What is Specflow
SpecFlow is a test automation solution for .NET built upon the BDD paradigm. Use SpecFlow to define, manage and automatically execute human-readable acceptance tests in .NET projects (Full Framework and .NET Core). SpecFlow tests are written using Gherkin, which allows you to write test cases using natural languages. SpecFlow uses the official Gherkin parser, which supports over 70 languages. These tests are then tied to your application code using so-called bindings, allowing you to execute the tests using the testing framework of your choice. You can also execute your tests using SpecFlow’s own dedicated test runner, SpecFlow+ Runner.
What is Cucumber
Cucumber reads executable specifications written in plain text and validates that the software does what those specifications say. The specifications consists of multiple examples, or scenarios. For example:
Given the Maker has chosen a word
When the Breaker makes a guess
Then the Maker is asked to score
Each scenario is a list of steps for Cucumber to work through. Cucumber verifies that the software conforms with the specification and generates a report indicating ✅ success or ❌ failure for each scenario.
In order for Cucumber to understand the scenarios, they must follow some basic syntax rules, called Gherkin.
What is Gherkin
Gherkin is a set of grammar rules that makes plain text structured enough for Cucumber to understand. The scenario above is written in Gherkin.
Gherkin serves multiple purposes:
- Unambiguous executable specification
- Automated testing using Cucumber
- Document how the system actually behaves
- Single source of Truth
The Cucumber grammar exists in different flavours for many spoken languages so that your team can use the keywords in your own language.
Gherkin documents are stored in .feature text files and are typically versioned in
source control alongside the software.
See the Gherkin reference for more details.
What is BDD
Behaviour-Driven Development (BDD) is the software development process that Cucumber was built to support.
There’s much more to BDD than just using Cucumber.
BDD is a way for software teams to work that closes the gap between business people and technical people by:
- Encouraging collaboration across roles to build shared understanding of the problem to be solved
- Working in rapid, small iterations to increase feedback and the flow of value
- Producing system documentation that is automatically checked against the system’s behaviour
We do this by focusing collaborative work around concrete, real-world examples that illustrate how we want the system to behave. We use those examples to guide us from concept through to implementation, in a process of continuous collaboration.
NUnit is a unit-testing framework for all .Net languages. Initially ported from JUnit, the current production release, version 3, has been completely rewritten with many new features and support for a wide range of .NET platforms. Specflow offers support for NUnit as the test framework.
Fluent Assertions is a set of .NET extension methods that allow you to more naturally
specify the expected outcome of a TDD or BDD-style unit test. This enables a simple
intuitive syntax that all starts with the following using statement.
It's a very extensive set of extension methods that allow you to more naturally specify the expected outcome of a TDD or BDD-style unit tests. Targets .NET Framework 4.5 and 4.7, as well as .NET Core 2.0, .NET Core 2.1, .NET Core 3.0, .NET Standard 1.3, 1.6 2.0 and 2.1.
Either on Rider or Visual Studio, the Specflow extension is needed for the correct parsing and files extension identification to work. Install it and you are ready to go!
Simply compile the solution, if it builds, it works. Open the Unit Test section of
your IDE and search for the OrderStepDefinition tests. Those are the ones created
with Specflow .feature files
How to create Living Documentation
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On the command prompt, run the below command to install LivingDoc CLI as a global dotnet tool:
dotnet tool install --global SpecFlow.Plus.LivingDoc.CLI -
Navigate to the output directory of the Specflow project and run the LivingDoc CLI by using the below command to generate the HTML report:
livingdoc test-assembly SpecFlowCalculator.Specs.dll -t TestExecution.json. For example, say this solution was located atC:\sourcesthe output directory would be atC:\sources\acceptancetests-showcase\SuperCoolStore.Specs\bin\Debug\net5.0 -
Open the generated HTML file with any browser of your preference, the file is located on the same folder as the output directory of the Specflow project.
To learn more about living documentation, please visit this link