Mastering Test Automation: BDD with Cucumber, Selenium, Java, and TestNG

Test Automation

Mastering Test Automation: BDD with Cucumber, Selenium, Java, and TestNG

Summary:

In this article we will explore UI test automation, leveraging Behavior Driven Development (BDD) with Cucumber, Selenium, and TestNG. Java is a popular programming language widely used in test automation due to its platform independence and ecosystem of libraries. TestNG’s robust reporting and configuration features further enhance the management and execution of automated UI tests. Also, it provides features such as parallel execution and parametrization. Maven can be used as it is a project management and build tool. It is a central repository for dependencies. It will automatically take care of all required environment setup of Test Bed. By integrating Cucumber, Selenium, and TestNG, teams can adopt a BDD approach that not only bridges the gap between technical and non-technical stakeholders but also ensures that the UI tests are aligned with real-world scenarios and business requirements. This methodology simplifies test creation, enhances understanding across teams, and assures that the software’s user interface functions as intended.

Usage:

Writing scenarios in Gherkin that clearly show how the application should behave. This helps in making meaningful test cases.
Using separate sources for test data to keep your test scenarios clean and focused on the application’s behavior.
BDD promotes writing tests in an easy-to-read format, which helps in understanding what each test does and why.
Organizing step definitions and page objects into separate modules makes it easier to maintain and read.
Easy test scenarios creation/ development using cucumber feature file in Given, When, And Then plain English language.
Can be executed in parallel using TestNG and Maven test execution plugins. In TestNG the feature files are run in parallel rather than scenarios, which means all the scenarios in a feature file will be executed by the same thread. You can use either Maven Surefire or Failsafe plugin to execute the runners.
Easily integrate with CI/CD pipeline.

Features:

Gherkin Language:BDD uses Gherkin syntax for writing feature files. Plain language format becomes easy for everyone to understand and describes what the software should do.

Step Definitions:Java methods that connect Gherkin steps to automation code. Use Selenium to interact with web elements.

Data-Driven Testing:BDD allows testing with different sets of data, making tests more thorough.

Readable Reports:Cucumber generates clear reports showing test results and scenarios, helping you understand what worked and what didn’t.

Hooks and Options:

Hooks:

The Hook is block of code which can be defined with each scenario in step definition file by using the annotation @Before and @After.Cucumber hooks can come in handy when we want to perform specific actions for every scenario or step.

Types of hooks:

@Before: This hook runs before each scenario starts. We can use it to prepare anything needed for the scenario, like setting up data or conditions.

@After: This hook runs after each scenario finishes. It’s helpful for cleaning up or resetting anything that was changed during the scenario.

Options:

In Cucumber, “options” are different settings that let you customize how your tests are run. These options help you choose which features to test, how to format the output, and where to find the step definitions.

features: This is the location of your feature files.

glue: This is the location of your step definition classes.

dry run: This checks if all step definitions are written correctly but doesn’t run the tests.

monochrome: If set to true, it makes the test output easier to read by removing color.

strict: If set to false, tests won’t fail if there are undefined steps; those steps will be skipped.

name: This helps filter which features and scenarios to run based on their names.

plugin: Determines the format of the test results, like JSON, HTML, JUnit, or pretty.

snippets: Chooses the style for code snippets, either Camel case or Underscore.

Framework Structure:

The structure for the integration of Selenium WebDriver, java, TestNG and BDD Cucumber framework using maven.

Peculiarity:

Feature Files:Written in Gherkin language to describe what the application should do.

Step Definitions:Java classes that link the Gherkin steps to actual code using Selenium.

Test Runner:Test runner file executes the Cucumber feature files and coordinates the steps defined in those feature files with the corresponding step definitions.

Page Object Model:A design pattern that separates the test code from web page elements, making the tests easier to manage. It can also help make your tests easier to maintain by organizing web elements and actions.

Test Reporting:

Cucumber, used with Selenium, provides test reports that show detailed information about which tests passed or failed. Reports can be generated in formats like:

HTML:Easy-to-read and visually appealing reports.
JSON:Useful for other tools and systems.
JUnit:Compatible with tools that need JUnit-formatted reports.

CI/CD Integration:

Integrating BDD tests with Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CICD) pipelines helps automate the testing process. Tools like Jenkins, GitLab CI, or GitHub Actions can be set up to run BDD tests automatically during the build process. Here’s how:

Configure the CICD Pipeline:Set up the pipeline to build the project, run tests, and create reports.

Run Tests:Ensure the pipeline runs your BDD tests using Maven or Gradle.

Publish Reports:Configure the pipeline to show test results, so you can easily see if there are any issues.

Supplement:

To make your BDD framework even better, consider using additional tools and libraries:

Allure Report:For advanced and detailed reporting.
Serenity BDD:An extended framework with better reporting and integration features.
Selenium Grid:For running tests on multiple browsers and environments at the same time, speeding up the process.