This document discusses using SpecFlow to write acceptance criteria and tests for a project called GQ OSCA. It provides context on the project, describes how acceptance testing evolved. It then gives examples of acceptance criteria and SpecFlow scenarios to test creating a new window for academic assessment material. It discusses challenges with writing acceptance tests and references resources for further information on Gherkin, Cucumber and SpecFlow.

1. Acceptance criteria
with SpecFlow
project case study
June 2010

2. #1 CONTEXT

3. Project GQ OSCA
Using Scrum
core team of 5
started in June 2009
Using XP techniques
pair programming
TDD

4. .NET 3.5
C#
SQL 2005
TFS 2008 with STS
Visual Studio 2008 with Resharper
NHibernate
Hitachi Framework
ASP.NET MVC

7. #2 EVOLUTION

14. #3 ACCEPTANCE TESTING

15. As a GQ OSCA Administrator I want to
Create a new EME window for an
academic year so that I can configure
the assessment material for a paper

16. Acceptance Criteria
• User select 'Add New Window' creates new row
for date
• User can use Calendar Select to select Start
Date, End Date, and Publish Date
• For Start Date: Must be within Academic year,
and not within another existing window
• For End Date: Must be after Start Date, and not
within another existing window
• For Commentary Publish Date: Must be after End
Date, and not within another existing window

19. Scenario #1
• EME Start Date is outside Academic Year
– GIVEN
• the EME Start Date is outside of the current
Academic Year
– WHEN
• the GQ OSCA Administrator tries to save the
EME Window details
– THEN
• the form should display an error message stating
that the start date must be within the Academic
Year

20. Scenario #2
• EME Start Date is before EME End Date
– GIVEN
• the EME Start Date is after the EME End Date
– WHEN
• the GQ OSCA Administrator tries to save the
EME Window details
– THEN
• the form should display an error message stating
that the Start Date must be before the End Date

21. Scenario #3
• Existing EME Window and new EME Window
Start Date is in existing EME Window
– GIVEN
• An EME Window already exists
• the new EME Start Date is within the existing EME
Window
– WHEN
• the GQ OSCA Administrator saves the EME Window
details
– THEN
• the form should display an error message stating that
the Start Date must not be within another EME
Window

22. Workflow

33. #4 SPECFLOW

34. Gherkin

37. prepare context
set state

38. execute actions

39. make assertions

47. #5 MORE EXAMPLES

54. Challenges
• Users writing the acceptance tests
• Meaningful tests
• Correct granularity of acceptance tests
• Coverage

55. Reference
• Gherking
http://wiki.github.com/aslakhellesoy/cucumber/
gherkin
• Cucumber
http://cukes.info/
• SpecFlow
http://www.specflow.org/

56. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/uk/