BreadcrumbHomeResourcesBlog How To Build An Efficient Test Automation Suite With Cypress and Cucumber April 9, 2022 How to Build an Efficient Test Automation Suite With Cypress and CucumberAutomationContinuous TestingBy Eran KinsbrunerIn this blog, I’ll show you how to use a combination of Cypress-Cucumber technology to test your web apps more efficiently. I’ll highlight the benefits of combining Cucumber-supported BDD Gherkin scenarios with Cypress, as well as show you how to get started.As you may know, Cypress is the de-facto front-end cross-browser test automation framework for JavaScript.Building E2E functional testing with the Cypress framework is quite efficient, robust, and fast.However, there are additional libraries that work very well with Cypress, like Cucumber - a popular BDD (behavior driven development) testing framework.Related Reading: Playwright vs. Cypress: Which Cross-Browser Testing Solution To Use? >>Table of ContentsWhy Cucumber?Why Cypress? Using Cypress & Cucumber TogetherHow to Run Cypress-Cucumber Tests in the Perfecto CloudBottom LineRelated ContentTable of Contents1 - Why Cucumber?2 - Why Cypress?3 - 4 - Using Cypress & Cucumber Together5 - How to Run Cypress-Cucumber Tests in the Perfecto Cloud6 - Bottom Line7 - Related ContentBack to topWhy Cucumber?Cucumber is a popular BDD (business-driven development) testing tool for writing tests in plain language to appeal to all users, regardless of coding knowledge. BDD has been widely adopted over the past few years and serves as the bridge between the “three amigos” of building applications: Business, Testing, and Developers. Like other BDD frameworks, Cucumber uses Gherkin scripting, which is a plain-English scripting language that anyone, technical or not, can read, write, and understand. With Cucumber BDD and Gherkin scripting, practitioners can easily define end-user scenarios that strengthen validations and remove misunderstandings. In addition, the adoption of BDD has been key to also bridging skillset gaps. BDD allows both business testers and SDETs/developers to contribute to higher test automation coverage.By definition, BDD is dependent on code-based step definitions that can be used by various Gherkin scenarios.To summarize this section, BDD helps in test automation creation with low-code scripting. It also reduces error rates in test scenarios by including more personas in the testing process.Back to topWhy Cypress?As mentioned previously, Cypress is a modern front-end test automation framework rich with capabilities to quickly create robust test scenarios.It is an open-source framework with an active user community, support, documentation, and great capabilities like Time Travel, network traffic control, Cypress commands running inside the browsers, and more.5 Benefits of Cypress Automation for Web Testing >>Cypress is JavaScript base with Mocha testing framework at its core. This makes it easier for existing test automation engineers or developers who have used Selenium to ramp up with Cypress.In addition, the framework allows running from its GUI runner, CLI, or through the cloud with solutions like Perfecto. Back to topUsing Cypress & Cucumber TogetherTo enjoy both frameworks’ benefits, teams could easily do a Cypress-Cucumber integration. This integration closes the technology gaps while employing low-code BDD testing methods, improving the coverage of key business scenarios together with a modern JS based framework.Cypress Testing: Practical Considerations for Dev Teams >>To get started with Cypress-Cucumber testing, few things needs to be set up. Step 1Install Cypress (It’s recommended to get the latest version).Run the following command to locally install Cypress: npm install cypressStep 2Install Cucumber for Cypress.Run the following command to install the cucumber for cypress package: npm install –save-dev cypress-cucumber-preprocessor Step 3Add the relevant configurations to your Cypress environment files accordingly.Under plugins/Index.JS file add the following:const cucumber = require('cypress-cucumber-preprocessor').default module.exports = (on, config) => { on('file:preprocessor', cucumber())} Within the package.json file, add the following configuration: "cypress-cucumber-preprocessor": { "nonGlobalStepDefinitions": true In the spec files extension parameter in the cypress.json file, ensure to point to the feature files:{ "testFiles": "**/*.feature"} Back to topHow to Run Cypress-Cucumber Tests in the Perfecto CloudInstall the Perfecto Cypress SDKFollow the documentation and initialization steps to configure the cloud settings.Configure your perfecto-config.json file with all relevant browser capabilities that you wish to run your tests against.Run the tests at scale in the cloud: npx perfecto-cypress –config=[path to your config file] Once configured and executed, you can review your Cypress-Cucumber test report from within the Perfecto rich test reporting platform. The above screenshot represents a live view of Cypress-Cucumber running a test against a web browser editor in the cloud. The above screenshot shows the post execution test report in the Perfecto repository. It allows you to view the step-by-step details, videos, and if taken — the screenshots as well.Back to topBottom LineAs Cypress continuously matures and evolves, it is a great opportunity for BDD practitioners to explore the benefits of this framework to maximize the test coverage and simplicity of their test creation.The Cypress-Cucumber integration has proven to make the most of this robust and sustainable pair of technologies. Hence, it is a valid choice of technologies for cross-browser testers and developers.See Cypress, Cucumber, and More in Action With PerfectoPerfecto supports both Cypress and Cucumber, and offers more BDD capabilities through the Quantum framework.With Perfecto, teams have a secure, scalable cloud environment for web and mobile testing that offers fast parallel executions and fast feedback via reporting. To get started with this Cypress-Cucumber integration harnessed by the power of Perfecto, as well as many other open-source testing frameworks, try a free 14-day trial today.Start Trial Back to topRelated ContentCypress vs. Selenium: What’s the Right Cross-Browser Testing Solution for You?Selenium vs Cucumber Explained: Quick Guide to Key DifferencesQuantum BDD Testing & PerfectoCypress Testing: Practical Considerations for Dev TeamsHow Gliffy Developers Sped Up End-to-End Testing With Cypress + PerfectoBack to top
Eran Kinsbruner DevOps Chief Evangelist & Sr. Director at Perforce Software, Perfecto Eran Kinsbruner is a person overflowing with ideas and inspiration, beyond that, he makes them happen. He is a best-selling author, continuous-testing and DevOps thought-leader, patent-holding inventor (test exclusion automated mechanisms for mobile J2ME testing), international speaker, and blogger. With a background of over 20 years of experience in development and testing, Eran empowers clients to create products that their customers love, igniting real results for their companies.