Could one scenario depend on another in cucumber?

Testing RSpec
1

I think it is a common test case you would meet. For example, you want
to test a user registry scenario. You write:

Scenario: User Registry
When I dosth
Then I dosth
…

And now business has some changes. Register should have to activate his
account by a secret code sent by mobile phone. So you need to write the
other scenario:

Scenario: User Registry and Account Activation By Mobile
When I dosth
Then I dosth
…
#above is the samed as User Registry scenario

Then I visit “my setting” page
And I fill in “activate code” with “code”
…

Because the second scenario is based on the first one, cucumber can do
the things like:

Scenario: User Registry and Account Activation By Mobile
depend on [Scenario: User Registry]

??

If you use ant to write build file, or rake task, dependency is
supported. So cucumber also can do it, right?

Thanks.

2

On 26 Nov 2008, at 03:27, Newman H. wrote:

account by a secret code sent by mobile phone. So you need to write
And I fill in “activate code” with “code”
If you use ant to write build file, or rake task, dependency is
supported. So cucumber also can do it, right?

You need the feature known as ‘Call Steps From Steps’:
http://rspec.lighthouseapp.com/projects/16211/tickets/3-create-givenscenario-dependency-accross-feature-files

This basically allows you to make a magic step which calls in some or
all of the steps from the other scenario.

Also, perhaps I might humbly recommend my blog post about the subject:
http://blog.mattwynne.net/2008/11/14/dry-up-your-cucumber-steps/

Hope that helps,
Matt

3

Newman H. wrote:

I think it is a common test case you would meet. For example, you want
to test a user registry scenario. You write:

Scenario: User Registry
When I dosth
Then I dosth
…

And now business has some changes. Register should have to activate his
account by a secret code sent by mobile phone. So you need to write the
other scenario:

Scenario: User Registry and Account Activation By Mobile
When I dosth
Then I dosth
…
#above is the samed as User Registry scenario

Then I visit “my setting” page
And I fill in “activate code” with “code”
…

Because the second scenario is based on the first one, cucumber can do
the things like:

Scenario: User Registry and Account Activation By Mobile
depend on [Scenario: User Registry]

yes, try this:

Scenario: User Registry and Account Activation By Mobile
GivenScenario: User Registry
Then I visit “my setting” page
And I fill in “activate code” with “code”
…

HTH
Paul

4

On 26 Nov 2008, at 09:41, Pau C. wrote:

yes, try this:

Scenario: User Registry and Account Activation By Mobile
GivenScenario: User Registry

I think I might be right in saying that technique is likely to be
deprecated in the future. I don’t think it’s recommended anymore. See
my earlier response.

cheers,
Matt

5

Matt W. wrote:

On 26 Nov 2008, at 03:27, Newman H. wrote:

account by a secret code sent by mobile phone. So you need to write
And I fill in “activate code” with “code”
If you use ant to write build file, or rake task, dependency is
supported. So cucumber also can do it, right?

You need the feature known as ‘Call Steps From Steps’:
Lighthouse - Beautifully Simple Issue Tracking

This basically allows you to make a magic step which calls in some or
all of the steps from the other scenario.

Also, perhaps I might humbly recommend my blog post about the subject:
http://blog.mattwynne.net/2008/11/14/dry-up-your-cucumber-steps/

Hope that helps,
Matt

Hi, Matt

Thanks for your kind reply.

Yesterday I rethink such a test case need scenario dependency, and I
find a way to walk around it. We know cucumber defines the scenario
implementation in the steps ruby file. So all the scenario
reusing(dependency) should be a step reusing, and then we can define a
well-defined step for scenario dependency. Here is a sample:

Scenario: User Registry
When I dosth
Then I dosth

We can define it in the step:

Given /^I have registered with “(.)" and "(.)”$/ do |name,password|
…
end

and for the other scenario, we can describe it as this way:

Scenario: User Registry and Account Activation By Mobile
Given I have registered with “somebody” and “password”
Then I visit “my setting” page
And I fill in “activate code” with “code”

Such a implementation would be more reasonable, for it is simple.

6

Matt W. wrote:

I think I might be right in saying that technique is likely to be
deprecated in the future. I don’t think it’s recommended anymore. See
my earlier response.

Thanks Matt. That is good to know.

Paul