FAQ

##What is SpecFlow?

SpecFlow allows .NET development teams to define, manage and execute automated acceptance tests as business readable specifications. It is based on Gherkin and part of the Cucumber eco system.

SpecFlow aims to bridge the communication gap between domain experts and developers. Acceptance tests in SpecFlow follow the BDD paradigm of defining specifications with examples, so that they are also understandable to business users. Acceptance tests can then be tested automatically as needed, while their specification serves as a living documentation of the system.

SpecFlow integrates with Visual Studio, but can be also used from the command line (e.g. on a build server).

SpecFlow+ adds additional functionality to SpecFlow, such as a stand-alone IDE for Gherkin specifications, advanced reporting and much more.

##How do I install SpecFlow? To install SpecFlow and SpecFlow+, you first need to install the SpecFlow Visual Studio integration. Once you have done this, you can then add SpecFlow to each of your projects using NuGet. For more details, see the Getting Started article.

##What is the difference between SpecFlow and SpecFlow+? SpecFlow is open source and free of charge. It covers all your basic needs for managing and testing specifications by example.

SpecFlow+ is a series of extensions that introduce additional features, such as a stand-alone IDE for Gherkin specifications, advanced reporting, specify and execute Gherkin in Excel, execute tests in multiple threads, and define complex filters to determine which tests to run.

SpecFlow+ requires a license to be purchased. For more information on licensing, see below and here.

For an overview of the differences between SpecFlow and SpecFlow+, see the comparison of features.

##How is SpecFlow+ licensed? A single license entitles a single user to execute tests with SpecFlow+ on any number of local or remote machines (including build servers). The license is a perpetual license valid for the current release of SpecFlow+ at the time of purchase, and entitles you to free updates for a period of one year.

More details on SpecFlow+ licensing can be found here.

##How do I register my license for SpecFlow+? You need to register your license key once per machine (after adding SpecFlow+ to your first project). More information is available here and here.

##Where can I find training material online? We’ve listed the most important resources here. Many of them are free or inexpensive.

We also run regular training classes, which are listed here

##How can I contribute to SpecFlow's development? Details on how you can contribute to SpecFlow's development can be found here.

##I have a feature request; how can I submit it? We currently have a long list of features awaiting implementation and are therefore limited in our capacity to implement feature requests. However, as SpecFlow is open source, you can implement new features yourself (more information available here).

If you require a specific feature but are unable to develop it yourself, you can also sponsor the feature for the benefit of the community or pay outright for development services provided by TechTalk.

##Who are the developers behind SpecFlow? SpecFlow was originally created by Gáspár Nagy and used internally by TechTalk in various software development projects. Since then developers from around the world have contributed to the open source project; an overview can be found here.