Introduction to Cucumber and Gherkin
Welcome to Mastering QA! In this guide, we’ll introduce you to Cucumber and Gherkin, two powerful tools that revolutionize Behavior-Driven Development (BDD). Understanding these tools will provide a strong foundation for writing and automating your tests effectively.
What is Cucumber?
Cucumber is an open-source BDD framework that simplifies the process of defining and executing tests. It encourages collaboration between technical and non-technical team members, fostering better communication and understanding of software requirements.
What is Gherkin?
Gherkin is a human-readable language used to write Cucumber scenarios. It’s designed to be simple, easy to understand, and accessible to non-developers. Gherkin acts as the bridge between plain text descriptions of software behaviors and the automation code that validates those behaviors.
Feature Files
Feature files are where Gherkin shines. These text files have a .feature extension and contain high-level descriptions of software features or functionalities. They serve as documentation and test scripts simultaneously.
Scenarios
Scenarios are individual test cases written in Gherkin. They describe a specific behavior or test case, typically following a Given-When-Then structure. For example:
Feature: Home Screen - Verify Web App Navigation Menu Links
Scenario: Click the Login Icon
Given the user is on the home screen
When the user clicks the "login" icon
Then the "Login" screen is displayedThis keyword sets the stage for the scenario by describing the initial context or preconditions. It establishes the state of the system before the action occurs.
This keyword defines the action or event that triggers the scenario. It represents the user's interaction with the system or the event that takes place.
This keyword outlines the expected outcome or result after the action is performed. It specifies what should happen as a result of the interaction, allowing for validation of the scenario.
Step Definitions
Step definitions are the automation code that executes the steps in Gherkin scenarios.
public class HomeStepDefs {
public WebDriver driver = Hooks.driver;
@Given("the user is on the home screen")
public void the_user_is_on_the_home_screen() throws InterruptedException {
// logic goes here
}
@When("the user clicks the {string} icon")
public void the_user_clicks_the_icon(String iconName) {
// logic goes here
}
@Then("the {string} screen is displayed")
public void the_screen_is_displayed(String screenName) {
// logic goes here
}
@When("the user clicks the {string} link")
public void the_user_clicks_the_link(String linkName) {
// logic goes here
}
}Benefits of Cucumber and Gherkin
- Improved Collaboration: Cucumber and Gherkin facilitate effective communication between technical and non-technical team members, leading to better software understanding.
- Reusable Steps: Gherkin steps can be reused across multiple scenarios, reducing redundancy and maintenance efforts.
- Living Documentation: Feature files serve as living documentation that stays up-to-date with your application's behavior.
- Automation: Cucumber allows you to automate tests based on Gherkin scenarios, making it easier to validate software functionality.
Conclusion
Now that you have a basic understanding of Cucumber and Gherkin, it’s time to Set Up Cucumber in Your Project.
