Cucumber JUtils

Summary

An extension to Cucumber for Java based on Cucumber Guice, with scenario variables support, assertion support and some pre-defined utility steps.

It augments your Cucumber based test framework with some powerful features, such as:

• Scenario scoped variables
• Assertion support
• SpEL support
• Predefined common steps
• Utility classes

Maven Central

<dependency>
  <groupId>io.github.fslev</groupId>
  <artifactId>cucumber-jutils</artifactId>
  <version>${latest.version}</version>
</dependency>

Gradle: compile("io.github.fslev:cucumber-jutils:${latest.version}")

Required dependencies

Cucumber-JUtils requires the following dependencies inside your project:

<dependency>
   <groupId>io.cucumber</groupId>
   <artifactId>cucumber-java</artifactId>
   <version>${cucumber.version}</version>
</dependency>
<dependency>
   <groupId>io.cucumber</groupId>
   <artifactId>cucumber-guice</artifactId>
   <version>${cucumber.version}</version>
</dependency>
<dependency>
   <groupId>com.google.inject</groupId>
   <artifactId>guice</artifactId>
   <version>${guice.version}</version>
</dependency>

Configuration

In order to integrate cucumber-jutils within your test project you must configure the following glue package inside your IDE Cucumber plugin or / and inside the code:

com.cucumber.utils

Tutorial

Follow the Cucumber JUtils Tutorial for a better picture on how this library should be used.

1. Scenario scoped variables

Scenario variables can be set and read inside Gherkin syntax, Java code and resource files.
These variables are scenario scoped. Meaning, they live as long as the scenario is running and they cannot be accessed from another scenario.

1.1 Gherkin

Scenario variables are read using #[ and ] delimiters.
Important note: If you want to use scenario variables inside your step arguments, your step definition has to use anonymous parameter types.

Variables can be set using different pre-defined steps:

* var <name>="<value>"

Example:

Scenario: Test scenario variables
  * var animal="rabbit"
  * var location="forest"
  * [util] Match some rabbit with some #[animal]
  * [util] Match forest with #[location]

As you can see bellow, the matching step is defined with anonymous parameter types:

@Then("[util] Match {} with {}")
public void match(Object expected, Object actual) {

* var <varName>=<docString>

Defines a variable with value from doc string:

Scenario: Test scenario variable set from doc string
  * var animal=
    """
    rabbit
    """
  * [util] Match some rabbit with some #[animal]

* var <varName> from file "<path/to/file>"

Defines a variable with value from file content:

File: features/readme/vars/madagascar.crt

macac

Scenario: Test scenario variable set from file
  * var animal from file "features/readme/vars/madagascar.crt"
  * [util] Match macac with #[animal]

* load vars from file "path/to/file"

Loads the properties from a file, as scenario variables: .properties, .yaml, .yml.
Example:

File: features/readme/vars/config.properties

animal = lioness
location = Africa

Scenario: Test scenario variables set from properties file
  * load vars from file "features/readme/vars/config.properties"
  * [util] Match lioness with #[animal]
  * [util] Match Africa with #[location]

* load vars from dir "<path/to/directory>"

It reads recursively the entire directory tree structure and each file becomes a scenario variable:
file name, without extension -> variable name
file content -> variable value

Supported file types: .txt, .text, .json, .xml, .html, .csv
Properties inside files: .properties, .yaml, .yml are also parsed as scenario variables.

Example:

Directory: placeholders/properties/drinks

File: whisky.txt

Johnny Walker

File: drink.yaml

beer: Bergenbier
beers:
- Ursus
- Heineken

Scenario: Test scenario variables set from directory
  * load vars from dir "placeholders/properties/drinks"
  * [util] Match Johnny Walker with #[whisky]
  * [util] Match Bergenbier with #[beer]
  * [util] Match ["Ursus", "Heineken"] with #[beers]

* var <varName> from table

Defines a variable with value from data table:

Scenario: Test scenario variable set from table
  * var animals from table
    | feline  | marsupial       |
    | lioness | kangaroo        |
    | cougar  | tasmanian devil |
  * [util] Match [{"feline":"lioness", "marsupial":"kangaroo"}, {"feline":"cougar", "marsupial":"tasmanian devil"}] with #[animals]

1.2 Java

Scenario variables can also be set and used directly inside Java code, by injecting the ScenarioVars.class.
Variables defined inside Gherkin files can be used from Java code and vice versa.

1.2.1 ScenarioVars .put(), .putAll(), .get() and .getAsString()

Set variables inside a step and use them from another step

public class ScenarioVarsReadmeSteps {

    @Inject
    private ScenarioVars scenarioVars;

    @Given("Some random step which sets some variables")
    public void setVariables() {
        scenarioVars.put("animal", "Cheetah");
        Map<String, Object> vars = new HashMap<>();
        vars.put("figure", "triangle");
        vars.put("number", 10);
        scenarioVars.putAll(vars);
    }
}

public class ScenarioVarsAnotherReadmeSteps {

    @Inject
    private ScenarioVars scenarioVars;

    @Given("Some random step which reads the variables")
    public void readVariables() {
        assertEquals("Cheetah", scenarioVars.getAsString("animal"));
        assertEquals("triangle", scenarioVars.getAsString("figure"));
        assertEquals(10, scenarioVars.get("number"));
    }
}

Set and use variables from both Gherkin and Java:

Scenario: Use scenario variables from Java and Gherkin
  * Some random step which sets some variables
  * [util] Match Cheetah with #[animal]
  * var planet="Mars"
  * Some random step which reads variables set inside Gherkin

@Inject
private ScenarioVars scenarioVars;

@Given("Some random step which reads variables set inside Gherkin")
public void readVariablesSetViaGherkin() {
    assertEquals("Mars", scenarioVars.getAsString("planet"));
}

1.2.2 ScenarioVarsUtils .loadScenarioVarsFromFile() and .loadScenarioVarsFromDir()

Similar to the Gherkin steps, scenario variables can also be set from files:

@Inject
private ScenarioVars scenarioVars;

@Given("Read scenario variables from file")
public void setVariablesFromFile() {
    ScenarioVarsUtils.loadScenarioVarsFromFile("features/readme/vars/config.properties", scenarioVars);
    ScenarioVarsUtils.loadScenarioVarsFromDir("placeholders/properties/drinks", scenarioVars);
    assertEquals("Africa", scenarioVars.get("location"));
    assertEquals("Johnny Walker", scenarioVars.get("whisky"));
}

1.3 Resources

You may parse resource files for scenario variables, delimited by #[ and ].

ScenarioVarsUtils.parse()

File path: features/readme/scene/some_text.txt

The #[animal] lives in #[location]

Scenario: Parse files for scenario variables
  * var animal="wolf"
  * var location="forest"
  * Parse file for scenario variables

@Inject
private ScenarioVars scenarioVars;
    
@Given("Parse file for scenario variables")
public void parseFileForScenarioVars() {
    assertEquals("The wolf lives in forest", ScenarioVarsUtils.parse("features/readme/scene/some_text.txt", scenarioVars));
}

1.4 Path variables

For JSON type variables you may access certain values by using Jackson paths /:

* var x=
  """json
    {"book":{
        "details":{"title":"Moby Dick"}
      }
    }
  """
* [util] Match #[x/book/details/title] with Moby Dick

Play with the Readme examples for getting a better insight on how scenario variables work.

2. Assertion support

Cucumber-JUtils already ships with JTest-Utils that has some powerful assertions in terms of Objects matching.

3. SpEL support

You may use SpEL expressions inside Gherkin or resource files, delimited by #{ and }:

3.1 Gherkin

Feature: SpEL

  Scenario: Use SpEL inside Gherkin
    * var number="5"
    * var isOddNumber="#{ #[number] % 2 != 0 }"
    * [util] Match true with #[isOddNumber]

3.2 Resource

SpEL expressions used inside files:

File path: features/readme/scene/some_text_with_spel.txt

"Is #[number] odd: #{ #[number] % 2 !=0 }"

Scenario: Use SpEL inside files
  * var content from file "features/readme/scene/some_text_with_spel.txt"
  * var number="5"
  * [util] Match "Is 5 odd: true" with #[content]

Note: ScenarioVarsUtils.parse() not only parses for scenario variables, but also for SpEL expressions:

@Inject
private ScenarioVars scenarioVars;
    
@Given("Parse file for SpEL")
public void parseFileForSpEL() {
    assertEquals("\"Is 5 odd: true\"", ScenarioVarsUtils.parse("features/readme/scene/some_text_with_spel.txt", scenarioVars));
}

Scenario: Parse files for SpEL
  * var number="5"
  * Parse file for SpEL

Play with the Readme examples for getting a better insight on how SpEL expressions are used.

4. Predefined common steps

4.1 Matching

  # throws and AssertionError 
  * [util] Match true with false

4.2 Date time

  * [time-util] Check period from 2019-02-03 23:58:12+0200 to 2019-02-04 01:59:10+0300 is 1 HOURS using date time pattern yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ssZ

  * var currentMillis="#[now]"
  * [time-util] date var currentDate=from millis #[currentMillis] PLUS 0 YEARS with format pattern=yyyy-MM-dd
  * [time-util] date var futureDateYears=from millis #[currentMillis] PLUS 15 YEARS with format pattern=yyyy-MM-dd
  * [time-util] Check period from #[currentDate] to #[futureDateYears] is 15 YEARS using date pattern yyyy-MM-dd

4.3 Sleep

  * [util] Wait 10.471s
  * [util] Wait 2.5m

5. Utility classes

• ScenarioVars - it stores all scenario variables. Access it via injection: com.google.inject.Inject
• ScenarioVarsUtils - it sets scenario variables and parses files for both scenario variables and SpEL expressions
• ScenarioVarsParser - it parses a String for scenario variables and SpEL expressions
• ScenarioUtils - fast access to the underlying Cucumber Scenario.class and used for writing:

@Inject
private ScenarioUtils scenarioUtils;

@Given("write {}=\"{}\"")
public void writeSomething(String name, Object value) {
    scenarioUtils.log("var {} = {}", name, value);
    scenarioUtils.log("Scenario: {}", scenarioUtils.getScenario().getName());
}

Tutorial

Follow the Cucumber JUtils Tutorial for a better picture on how this library should be used.

Website

https://fslev.github.io/cucumber-jutils/