BDD with SpecFlow (Ocaramba.Tests.Features)

This page describes the Behavior-Driven Development (BDD) integration within the Ocaramba framework using SpecFlow. The Ocaramba.Tests.Features project provides a structured approach to writing human-readable tests in Gherkin syntax while leveraging Ocaramba's core driver management and Page Object Model (POM) capabilities.

Purpose and Scope

The Ocaramba.Tests.Features project serves as the primary BDD implementation layer. It integrates SpecFlow with NUnit to execute scenarios defined in .feature files. The project demonstrates how to:

• Define test scenarios using Gherkin syntax.
• Map Gherkin steps to C# code using Step Definitions.
• Manage the WebDriver lifecycle via a specialized ProjectTestBase.
• Share data and context between steps using SpecFlow's ScenarioContext.
• Utilize dependency injection to provide DriverContext to step classes.

Project Structure and Setup

The project is organized into three main areas: Feature files, Step Definitions, and the Base Configuration. The project targets net8.0 Ocaramba.Tests.Features/Ocaramba.Tests.Features.csproj4-5 and relies on SpecFlow.NUnit for test execution Ocaramba.Tests.Features/Ocaramba.Tests.Features.csproj27 It uses BoDi for dependency injection Ocaramba.Tests.Features/Ocaramba.Tests.Features.csproj10

Implementation Overview Diagram

The following diagram illustrates the relationship between Gherkin files, the generated code-behind, and the Ocaramba framework entities.

Gherkin to Code Mapping

Sources: Ocaramba.Tests.Features/TestFeatures/SmokeTests.feature24-32 Ocaramba.Tests.Features/ProjectTestBase.cs39-43 Ocaramba.Tests.Features/StepDefinition/CommonSteps.cs33-48

ProjectTestBase and Lifecycle Management

The ProjectTestBase class in this project differs from other test runner implementations as it uses SpecFlow's [Binding] attribute and lifecycle hooks to manage the DriverContext.

• Initialization: It initializes a new DriverContext instance Ocaramba.Tests.Features/ProjectTestBase.cs42
• Before Scenario: The BeforeTest() method (marked with [Before]) sets the test directory Ocaramba.Tests.Features/ProjectTestBase.cs107 sets the test title from scenarioContext.ScenarioInfo.Title Ocaramba.Tests.Features/ProjectTestBase.cs108 logs the start via LogTestStarting Ocaramba.Tests.Features/ProjectTestBase.cs109 initializes the browser driver via this.DriverContext.Start() Ocaramba.Tests.Features/ProjectTestBase.cs110 and stores the DriverContext in the ScenarioContext dictionary for use by step definitions Ocaramba.Tests.Features/ProjectTestBase.cs111
• After Scenario: The AfterTest() method (marked with [After]) handles test failure logic. It checks for errors in ScenarioContext.TestError or soft-assertion failures in DriverContext.VerifyMessages Ocaramba.Tests.Features/ProjectTestBase.cs118-122 It also captures screenshots and page source via SaveTestDetailsIfTestFailed Ocaramba.Tests.Features/ProjectTestBase.cs123 logs JavaScript errors Ocaramba.Tests.Features/ProjectTestBase.cs125 and stops the driver via DriverContext.Stop() Ocaramba.Tests.Features/ProjectTestBase.cs141

Sources: Ocaramba.Tests.Features/ProjectTestBase.cs39-143

Step Definitions and Dependency Injection

Step definitions are contained in the StepDefinitions namespace. The CommonSteps class demonstrates how to interact with Page Objects using the shared DriverContext.

Data Flow: DriverContext Injection

Ocaramba uses the SpecFlow ScenarioContext to pass the DriverContext from the base hooks to the step classes.

Sources: Ocaramba.Tests.Features/ProjectTestBase.cs110-111 Ocaramba.Tests.Features/StepDefinition/CommonSteps.cs39-48

Key Functions in CommonSteps

• Constructor: Receives ScenarioContext and retrieves the DriverContext using the key "DriverContext" Ocaramba.Tests.Features/StepDefinition/CommonSteps.cs39-48
• GivenDefaultPageIsOpened: Instantiates InternetPage with the injected driverContext and calls OpenHomePage() Ocaramba.Tests.Features/StepDefinition/CommonSteps.cs50-54
• WhenISeePageDropdownList: Instantiates DropdownPage and stores the page object instance in scenarioContext for subsequent steps using this.scenarioContext.Set(page, "DropdownPage") Ocaramba.Tests.Features/StepDefinition/CommonSteps.cs62-67
• ThenOptionWithTextIsSelected: Retrieves the stored text from context and uses Ocaramba's Verify.That for soft assertions, allowing the test to continue even if a verification fails Ocaramba.Tests.Features/StepDefinition/CommonSteps.cs118-124

Sources: Ocaramba.Tests.Features/StepDefinition/CommonSteps.cs33-143

Feature Files (Gherkin)

The project includes SmokeTests.feature, which covers common UI interactions such as dropdown selection and keyboard input.

Feature	Scenario	Steps
SmokeTests	Verify default option selected	Given, When, And, And, Then Ocaramba.Tests.Features/TestFeatures/SmokeTests.feature27-32
SmokeTests	Key Presses Test	Scenario Outline using <key> and <message> Ocaramba.Tests.Features/TestFeatures/SmokeTests.feature79-100

Sources: Ocaramba.Tests.Features/TestFeatures/SmokeTests.feature27-100

SmokeTests.feature.cs

This is a partial class generated by SpecFlow that maps Gherkin scenarios to NUnit test methods. It includes [TestFixture] Ocaramba.Tests.Features/TestFeatures/SmokeTests.feature.cs22 [Test] Ocaramba.Tests.Features/TestFeatures/SmokeTests.feature.cs76 and [Category] Ocaramba.Tests.Features/TestFeatures/SmokeTests.feature.cs78 attributes, allowing these BDD scenarios to be discovered by standard NUnit runners. It handles the execution lifecycle by calling testRunner.OnScenarioStart() Ocaramba.Tests.Features/TestFeatures/SmokeTests.feature.cs68 and testRunner.CollectScenarioErrors() Ocaramba.Tests.Features/TestFeatures/SmokeTests.feature.cs73

Configuration

The project is configured via standard Ocaramba configuration files and SpecFlow-specific settings:

• appsettings.json: Contains driver configuration, timeouts, and browser settings Ocaramba.Tests.Features/Ocaramba.Tests.Features.csproj40-42
• nlog.config: Configures the logging behavior for the test execution Ocaramba.Tests.Features/Ocaramba.Tests.Features.csproj46-48
• specflow.json: (Implicitly referenced) Configures SpecFlow behavior such as the unit test provider (NUnit).

Adding New Features

To extend the BDD suite:

1. Create Feature File: Add a .feature file in the TestFeatures folder. Ensure the generator is configured in the .csproj Ocaramba.Tests.Features/Ocaramba.Tests.Features.csproj51-55
2. Define Steps: Write scenarios using Gherkin syntax (e.g., Given, When, Then).
3. Implement Steps:
   • If existing steps in CommonSteps.cs do not suffice, create a new class with the [Binding] attribute Ocaramba.Tests.Features/StepDefinition/CommonSteps.cs32-33
   • Inject ScenarioContext in the constructor to access the DriverContext Ocaramba.Tests.Features/StepDefinition/CommonSteps.cs39-48
4. Use Page Objects: Instantiate Page Objects from the Ocaramba.Tests.PageObjects project within the step methods to perform actions Ocaramba.Tests.Features/StepDefinition/CommonSteps.cs53

Sources: Ocaramba.Tests.Features/StepDefinition/CommonSteps.cs23-33 Ocaramba.Tests.Features/ProjectTestBase.cs38-40 Ocaramba.Tests.Features/Ocaramba.Tests.Features.csproj51-55