Test step can be defined in .java (coded) or .bdl (code-less) files. Test step consists of implementation and description, with which it is known. Description is also used to reporting the step. Description must have same number of placeholder as number of arguments expected in step. The argument placeholder can be argument number or meaningful name for the argument.

Features:

• Ease of implementation
• Support complex objects
• Supports argument formatter QAFTestStepArgumentFormatter for BDD

Step in Java

@QAFTestStep(description="meaning full step descriptor")
public <return_type> stepMethod(<parameters>) {
//step implementation
}

Step in BDL

STEP-DEF:<meaningfull step description>
META-DATA:<valid json object>
[Keyword] <first step description with parameters>
…
[Keyword] <nth step description>
END

Regular expressions are supported for description of test step

To define step, which contains parameters:

user logins with {0} and {1}
user logins with {0:string} and {1:string}
user (logins|signins) with {0} and {1}
user (log|sign)ins with {0} and {1}
This step can be consumed from *.bdd file as:
user logins with 'username' and 'password'
user logins with 'username' and 'password'

More examples for defining step and consuming them:

Using method argument name instead of numbers for parameters in step description

Test Step Declaration In java

@QAFTestStep(description = "user logins with {username} and {password}")
public void login(String username, String password) {
	// step implementation
}

Test Step Declaration In BDL

STEP-DEF:user logins with {0} and {1}
Given COMMENT: '${args[0]}'
Given COMMENT: '${args[1]}'
// step implementation
END

STEP-DEF: user (log|sign)ins with {0:map}
Given COMMENT: '${args[0]}'
END

As well as

STEP-DEF: Login
Meta-Data: {'description' : 'user (log|sign)ins with {0:map}'}
Given COMMENT: '${args[0]}'
END

Can be consumed as:

Given user logins with 'username' and 'password123#'

Using regular expression for flexibility in using the step

Test Step Declaration In java

@QAFTestStep(description = "user (log|sign)ins with {username} and {password}")
public void login(String username, String password) {
	// step implementation
}

Test Step Declaration In BDL

STEP-DEF:user (log|sign)ins with {0} and {1}
Given COMMENT: '${args[0]}'
Given COMMENT: '${args[1]}'
// step implementation
END

Can be consumed as:

Given user logins with 'username' and 'password123#' 
Given user signins with 'username' and 'password123#'

Using/Passing map structured data in argument of step

Test Step Declaration In java

@QAFTestStep(description = "user logins with {credentials}")
public void login(Map<String, String> creds) {
	// step implementation
}

Test Step Declaration In BDL

STEP-DEF:user logins with {0}
Given COMMENT: '${args[0]}'
END

Can be consumed as:

Given user logins with {'username':'user123','password':'password123#'}

Using/Passing Array data in argument of step

Test Step Declaration In java

@QAFTestStep(description = "user should have {access_types} access")
public void login(String[] access_types) {
	// step implementation
}

Test Step Declaration In BDL

STEP-DEF:user should have {0} access
Given COMMENT: '${args[0]}'
END

Can be consumed as:

Given user should have ['read','write','modify'] access

Tags: bdd scenario bdl java