What is BDD (Behavior Driven Development) Testing?
Behavior-driven development (BDD in testing) is a software development technique that uses natural language to describe how an application should behave. BDD is an extension of test-driven development (TDD).
How BDD in testing works?
BDD in testing operates on the principle of defining the behavior of a system using natural language constructs. It bridges the gap between technical and non-technical team members by using a common language that everyone can understand.
- BA/SME teams create Feature files in domain-specific language.
- The Dev, BA, and QAE teams concur on the Feature and Scenarios.
- QA creates BDD tests for the same scenarios using the same tools and framework as the Dev team.
- The scenarios are written using the keywords GIVEN, WHEN, and THEN (AND, BUT can be used as well).
- GIVEN is your setup; for example, “GIVEN the credit card is valid”.
- WHEN is your action; for example, “WHEN I request $50”.
- It helps the development team easily view the current requirements as well as enables QA teams to test the product properly.
What are the 7 steps of software testing
Why Do We Need BDD in testing?
BDD in Testing is crucial for ensuring that the development process aligns with business goals. It enhances clarity, reduces misunderstandings, and results in a more efficient development lifecycle.
BDD (Behavior Driven Development) testing encourages collaboration and communication among stakeholders. It helps ensure that an application meets business goals and requirements.
BDD testing has several benefits, including:
- Improving the quality of software and reducing time-to-market
- Building a shared understanding of the problem that needs to be solved
- Reducing uncertainties
- Allowing you to clearly communicate requirements
- Focusing on user needs
- Describing behaviors in plain language
BDD testing simulates how an application should behave from the end user’s perspective. It promotes test-driven development and agile methodologies.
Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC Life Cycle)
Steps To Do BDD Testing
1. Discovery Stage
In the discovery stage, team members collaborate to identify and define the behaviors that need testing. This stage sets the foundation for the entire testing process.
2. Formulation Stage
During the formulation stage, scenarios are written using the Gherkin language, providing a clear and concise description of expected behaviors.
3. Automation Stage
Automation of BDD tests involves translating Gherkin scenarios into executable code. This ensures that the defined behaviors are not only understood but also validated.
Steps To Do BDD Testing In TDD-Style
Applying BDD Testing in a Test-Driven Development (TDD) style enhances the iterative development process. It ensures that each piece of code is tested for its intended behavior before implementation.
Here are the steps to do testing in TDD-style:
- Create unit tests before writing code.
- Run the unit tests with the intention to observe them fail.
- Write just enough code to pass the test.
- Create and execute unit tests again.
- Refactor the code to improve its design, structure, and readability.
In TDD, developers test first, then use the test results to guide their development. In BDD, developers express the system behavior they want to create through Gherkin syntax, then code according to those Gherkin expressions.
What Are BDD Testing Frameworks?
Behavior Driven Development (BDD) is a software development approach that allows testers to create test cases in simple text language. Testing frameworks provide structure, tooling, and support for writing and executing BDD tests. They facilitate the mapping of human-readable test scenarios to the corresponding implementation code.
Here are some frameworks:
- Cucumber: Uses the Gherkin language to define application behavior in plain English text. Cucumber is written in Ruby.
- SpecFlow: Allows developers to define tests in a human-readable language.
- Behave: Defines system behavior by semi-formal language and uses a domain vocabulary.
- Concordion: An open source tool for automating Specification by Example for Java Framework.
- JBehave: An open-source library that expands the WebDriver and JUnit attributes.
Popular BDD Testing Frameworks
Cucumber
Cucumber is a widely-used BDD tool that supports multiple programming languages. It promotes collaboration and offers a clear syntax for writing Gherkin scenarios.
SpecFlow
SpecFlow is a BDD tool for .NET that facilitates communication between teams and ensures that the developed features align with business expectations.
Quantum
Quantum is a BDD framework designed for Java. It simplifies the process of writing and executing BDD tests, making it an efficient choice for Java developers.
JBehave
JBehave is a Java-based BDD framework that encourages collaboration and documentation through plain text scenarios.
FAQs
- What are the key differences between BDD and TDD? BDD focuses on the behavior of a system from a user’s perspective, while TDD is centered around testing individual units of code.
- Can it be used for non-Agile projects? Yes, BDD Testing can be adapted to various project methodologies, not limited to Agile.
- Can it be combined with other testing approaches? Absolutely, Testing can complement and enhance other testing approaches for comprehensive quality assurance.
- How does it enhance collaboration among team members/stakeholders? Testing promotes a shared understanding of project requirements, fostering better communication and collaboration among team members and stakeholders.
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