Cucumber

What is Cucumber?

• Definition: Cucumber is an open-source tool that supports BDD.
• Purpose: Bridges the communication gap between business stakeholders and developers by using plain language.
• Language: Uses Gherkin language for writing test cases

Key Features of Cucumber

• Human-Readable Format: Test scenarios are written in plain language, making them understandable by non-technical stakeholders.
• Gherkin Language:
• Structure: Given-When-Then syntax.
• Ex:

                Scenario: User logs in successfully

                      Given the user is on the login page

                      When the user enters valid credentials

                      Then the user should be redirected to the dashboard

Integration: Compatible with various programming languages (Java, Ruby, Python, etc.).

Automation: Facilitates automated testing by linking Gherkin steps to code.

Benefits of Using Cucumber

• Collaboration: Encourages collaboration between developers, testers, and business analysts.
• Clarity: Clear and concise test cases improve understanding of requirements.
• Traceability: Each scenario can be traced back to user stories or requirements.
• Reusable Steps: Gherkin steps can be reused across multiple scenarios, reducing redundancy.

Best Practices for Using Cucumber

• Keep Scenarios Short: Focus on specific behaviours.
• Use Backgrounds: Share common steps across multiple scenarios.
• Avoid Technical Jargon: Write steps in plain language for clarity.
• Maintain Step Definitions: Keep them clean and organized to avoid duplication.
• Regular Reviews: Regularly review and update scenarios to match changing requirements.

Common Challenges and Solutions

• Ambiguous Steps: Avoid by making steps specific and clear.
• Maintenance Overhead: Mitigate by organizing feature files and step definitions.
• Performance Issues: Optimize test execution by focusing on critical scenarios and using tags to group tests.