Keywords : Strict keyword enforcement

[Auto81]

Summary

Not a bug, but a functionality query/request. Is there a way to enforce using the same keyword, from the stepDef in scenario?

I have read the gherkin docs and only thing I can see related to this is 'This might seem like a limitation, but it * forces * you to come up with a less ambiguous, more clear domain language'.

Which, with the following example, can also allow for nonsense scenarios to sneak through.

Current Behaviour (java example)

Only one Step Def exists

@Given("^I am not allowed '{food}'$")
public void addDeadlyFood(Food food) {
    deadlyFoods.add(food);
}

Will allow for the following scenario to be written and run, where no asserts actually happen. A list of deadly foods just gets added to, but never checked.

Scenario: Ambiguous Steps
  Given I am not allowed 'Apples'
  And   I am not allowed 'Bananas'
  Then  I am not allowed 'Apple Tart'
  And   I am not allowed 'Banana Bread'

Possible Solution

Have a cucumber option along the lines of 'respectKeywordDefinition : true'. This would flag the 3rd and 4th step as undefined, which would be more helpful at highlighting that another stepDef needs to be created. This would then actually * force * a new step to be created, with a less ambiguous, more clear domain language. eg,

@Then("^I am not allowed to eat '{food}'$")
public void checkForDeadlyFood(Food food) {
    Assert.false(allowedToEat(food));
}

Scenario: Unambiguous Steps
  Given I am not allowed 'Apples'
  And   I am not allowed 'Bananas'
  Then  I am not allowed to eat 'Apple Tart'
  And   I am not allowed to eat 'Banana Bread'

Context & Motivation

Motivation has come about due to it being very easy for scenario to be written with steps that don't actually exist. Which then looks like a genuine test scenario, but nothing is actually being tested.

[davidjgoss]

I think ideas being discussed under #768 would solve this problem - would suggest closing this and weighing in there.