Use Background

It is always the best exercise to put measure that are repeated in every scenario into the Background. The background step is run before every scenario.

Ensure that you don & # 8217; t put too many steps in there, as your scenario may become difficult to understand. Given below is an example.

Feature: I want to login into the site with valid and invalid data Background: Given I pilot to the Website Scenario: Login as a new sign-up user with valid data When I entered a valid credential | email| validpassword | | qatubeupdate @ yopmail.com | 12345 | When the user clicks on the sign-in button Then Validate the rubric after login Scenario: Login with invalid information by entering an invalid password When I entered an invalid certification | e-mail | invalidpassword | | qatubeupdate @ yopmail.com | 123456 | When the user chink on the sign-in button Then Error substance should display | errormessage | | Authentication failed |

4. Try to re-use measure definition

It & # 8217; s best exercise to reuse the step definitions that you oftentimes use in various scenarios. For representative,“Given: user navigate to the Website”can be one mutual step that we need in every scenario. So we can reuse this pace.

Reusing the steps improves the maintainability, merely in case there are any modification, you need to update in a single step.

Ensure the language/words are consistent if you want to re-use the pace. In the below example, the stairs are the same but the words (casing) are not consistent.

Click and clickare considered different because of the casing.

Given (“ Click on ‘ Sign In link ’ on the Home Page ”)Given (“ click on ‘ Sign In link ’ on the Home Page ”)

5. Use a Data Table

It & # 8217; s recommended to use Data Table to store the data. You can give data as parameters within the step but once you receive a bombastic set of data. It is not feasible to relinquish all data as parameters. It ’ s best to use a information table once you have a bombastic set of information.

A data table is used to inject data at the step level. The below example illustrates the steps for “ I recruit valid credential ”

Feature: I need to login into the site with valid and invalid information Background: Given I navigate to the Website @ SmokeTest Scenario: Login as a new sign-up exploiter with valid information When I entered valid credential | email | validpassword |title| | qatubeupdate1 @ yopmail.com | 12345 | Home | | qatubeupdate2 @ yopmail.com | 12345 | Home | | qatubeupdate3 @ yopmail.com | 12345 | Home | | qatubeupdate4 @ yopmail.com | 12345 | Home | When User click on sign-in push Then Validate the title after login

6. Use a Scenario outline

Scenario synopsis inject the info at the scenario grade rather than the pace stage. Scenario outline followed by the keyword.

Feature: I want to login into the site with valid and invalid data Scenario Outline: Login Validation Given I navigate to the Website When I enter `` & lt; email & gt; '' and `` & lt; validpassword & gt; '' to login Page And User click on sign-in button Then Validate the `` & lt; title & gt; '' after login Example: | e-mail | validpassword |title| | qatubeupdate @ yopmail.com | 12345 | Home |

7. Use of Tags

Using tags could be the best practice once we need to run a bunch of test cases. There will be the suit that we don ’ t want to execute all test cases in a single run or we would wish to execute a radical of the test cases. So best exercise is to configure the exam event by position Tags on it. They are marked with @ postdate by some text.

For example, a group of smoke trial cases and sanity tests is make. You can put a tag over the scenario like@ SmokeTest, @ SanityTest, @ RegressionTest, etc.

Feature: I want to login into the site with valid and invalid data Background: Given I navigate to the Website @ SmokeTest Scenario: Login as a new sign-up exploiter with valid data When I enrol a valid credential | email | validpassword | | qatubeupdate @ yopmail.com | 12345 | When a exploiter chink on sign-in button Then Validate the title after login @ SanityTest Scenario: Login with invalid data by entering an invalid word When I entered an invalid credential | e-mail | invalidpassword | | qatubeupdate @ yopmail.com | 123456 | When the user clicks on the sign-in button Then Error message should expose | errormessage | | Authentication failed |

8. Map your scenario with the requirement

It & # 8217; s a better practice to provide the required number(# Jira story id)after the scenario in the characteristic file. If any scenario fails then tracking the failed requirement from the execution report becomes easier(See below tryout instance execution screenshot)

For example, in line # 6, and # 14 of the code below, the required number is set for best trailing.

Feature: I need to login into the site with valid and invalid data Background: Given I sail to the Website @ SmokeTest Scenario: Login as a new sign-up user with valid data: QA-135, QA-156 When I enrol a valid credential | e-mail | validpassword | | qatubeupdate @ yopmail.com | 123451 | When the user dog on the sign-in push Then Validate the rubric after login @ SanityTest Scenario: Login with invalid data by enrol the invalid password: QA-569, QA-281 When I entered an invalid credential | e-mail | invalidpassword | | qatubeupdate @ yopmail.com | 123456 | When the user clicks on the sign-in push Then Error content should display | errormessage | | Authentication betray |

Test Result:The result of the above test can be seen below, where in the Smoke Test neglect while the Sanity Test passes. Here, using the JIRA Story ID can be used to track the failed examination and debug.

9. Avoid Conjunctive Steps

While writing the feature, it is best to avoid conjunctive step. When you detect a Cucumber measure that contains two actions in conjunction with an & # 8220; and & # 8221;, you should break it into two steps keeping one action per pace. This get the measure more modular and increase reusability. This is not a general rule but a best practice.

10. Write in a declarative way, not Imperative

Scenarios should be pen in a way the user would account them. Beware of scenarios that only delineate snap links and entering data in signifier fields, or of step that bear code. This is not a feature description. Declarative features are naturalistic, compendious, and contain extremely maintainable steps.

Example of Declarative Scenario:

Scenario: Verify login Given user navigate to the Website When user enters credentials Then the exploiter chink on the sign-in push Then validate the title after login

Example of Imperative Scenario:

Scenario: Verify login Given I navigate to the Website When I enter “ username ” When I recruit “ password ” When I check the “ Remember me ” check box Then the user clink on the sign-in button Then Validate the title after login

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11. Rules for write Scenarios in Cucumber

Test scenarios should be written in a way that is easy to realize and brighten for every squad member. Below are some mutual recommendation

• Proper use of correct grammar and spelling
• Step definitions should not end with periods, comma, and other punctuation marking
• Avoid jargon
• Use correct punctuation

When dealing with behavior-driven automation, there are a ton of rules that you can use as guiding rule, the main core thing we have to keep in psyche is one should properly use keywords GIVEN, WHEN, and THEN. Remember all the above points when we write test instance apply the BDD framework.

Today, many organizations favor utilize the Cucumber framework as it is easy to read and understand trial cases. Cloud prove products like BrowserStack support Cucumber with Selenium and Cypress.

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