Cucumber Automation Tool for Beginners

Most developers would agree that setting up an automation framework can be challenging, especially when first starting out.

Luckily, Cucumber provides a straightforward way to get started with acceptance testing, even for beginners.

In this post, you'll learn exactly how to install Cucumber, write your first Gherkin test, and leverage Cucumber's simple syntax to automate scenarios across environments - no prior expertise required!

Introduction to Cucumber Automation Tool

Cucumber is a popular open-source automation tool that supports behavior-driven development (BDD). It allows you to write acceptance tests that describe the behavior of your application in plain language that non-technical stakeholders can understand.

Understanding Cucumber and BDD Fundamentals

Cucumber builds on top of the Gherkin language for writing human-readable acceptance criteria. It allows you to map these criteria, written in Gherkin syntax, to automated tests. Some key things to know about Cucumber and BDD:

BDD focuses on defining the desired behavior of an application from an end-user perspective before writing the code.
Cucumber tests, called features, are written in Gherkin using Given/When/Then syntax.
These plain-language specs describe the behavior of the system in a logical, easy to understand way.
Cucumber features can then be automated and matched to step definitions written in a language like Java, Ruby, Python etc.

In this way, Cucumber facilitates collaboration between technical and non-technical teams to build the right features.

The Advantages of Cucumber for Acceptance Testing

Some benefits of using Cucumber for acceptance testing:

Improves communication and collaboration by providing a common language for requirements.
Features are reusable as living documentation and test cases.
Focuses on the user perspective and expected behavior rather than technical details.
Allows writing tests before implementation, enabling test-driven development.
Open source and supports many languages like Java, Ruby, Python, JavaScript etc.

By clearly defining expected behavior in plain language, Cucumber makes it easier to catch defects early.

First Steps: Installing and Configuring Cucumber

To start using Cucumber, you need to:

Install Cucumber and a test runner like JUnit or TestNG based on your language.
Set up the project directory structure for storing feature files and step definitions.
Define a config file for running tests and reporting.
Write a sample feature file with scenarios in Gherkin syntax.
Implement step definitions that match the steps and interact with the app.

The Cucumber documentation provides excellent guides on environment setup per language and platform, directory structures, configuration, and much more to help you kickstart test automation in an organized way.

What is Cucumber automation tool?

Cucumber is an open-source automation tool used for behavior-driven development (BDD) testing. It allows you to write test cases in plain language that non-technical team members can understand.

Here are some key things to know about Cucumber:

Written in Ruby but supports other languages like Java, JavaScript, Python, etc. through Cucumber implementations like Cucumber-JVM, Cucumber-JS, SpecFlow, etc.
Uses Gherkin syntax to write test cases that read like plain English
Translates Gherkin test cases into automated acceptance tests
Integrates with Selenium or WebDriver for browser automation
Generates reports and documentation from tests
Enables collaboration between technical and non-technical teams on requirements
Promotes good development practices like behavior-driven and test-driven development

In summary, Cucumber facilitates writing automated tests that validate software against business requirements and user expectations. Its simple syntax makes it easy for less technical users to read and provide feedback on test cases.

By integrating Cucumber into the development process, teams can ensure the product works as intended from the user's perspective. This ultimately leads to higher quality software with less defects.

What is Cucumber vs Selenium?

Cucumber and Selenium serve different purposes in test automation.

Selenium is a popular open-source test automation framework used for web application testing. It allows you to write test scripts in languages like Java, Python, C#, etc to simulate user interactions and verify application behavior.

On the other hand, Cucumber is a behavior-driven development (BDD) framework that allows you to write acceptance tests in plain text language like Gherkin. It allows non-technical people to be involved in writing test cases.

Here are some key differences between Selenium and Cucumber:

Purpose: Selenium is a test execution framework whereas Cucumber is a test management framework. Selenium focuses on simulating user interactions while Cucumber focuses on documenting expected application behavior.
Language: Selenium test scripts are written in programming languages while Cucumber tests are written in plain text Gherkin language.
Involvement: Cucumber allows both technical and non-technical team members to collaborate on writing tests. Selenium tests require programming knowledge.
Coverage: Cucumber tests cover full user workflows rather than individual browser interactions.

In summary, Cucumber and Selenium can complement each other. Cucumber can define the high-level user test cases and Selenium can automate those test cases. Using both together provides comprehensive test coverage.

What is Cucumber used for?

Cucumber is an open-source automation tool used for behavior-driven development (BDD). It allows developers to write acceptance tests that define the expected behavior of an application in plain language.

Here are some of the key things Cucumber can be used for:

Defining application behavior in plain English using Gherkin syntax
Automating acceptance testing and validation
Documenting expected application behavior
Promoting collaboration between technical and non-technical teams
Supporting agile development with executable specifications
Ensuring requirements are testable and traceable

At its core, Cucumber enables developers to turn specifications, requirements, and use cases into automated tests. By writing Cucumber tests using the Gherkin domain-specific language, the expected behavior of an application can be clearly defined in a way that both technical and non-technical team members can understand.

These executable specifications then drive the automated testing of the system. So Cucumber allows you to automate the testing process directly from the requirements documentation.

Some key benefits this provides:

Improved communication and collaboration
More robust test coverage
Confidence that requirements are being properly implemented
Regression protection when refactoring code

In summary, Cucumber is an essential tool for doing BDD and automating acceptance testing based on defined application requirements and behavior. Its focus on specifications and readability makes it easier to validate that development is on track.

Is Cucumber tool free?

Cucumber is an open source automation tool for testing that supports behavior-driven development (BDD).

The core Cucumber framework is free to use, but there are some paid offerings that provide additional features:

CucumberStudio - A paid SaaS platform that provides test management, reporting, analytics and collaboration features on top of open source Cucumber. They offer a free trial, but subscriptions start at $15 per user/month.
Cucumber Pro - A paid package with additional components like Cucumber Pro Parallel Test Runner for running Cucumber tests in parallel. It costs $379 per year for a single license.
Consulting/training - Paid professional services around optimizing Cucumber usage, BDD adoption, test automation strategy, etc. Prices vary.

So in summary:

Cucumber open source tool = Free
CucumberStudio = Free trial, then paid subscription
Cucumber Pro = Paid license
Consulting/training = Paid services

The core Cucumber framework will allow you to get started with BDD and test automation at no cost. But teams often invest in complementary paid offerings over time to maximize efficiency, collaboration and insights.

Crafting Your First Cucumber Test

Cucumber is a popular open-source behavior-driven development (BDD) framework that allows you to write automated tests in plain language. This makes tests more understandable for non-technical stakeholders.

To get started with Cucumber, you need to understand Gherkin syntax - the language used to write Cucumber test scenarios.

Gherkin Syntax: Writing Human-Readable Tests

Gherkin uses a set of special keywords to define test steps. Here is an example test scenario:

Feature: Login 

Scenario: Successful login
Given I am on the login page  
When I enter my credentials
And I click the login button 
Then I should see the home page

This reads like plain English. The keywords Feature, Scenario, Given, When, Then structure the test. This is the power of Gherkin and Cucumber!

Gherkin supports over 70 spoken languages including English, German, French, Spanish and more.

Mapping Gherkin to Code: Step Definitions

To automate these textual scenarios, they need to be mapped to code. This is done using step definitions.

Here is an example step definition file that matches the steps from our test:

@Given("I am on the login page")  
public void i_am_on_the_login_page() {
  // Java code to navigate to login page
}

@When("I enter my credentials")
public void i_enter_credentials() {
  // Enter username and password  
}

@When("I click the login button")
public void i_click_the_login_button() {
  // Click login button on page 
}

@Then("I should see the home page") 
public void i_should_see_home_page() {
  // Assert home page content is displayed
}

The annotations @Given, @When, @Then link the Gherkin steps to these methods.

Organizing Tests with Page Objects in Cucumber

To keep test code maintainable, the Page Object Model can be used.

For example:

public class LoginPage {

  public static login(String username, String password) {
    // Find username/password fields and enter data
  }

  public static clickLoginButton() {
    // Click login button
  }
}

The steps then use this LoginPage class:

@When("I enter my credentials")
public void enterCredentials() {
  LoginPage.login("myuser", "12345"); 
}

@When("I click the login button")  
public void clickLogin() {
  LoginPage.clickLoginButton();
}

This keeps test code clean and maintainable.

Cucumber Testing Example: A Real-World Scenario

Let's look at a real-world example test:

Feature: Submit contact form
 
Scenario: Submit valid data
Given I am on the "Contact" page  
When I enter "John" into the "name" field
And I enter "john@test.com" into the "email" field
And I enter "Hello!" into the "message" field  
And I click the "Submit" button
Then I should see a "Thank You" message

We can automate this end-to-end test using Cucumber + Selenium. The page objects encapsulate the UI locators and interactions.

This example illustrates how Cucumber enables you to automate tests in plain language, making them understandable to the whole team!

Running Cucumber Tests Across Environments

Cucumber is a popular open-source automation tool that supports Behavior-Driven Development (BDD). It allows you to write acceptance tests that describe the behavior of your application in plain language.

A key benefit of Cucumber is it can execute your tests across multiple environments and programming languages. This guide will cover strategies for running Cucumber tests in various contexts.

Executing Cucumber Tests in IDEs

Integrated development environments (IDEs) like IntelliJ and Eclipse provide built-in support for running Cucumber tests.

To execute your tests in IntelliJ IDEA:

Install the Cucumber for Java plugin
Create a test runner configuration
Run tests using the plugin toolbar or context menu

In Eclipse, you can run Cucumber tests using the Cucumber Eclipse plugin:

Install the plugin via the Eclipse marketplace
Create a Cucumber feature test configuration
Execute tests using the run configuration

Running tests in your IDE allows fast feedback during development.

CLI Implementation: Running Cucumber from the Command Line

The Cucumber command-line interface (CLI) allows you to execute tests from your terminal/command prompt.

To run Cucumber tests from the CLI:

cucumber [options] [ [FILE|DIR][:LINE[:LINE]*] ]

Common options:

--format: Specify output format (progress, json, html, etc.)
--tags: Filter tests by tag
--strict: Treat undefined/pending steps as failures

For example:

cucumber --format progress features/login.feature

The CLI provides flexibility to incorporate Cucumber into any workflow.

Integrating Cucumber Tests with CI/CD Pipelines

You can integrate Cucumber into continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipelines to automate test execution:

GitHub Actions: Cucumber GitHub Action to run tests in workflow
Jenkins: Jenkins Cucumber Reporting or Cucumber Performance Plugin
CircleCI: Orbs available to run Cucumber
Azure Pipelines: Build tasks to execute Cucumber

Triggering Cucumber testing through CI/CD results in automated feedback on changes.

Leveraging Cucumber with Different Programming Languages

Some options for using Cucumber across languages:

Java: Cucumber-JVM (with JUnit)
JavaScript: Cucumber-JS (with WebDriverIO, Protractor, etc.)
Ruby: Cucumber Ruby (with Capybara, RSpec, etc.)
C#: SpecFlow

The underlying Gherkin language for test scripts is consistent across implementations. But programmer steps glue code will vary by language.

In summary, Cucumber provides versatile support for test automation in any environment.

Enhancing Test Coverage with Advanced Cucumber Techniques

Exploring more sophisticated features of the Cucumber tool to improve the breadth and depth of test coverage.

Parallel Test Execution with Cucumber

Cucumber supports parallel test execution to optimize efficiency. This allows tests to run simultaneously across multiple threads or machines.

To implement parallel tests in Cucumber:

Use a parallel test runner like Cucumber's built-in parallel execution or a test runner like TestNG.
Configure the parallelism in the runner by specifying number of threads or methods like sharding.
Group tests properly so dependent tests don't cause issues.
Implement synchronization correctly if tests access shared resources.

Benefits include:

Faster test runs - Tests complete quicker by utilizing more CPU cores.
Equal distribution - Tests can be distributed evenly across infrastructure.
Cost savings - Reduces infrastructure needs for a given test suite runtime.

Selective Test Runs Using Cucumber Tags

Tags in Cucumber identify subsets of tests. This allows selective test runs:

Tag tests logically based on functionality, modules, priority etc.
Run tests by including/excluding relevant tags. For example:
@smoke - Critical tests.
@regression - Primary regression pack.
@batch1 - Logical batching.
Combine tags using Boolean AND/OR for more specific subsets.

Benefits:

Focused testing on areas of interest.
Shorter runs by excluding certain tests.
Targeted validation for specific modules.

Integrating Cucumber with Selenium Testing

Cucumber and Selenium complement each other for robust browser testing:

Cucumber handles the structure and logic.
Selenium drives and interacts with the browser.

Implementation steps:

Write Cucumber features and steps.
Use Selenium bindings in step definitions to drive browsers.
Assertions and outputs handled via Selenium.

Key benefits:

Cucumber brings structure and organization.
Selenium provides browser automation capabilities.
Cross-browser testing supported.

Cucumber-jvm, Cucumber-js and SpecFlow: Language-Specific Implementations

Cucumber has variants for different languages:

Cucumber-jvm - For Java-based projects
Cucumber-js - For JavaScript testing
SpecFlow - .NET implementation using Gherkin

Benefits:

Tight integration with environments and tools.
Native language support for step definitions.
Large community support.

Usage:

Choose variant matching project tech stack for best experience.

Leveraging Resources and Community Support

Understanding the wealth of resources available to Cucumber users, from official documentation to community-contributed content, is key for effectively leveraging the tool.

Exploring the Cucumber Project Documentation

The Cucumber project documentation provides comprehensive guides on:

Installing and configuring Cucumber
Writing Gherkin test scenarios
Integrating Cucumber with various languages and frameworks like Java, JavaScript, Ruby, Python, etc.
Best practices for structuring tests and BDD workflows
Troubleshooting common issues

New Cucumber users should thoroughly read through the docs to understand key concepts. The examples and tutorials are also very helpful for hands-on learning.

The Cucumber Book and Other Learning Materials

The Cucumber Book is the definitive guide for mastering BDD with Cucumber. It teaches Cucumber fundamentals and advanced techniques through concrete examples in Ruby and Java. Other useful resources include:

Cucumber School - Online courses and training material
BDD Books - Additional book recommendations from the Cucumber team
YouTube tutorials and conference talks

Cucumber's Supported Languages and Frameworks

Cucumber supports writing tests in over 10 languages including Java, JavaScript, Ruby, Python, C#, and more. It also integrates nicely with testing frameworks like:

JUnit
TestNG
RSpec
Mocha
Selenium
Appium

This flexibility allows teams to build Cucumber tests using their preferred languages and existing frameworks.

Joining the Cucumber Community for Collaborative Learning

The Cucumber Community Forum enables users to discuss ideas, ask questions, and learn from Cucumber team members and other users. Conferences like Cucumber Podcast also provide opportunities for collaborative learning.

Overall, Cucumber offers exceptional resources through official docs, books, courses, community platforms, and integrations with popular languages/frameworks - making it easy to continuously expand one's skills.

Conclusion: Getting Started with Cucumber Automation

Cucumber is a useful behavior-driven development (BDD) tool that enables test automation through plain text descriptions of software features. This beginner's guide provided key steps for getting started with Cucumber:

Install Cucumber using your preferred language binding (Ruby, Java, JavaScript, etc.)
Write Gherkin syntax test scenarios in .feature files
Use Given-When-Then structure to define test steps
Implement step definitions in code to link steps to Selenium
Configure Cucumber to run features and generate reports

To continue mastering Cucumber:

Explore Cucumber project documentation for additional examples
Try testing different applications beyond basic web apps
Integrate Cucumber with other testing frameworks like RSpec or JUnit
Use tags, hooks, parameters for more advanced capabilities
Contribute to the open-source Cucumber GitHub project

Cucumber enables collaborative, simple test automation using natural language. By writing Gherkin test scenarios, teams can define expected software behaviors early. This allows driving development through testing. With practice, Cucumber can become a key tool in your BDD and test-driven development toolkit.

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