Cucumber is a Ruby-based open-source software testing tool. Cucumber allows you to create test cases that are easily understandable, even for individuals without technical expertise. Before diving into the concept of BDD Cucumber Selenium framework testing, it would be beneficial to briefly go over the different automation testing frameworks, along with their benefits.
What Is the Cucumber Framework?
The Cucumber Framework is a testing framework that adheres to the Behavior-Driven Development (BDD) approach. Individuals with both technical and non-technical backgrounds should be able to easily understand the tests created using this framework. Tests in the cucumber framework are written using a language called “Gherkin.” Gherkin is a business-readable, domain-driven language that is used for describing behavior.
Why Should We Use Cucumber Framework?
The Cucumber framework is widely used as a BDD tool, enabling teams to write and automate tests in a format that is easy for humans to read and understand. There are several benefits to using BDD in the Cucumber framework, including that BDD promotes collaboration among developers, testers, consultants, and other stakeholders.
Cucumber Framework Testing
Cucumber testing is a sort of behavior-driven development (BDD) testing in which test cases are defined, automated, and executed in a human-readable style using the Cucumber tool. In addition, cucumber testing employs natural language to write test scenarios, which are generally written in the Gherkin syntax, which is a basic language that uses terms like given, when, and then to describe the phases of a test case. Typically, business experts or product owners create these scenarios to help them comprehend the test.
Developers use automation frameworks such as Selenium or Appium to translate the scenarios into code after they have been written. The code is then executed in order to run the tests and generate results. Cucumber testing offers various advantages, including enhanced test coverage and increased engagement between developers and business partners.
BDD Cucumber Framework Selenium
Cucumber and selenium are both widely used technologies. Many organizations use Selenium extensively for functional testing purposes. These organizations that use selenium are interested in integrating it with cucumber. This is because cucumber simplifies the process of reading and understanding the application flow.
The BDD Cucumber Framework Selenium is a powerful tool for implementing behavior-driven development. Selenium is a powerful combination of two common applications used in automation testing: cucumber and selenium. Cucumber, a behavior-driven development (BDD) tool, allows you to create testing scenarios in a natural-language manner. This tool uses Gherkin, which is a straightforward and simple-to-read syntax. This makes it accessible to both technical and non-technical stakeholders, facilitating understanding and collaboration in testing efforts. Selenium is a widely used open-source automation framework for web applications. The platform provides a wide variety of APIs and tools that enable the automation of browser interactions. This allows testers to accurately simulate user actions such as clicking buttons, filling out forms, and verifying results.
Thorough and maintainable automated tests can be created by combining cucumber and selenium. Cucumber serves as a connection between stakeholders and the program’s automation code, enabling you to express test cases in a format that is easily understandable by business users. Selenium, on the other hand, offers the necessary automation capabilities for carrying out these test cases on web applications.
Components of BDD Cucumber Framework Selenium
There are three major components of the BDD cucumber framework selenium. Thus, they include the following:
#1. Step Definitions
Now that the features are in the feature files, the code for the scenario that goes with them needs to be run. In this case, step definitions help you figure out which set of code needs to be run. There is a file called Steps Definitions that holds the mapping information between each step of a scenario described in the feature file and the code that needs to be run. These steps can use both Java and Selenium commands for the Java functions that are made to connect a feature file to the code.
#2. Feature File
A “Feature” is a unique part of a project that can be used on its own or with other parts. Each of these features will need to be tried in different situations using Selenium which is built into Cucumber. A “Feature File” is a file that holds information about features, how they work, and the tests that need to be run.
Tests for Cucumber are stored in these “.feature” files, which are called “Feature Files.” A description can be added to a Feature File to help with the paperwork.
#3. Test Runner File
The test can only be run with a Test Runner File, which is a JUnit Test Runner Class that holds the Step Definition location and other important information. Also, for running tests, the Test Runner File uses the @RunWith() annotation from JUnit. The @CucumberOptions annotation is also used to tell it where to find feature files, step definitions, reporting interfaces, and other things.
You may want to read: Selenium Vs. TestComplete: Full Comparison 2023
Cucumber Framework Benefits
The benefits of the Cucumber framework include the following:
#1. The Art of Converting Business Needs into Testable Cases
After articulating your company’s requirements in plain English, you can examine test scenario files to learn more about the product owners’ expectations. Then they can make tweaks and improvements themselves. The business analysts can then use the scenarios to create a set of requirements that can be tested.
In the end, it helps confirm a solution before it goes live and serves as a bridge between your business demand and the technical product.
#2. Easy-to-Use Format for Communicating Needs to Others
Cucumber, as previously explained, uses Gherkin to test the interplay of business aspects that help drive your product, such as the functionality of an app or website. Because Gherkin is simple to learn, you can concentrate on putting your needs into clear, concise language rather than worrying about coding syntax.
This means that Gherkin (a plain English text language) is useful for building a consistent and clear test script. Then, it can be used to meet the needs of a wide range of customers, including product managers, QA specialists, software engineers, and business analysts. Easy upkeep and evaluation of the script allow these individuals to monitor the project’s development and have their input reflected in the end product. The terms “given-when-then” are examples of Gherkin. Other instances include the words and, but, context, examples, etc.
#3. Cucumber’s Crucial Function in Agile Projects
Cucumber enables Agile teams to take their application development projects to the next level by automating testing and documentation. This is because it is simple to use and can quickly develop acceptance test cases for a wide range of stakeholders. Because it allows product managers and business analysts to easily modify testable scenarios and the product itself, cucumber has earned a reputation as one of the greatest tools for agile development. Cucumber is useful in this context because it improves product quality prior to release by eliminating scope and design uncertainties.
#4. Help for a Number of Languages
Cucumber is unique among frameworks in that it supports numerous languages, not just one. These languages include Ruby, Java, JavaScript, Scala, Perl, and so on. Cucumber was first developed on Ruby. Now, however, it supports multiple languages and facilitates the creation of lucid, brief tests for variable implementations by programmers. From such a perspective, it overpowers the usability of other instruments. Tests can be written in any language, regardless of the tools or platforms they will be run on.
#5. The Benefits of Reusable Code
The ability to reuse code is one of Cucumber’s most notable features. This is achievable because of the way it generates the Given-When-Then scenarios and how it executes the test case operation. Furthermore, its user-friendly design lowers technical hurdles to entry. The benefits of this include shorter development times, more output, and easier maintenance. Because of this, it can be used as a comprehensive testing solution, especially for elaborate endeavors. In addition to the UI, it may be utilized for the rest of your project’s needs.
Is the Cucumber Tool Free?
Cucumber is a software testing tool written in Ruby that is free. Cucumber allows you to create test cases that are easily understandable by anyone, regardless of their technical expertise.
Does Cucumber Require Coding?
Using cucumber, the test script can be written without requiring any knowledge of coding. Additionally, it enables the participation of individuals who are not proficient in programming. Unlike other tools, it serves the purpose of an end-to-end test framework. Cucumber offers code reusability thanks to its simple test script design.
Can Cucumber Be Used for UI Testing?
Selenium is a popular automation tool used for web applications, whereas Cucumber is specifically designed for behavior-driven development automation. Selenium is used for executing UI tests, while Cucumber is used for acceptance testing. Creating a Selenium script can be complex, whereas working with cucumber is generally simpler.
Is Cucumber a DevOps tool?
Yes, Cucumber is a DevOps tool that is based on the Behavior-Driven Development (BDD) framework. It is specifically used for writing acceptance tests for web applications. It enables the automation of operational validation in a format that is easily readable and understandable, similar to plain English. This benefits business specialists, developers, testers, and others involved in the process.
What Language Is Used by Cucumber?
Cucumber was initially developed using Ruby, but it has since expanded its support to include several other programming languages, such as Java, JavaScript, Python, and .Net. Cucumber is commonly used in conjunction with selenium and Watir, among other tools.
In Essence
Considering the current market trend of prioritizing stakeholder inclusion and adopting software-as-a-service initiatives, cucumber can be a valuable tool for companies to enhance their products, streamline implementation processes, and achieve rapid scalability. However, using Gherkin, which serves as the foundation of cucumber, can pose challenges.
References
- accelq.com
- browserstack.com
- pangea.ai
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