Behavior-driven development (BDD) concept in Testing Fundamentals - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What is Behavior-driven Development (BDD)?

BDD is a software development approach that encourages collaboration between developers, testers, and business people by writing tests in simple language that describes the behavior of the application.

beginner

What format is commonly used to write BDD scenarios?

BDD scenarios are often written in Gherkin language using Given-When-Then steps to describe the context, action, and expected outcome.

intermediate

Why is collaboration important in BDD?

Collaboration ensures everyone understands the requirements clearly and agrees on the expected behavior, reducing misunderstandings and bugs.

intermediate

How does BDD improve test automation?

BDD uses human-readable scenarios that can be automated as tests, making it easier to maintain and understand automated test suites.

beginner

Give an example of a simple BDD scenario.

Example: Given the user is logged in When the user clicks the logout button Then the user should be logged out and see the login page.

What does the 'Given' step in a BDD scenario describe?

A The initial context or state before an action

B The action the user takes

C The expected result after the action

D The code implementation details

'Given' sets up the starting point or context for the scenario.

Which language is commonly used to write BDD scenarios?

A SQL

B Python

C JavaScript

D Gherkin

Gherkin is a simple language used to write BDD scenarios in a readable format.

Who should be involved in writing BDD scenarios?

A Only developers

B Developers, testers, and business stakeholders

C Only testers

D Only project managers

BDD encourages collaboration among developers, testers, and business people.

What is the main benefit of BDD?

A Clear understanding of application behavior

B Faster coding

C Less documentation

D More complex tests

BDD helps everyone understand how the application should behave.

In BDD, what does the 'Then' step represent?

A The initial setup

B The user action

C The expected outcome or result

D The test code

'Then' describes what should happen after the action.

Explain the main idea behind Behavior-driven Development (BDD) and why it is useful.

Think about how BDD helps teams work together and understand requirements.

Describe the structure of a BDD scenario using Given-When-Then and what each part means.

Remember the three parts that tell a story about the feature.

Practice

1. What is the main purpose of Behavior-driven development (BDD)?

easy

A. To write code faster without testing

B. To improve communication by using plain language to describe software behavior

C. To replace all manual testing with automated scripts

D. To focus only on the user interface design

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand BDD's communication goal

   BDD uses simple language to describe how software should behave, making it easier for everyone to understand.

2. Step 2: Compare options with BDD purpose

   Only To improve communication by using plain language to describe software behavior matches this goal; others focus on unrelated aspects like speed or UI only.

3. Final Answer:

   To improve communication by using plain language to describe software behavior -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   BDD = plain language communication [OK]

Hint: BDD means plain language for behavior, not just coding [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking BDD is only about automation
• Confusing BDD with UI design
• Believing BDD skips manual testing

2. Which of the following is the correct syntax style used in BDD scenarios?

easy

A. Try-Catch-Finally

B. If-Else-End

C. Start-Process-End

D. Given-When-Then

Solution

1. Step 1: Recall BDD scenario structure

   BDD scenarios use the "Given-When-Then" format to describe context, action, and outcome.

2. Step 2: Match options with BDD syntax

   Only Given-When-Then matches this format; others are programming constructs or unrelated terms.

3. Final Answer:

   Given-When-Then -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   BDD syntax = Given-When-Then [OK]

Hint: BDD always uses Given-When-Then steps [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing BDD syntax with programming keywords
• Using If-Else as BDD steps
• Mixing error handling terms with BDD

3. Consider this BDD scenario snippet:

Given the user is logged in
When the user clicks the logout button
Then the user should be logged out

What is the expected outcome of this scenario?

medium

A. The user is logged out after clicking logout

B. The user remains logged in

C. The logout button is disabled

D. An error message is shown

Solution

1. Step 1: Analyze the 'When' action

   The user clicks the logout button, which triggers logout behavior.

2. Step 2: Check the 'Then' expected result

   The user should be logged out, meaning the session ends successfully.

3. Final Answer:

   The user is logged out after clicking logout -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   When logout clicked, Then user logged out [OK]

Hint: Match 'Then' outcome with expected behavior [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Ignoring the 'Then' step result
• Assuming logout button disables instead
• Confusing error messages with normal flow

4. Identify the error in this BDD scenario:

Given the user is on the homepage
When the user clicks the login button
And the user enters valid credentials
Then the user should see the dashboard
But the user sees an error message instead

medium

A. The scenario mixes expected and unexpected outcomes in 'Then' and 'But'

B. The 'Given' step is missing a URL

C. The 'When' step should not have multiple actions

D. The scenario lacks a 'Background' section

Solution

1. Step 1: Review 'Then' and 'But' steps

   'Then' states the user should see the dashboard (expected), but 'But' says the user sees an error (unexpected).

2. Step 2: Understand BDD scenario clarity

   BDD scenarios should describe one clear expected outcome; mixing expected and unexpected causes confusion.

3. Final Answer:

   The scenario mixes expected and unexpected outcomes in 'Then' and 'But' -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   BDD expects clear outcomes, not conflicting ones [OK]

Hint: Avoid conflicting expected results in BDD steps [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking multiple actions in 'When' are invalid
• Believing 'Background' is mandatory
• Assuming 'Given' must include URLs

5. You want to write a BDD scenario for a shopping cart feature that applies a discount only if the total price is above $100. Which scenario correctly uses BDD style to describe this behavior?

hard

A. Start cart
Check total
Apply discount if total > 100
End cart

B. If cart total > 100 then apply discount else no discount

C. Given the cart total is $120
When the user applies a discount code
Then the discount should be applied

D. User adds items
Discount applied automatically

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify proper BDD format

   Given the cart total is $120 When the user applies a discount code Then the discount should be applied uses Given-When-Then steps clearly describing context, action, and expected result.

2. Step 2: Evaluate other options for BDD style

   Options B, C, and D use programming logic or vague steps, not BDD's plain language format.

3. Final Answer:

   Given the cart total is $120 When the user applies a discount code Then the discount should be applied -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   BDD scenario = Given-When-Then clear steps [OK]

Hint: Use Given-When-Then to describe behavior clearly [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Writing code logic instead of plain language
• Skipping the 'Then' expected outcome
• Using vague or incomplete steps