What are the primary keywords in Cucumber?
Following are the primary keywords in Cucumber:-Feature: The Feature keyword's aim is to collect relevant scenarios and provide a high-level description of a software feature.Rule: The Rule keyword is used to express a single business rule that should be followed. It adds to the information about a feature.Example: This is a practical illustration of a business rule. It comprises a series of steps.Given: The given steps are used to describe the system's initial context - the scenario's scene. It usually refers to an event that occurred in the past.When: When describing an occurrence or an action, When is employed. It could be a user interacting with the system or an event generated by another system.Then: Then steps are employed to indicate an anticipated outcome, or result.Background: A background helps you to give the situations that follow it some context. It can have one or more Given steps, which are executed prior to each scenario but after any Before hooks.
Example:-
For an e-commerce website, we can have the following features:-
User registers and signs up on the website.
User tries to log in to their account using their credentials.
Users add a product to their cart.
User clicks on checkout now.
User pays for their items.User logs out from the website.
Q1: What is Cucumber?
A1: Cucumber is an open-source tool for BDD that allows the execution of feature documentation written in the Gherkin language. It supports various programming languages like Java, Ruby, and JavaScript.
Q2: What is Gherkin?
A2: Gherkin is a plain-text language with a simple syntax used to describe the behavior of software without detailing how that behavior is implemented. It is the language that Cucumber understands.
Q3: What are the key components of a Gherkin scenario?
A3: A Gherkin scenario consists of Given, When, and Then steps:
Given: Describes the initial state or preconditions.When: Describes the action or event that triggers the scenario.Then: Describes the expected outcome or result.
Hooks:Q4: What is the purpose of the Background keyword in Cucumber?
A4: The Background keyword is used to define a set of steps that are common to all scenarios in a feature file. It helps in reducing redundancy by specifying steps that are shared across multiple scenarios.
Q5: How is the Background section different from Scenario Outline?
A5: While both Background and Scenario Outline aim to reduce redundancy, Background is used for common steps shared by all scenarios in a feature, whereas Scenario Outline is used for running the same scenario with different sets of data.
Q6: Can you have multiple Background sections in a single feature file?
A6: No, a feature file can have only one Background section. The Background steps will be applied to all scenarios in that feature.
Q7: When would you use a Background over Scenario Outline?
A7: Background is used when you have common steps that need to be executed before each scenario in a feature. Scenario Outline is used when you want to run the same scenario with different inputs.
Q8: What is the purpose of Hooks in Cucumber?
A8: Hooks are special methods that allow you to perform setup and teardown actions before and after scenarios or other Cucumber events. They provide a way to customize the test execution lifecycle.
Q9: How do you define a Hook in Cucumber?
A9: Hooks are defined by creating methods with annotations like
@Beforeand@After. These methods will be executed at specific points in the Cucumber execution lifecycle.
Q10: Can you use Hooks for setting up and tearing down resources like WebDriver?
A10: Yes, Hooks are commonly used for setting up and tearing down resources such as opening and closing a WebDriver session. This ensures that resources are properly managed before and after each scenario.
Q11: How can you control the order of execution for Hooks?
A11: Hooks can be prioritized using the
orderattribute in the@Beforeand@Afterannotations. Lower numbers indicate higher priority, and hooks with the same priority are executed in a random order.Q12: Can you conditionally skip or run Hooks based on certain criteria?
A12: Yes, you can conditionally skip or run Hooks based on certain criteria by using conditional statements within the Hook methods. For example, you may skip a Hook if a specific tag is present or absent.
Q13: Are Hooks specific to a feature or can they be shared across multiple features?
A13: Hooks can be defined at the global level in a separate class or file, making them applicable to multiple features. Additionally, they can be defined within a specific step definition class to make them specific to that class.
Q14: How does Cucumber execute scenarios?
A14: Cucumber reads the feature files containing Gherkin scenarios and executes them using step definitions written in a programming language like Java. Step definitions map Gherkin steps to executable code.
Q15: What is a Feature file?
A15: A Feature file is a file written in Gherkin syntax that contains a high-level description of a software feature along with scenarios and steps. It typically has a
.featureextension.Q16: Explain the role of Step Definitions.
A16: Step Definitions are the implementation of Gherkin steps in a programming language. They bridge the gap between the human-readable Gherkin syntax and the actual automation code.
Q17: What is the purpose of Tags in Cucumber?
A17: Tags are used to organize and categorize scenarios. They provide a way to run specific groups of scenarios based on tags, enabling selective test execution.
Q18: How does Cucumber support data-driven testing?
A18: Cucumber supports data-driven testing through Scenario Outline and Examples tables. Scenario Outline allows the same scenario to be executed with multiple sets of data.
Q19: What is a Background in Cucumber?
A19: A Background is a way to group steps that are common to all scenarios in a feature. It helps in reducing duplication of steps.
Q20: How can you integrate Cucumber with other testing frameworks?
A20: Cucumber can be integrated with various testing frameworks like JUnit and TestNG. The integration is done through the use of Cucumber runners.
