Cucumber Framework (original) (raw)

Last Updated : 20 May, 2026

The Cucumber Framework is a popular BDD automation framework used to write and execute test scenarios in a simple and understandable format. It helps teams automate application testing while improving collaboration and test maintainability.

Cucumber Testing Architecture

Cucumber Testing Architecture is a layered structure that separates test scenarios from automation code to enable efficient execution of BDD test cases. It uses Feature Files, Step Definitions, and Core Implementation to execute automated tests efficiently.

Components of Cucumber Testing

**1. Feature File: Contains test scenarios written in simple English using Gherkin language and describes application behavior from the user’s perspective.

**File Extension:.feature

**Example:

Given User is on login page. When User enters valid username and password Then User should login successfully

**2. Step Definition: Contains automation code for each step written in the Feature File and connects Gherkin steps with executable scripts.

**File Extension:.java

**Example:

@Given("User is on login page")

public void openLoginPage() {

driver.get("https://example.com");

}

**3. Runner File: Executes Cucumber test cases and manages feature file and step definition configuration.

**File Extension:.java

**Example:

@RunWith(Cucumber.class)

@CucumberOptions(

features = "src/test/resources/features",

glue = "stepDefinitions"

)

public class TestRunner {

}

**4. Gherkin Language: A business-readable language used to write test scenarios using keywords like Given, When, and Then.

**5. Cucumber Framework: The core tool that supports BDD and enables execution of feature files.

Workflow of Cucumber Framework

Cucumber Framework workflow defines the step-by-step process of executing test scenarios using Feature Files, Step Definitions, and automation code to validate application behavior in BDD style.

workflow_of_cucumber_framework

Workflow of Cucumber Framework

Creating and Running your first Cucumber Test

Setting up your first Cucumber test with Selenium for automated browser testing to implement Behavior-Driven Development (BDD).

Here are the steps to create and run the first Cucumber test:

1. Set Up a Maven Project

Create a Maven Project and add dependencies for Cucumber, Selenium, and TestNG in the pom.xml file:

Cucumber-Framework-Structure

Cucumber Framework Structure

**pom.xml

XML `

io.cucumber cucumber-java 7.18.0 test io.cucumber cucumber-testng 7.18.0 test org.testng testng 7.10.2 test org.seleniumhq.selenium selenium-java 4.21.0 test

`

2. Create a Feature File

Create a Feature File to define test scenarios using Gherkin syntax. The login.feature file contains a simple login scenario and is stored in the src/test/resources directory.

**login.feature

gherkin `

Feature: User Login

Scenario: Successful login with valid credentials Given the user is on the login page When the user enters valid username and password Then the user should be redirected to the homepage

`

3. Create a Step Definitions File

Create Step Definitions file these Java methods in the LoginSteps class map to the steps in the feature file. The LoginSteps class uses Selenium WebDriver to interact with the web application during the test:

**LoginSteps.java

Java `

package stepdefinitions;

import org.openqa.selenium.By; import org.openqa.selenium.WebDriver; import org.openqa.selenium.WebElement; import org.openqa.selenium.chrome.ChromeDriver;

import io.cucumber.java.After; import io.cucumber.java.Before; import io.cucumber.java.en.Given; import io.cucumber.java.en.Then; import io.cucumber.java.en.When;

public class LoginSteps {

private WebDriver driver;
private String url = "https://www.saucedemo.com/";

// Initialize WebDriver and open the browser
@Before
public void setup() {
    driver = new ChromeDriver();
}

// Step definition for "Given the user is on the login page"
@Given("the user is on the login page")
public void userOnLoginPage() {
    if (!this.driver.getCurrentUrl().equals(this.url)) {
        this.driver.get(this.url);
    }
}

// Step definition for "When the user enters valid username and password"
@When("the user enters valid username and password")
public void userEntersValidCredentials() {
    WebElement userName = this.driver.findElement(By.id("user-name"));
    userName.sendKeys("standard_user");

    WebElement passWord = this.driver.findElement(By.id("password"));
    passWord.sendKeys("secret_sauce");

    WebElement loginBtn = this.driver.findElement(By.id("login-button"));
    loginBtn.click();
}

// Step definition for "Then the user should be redirected to the homepage"
@Then("the user should be redirected to the homepage")
public void userRedirectedToHomepage() {
    String currentUrl = driver.getCurrentUrl();
    assert currentUrl.equals("https://www.saucedemo.com/inventory.html");
}

// Cleanup after each test
@After
public void tearDown() {
    if (driver != null) {
        driver.quit();
    }
}

}

`

4. Create a TestRunner Class.

Create the TestRunner class connects the feature file and step definitions using Cucumber's @CucumberOptions annotation. It also generates HTML reports after running the tests.

**TestRunner.java

Java `

package testrunner;

import io.cucumber.testng.AbstractTestNGCucumberTests; import io.cucumber.testng.CucumberOptions;

@CucumberOptions( features = "C:\path_to_feature\login.feature", // Correct path to the feature file glue = "stepdefinitions", // Path to step definitions plugin = {"pretty", "html:target/cucumber-reports"} // Generate HTML report ) public class TestRunner extends AbstractTestNGCucumberTests { }

`

5. Run the Test

After setting up the feature files, step definitions, and test runner, you can run the tests using TestNG. Right-click on the TestRunner class and select Run As TestNG Test.

**Output:

Cucumber-Framework-output

Cucumber Framework output

Creating and running your first Cucumber test is an important step in implementing BDD in your development process. As you become more comfortable with Cucumber, you'll be able to create more complex scenarios and leverage its full potential for improving your software quality and team communication.

**Advantages

The Cucumber Framework improves test automation by making test cases more readable, reusable, and easier to maintain while enhancing collaboration among team members.