This document discusses the process of using Gherkin scripts to automate acceptance testing over multiple iterations of a project. Key points include: - Gherkins were used to define test cases and acceptance criteria from the start of development. - Automated testing was implemented in stages, first manually running Gherkins then gradually automating more test cases across browsers and environments. - The process evolved to include capturing screenshots, archiving results, and coordinating test execution with various teams. - Future areas for improvement include expanding test coverage, simplifying maintenance, and generating Gherkins from models.

1. Popping the Gherkin Stack
Ayan Dave
Terry Wiegmann, CBAP, CSQE

2. February 16, 2012 – Today / Terry
• What is/are gherkin(s)?
• Examples of gherkins
• Reports after execution
• Screen shot captured for each click
• Executed within the Iteration
• Discussed at retrospectives

3. Sample gherkins
• Goal Level:
– Given that I am a Teacher
– When I have students in my Classes
– Then I should be able to see the same ConnectED content
my Students see
•
• Task Level:
– Given that I have created a class and have added students
to it
– When I open the book for that class
– Then I should be able to access the same
– Newsfeed that Student see

4. Screenshots

6. February 16, 2012 – Today / Ayan
• Technologies used
• Java, Maven
• WebDriver, Cuke4Duke
• gherkin-salad – my pet project
• Automation using three browsers
• Chrome, FireFox, IE
• Automation in three environments
• DEV, QA, UAT

8. Flashback: October 10, 2011/Terry
• New team, new client site, new project
• Terry BA and QA: Ayan Lead Developer
• App, Browsers, System Environments
• Client Environment
• Pooled past experiences
• Challenges for agile teams, blending roles

9. Flashback: October 10, 2011/Ayan
• Challenges as a Developer
• Use gherkins
• Gherkins as a shared language
• Possibility of Automation
• But no automation at this point
• To allow the team to ride the learning /
adopting curve

10. Flashback: October 10, 2011/Terry
• Use gherkins to capture
requirements, acceptance tests
• Use gherkins to form test plans
• Write gherkins at the start of development

11. Flashback: October 10, 2011 / Ayan
• Execute gherkins before the development
ends
• Definition of Done - Before the developer
calls a feature “done” the developer, QA and
BA would get together and manually run
through the gherkins
• Code Reviews are also done

12. • 2 iterations, 0 defects
• Scenarios walked
through at the end of
Flashback: November 14, 2011 /Terry
development with BA
After 2 iterations
and Tester
• First version of
“gherkins”

13. Initial Version of our gherkins / Terry
• Rolling Scenarios
• Action Level gherkins
• Data Preparation Scenarios

14. • Task and Action Level
gherkins
• Action levels are good
Flashback: November 10, 2011 /Ayan
for certain audiences –
After 2 iterations
Help
Desk, Writers, Newbies
• Ready to try Task Level
Gherkins

15. Task Level gherkins / Ayan
• Less element level interactions
• Every task level instruction may translate to
multiple action level instructions

16. • Used gherkins in show
and tell, business and
client is intrigued
• Questions came up that
how is this different
Flashback: November 10, 2011 /Terry
from QTP?
After 2 iterations
• No License :)
• Accessible to everyone
• Need Automation
• Traceability to
requirements in JIRA

17. Traceability
• Adding the requirement ID in the feature and
scenario text

18. • Can write groovy script to
create reports around
traceability
• Want to do automation in all
environments, all browsers
Flashback: November 10, 2011 /Ayan
• Would do only Firefox and DEV
After 2 iterations
environment for next 2
iterations
• With Task Level gherkins we
would write code at action
level

19. January 2, 2012 - Happy New Year!
After 2 iterations & Nice Holiday Season
• We had more task level gherkins
• Gherkins and automation organized in SVN
• Found a Notepad++ plugin to assist in writing gherkins

20. SVN Structure

21. January 2, 2012 - Happy New Year!
After 2 iterations & Nice Holiday Season
• Captured page structure
information, Role, Component, Element
• @manual features
• @wip features
• Want to do more automation in 3 browsers, 3 environments
• Created Execution Plans
• Created Data File

22. Page Structure (one per application)

23. Data File (for each environment)

24. Execution Plan (one per environment)

25. Automated Step

26. Automated Step

27. February 16, 2012 – Back to Today, After 2 Iterations
• Here we have a process with 0 defects, well
running and adapted to
• A running process
• Running in 3 browsers
• Running in 3 environments
• Scheduled run at 6 in evening

28. February 16, 2012 – Back to Today, After 2 Iterations
• Added the following features
• Capturing screenshots
• Archiving the results
• Specific browser usage

29. What Do We Jump Over next?
• Capture scenarios as we are talking to
business and run it by them, if possible
• Involve client Testing/QA team in our
processes
• Ensuring scenario and test coverage
• Ensuring complementary scenarios

30. What Do We Jump Over next?
• Support for ipad?
• Simplify the maintenance of gherkins including
execution plan, page structure and data file
• Automatic conversion of Task Level gherkins to
Action Level Gherkins?
• Automatically generating gherkins from
models?

31. Credits
All of this is not something that we could have
done by ourselves. It is a team effort.
• Development Team: Chai Thatipamula, Sakshi
Vaghela, Pallavi Jain
• Project Manager: Demetrius Jackson
• Team at the Client Location

32. Contact
• Ayan Dave
• @daveayan
• http://projects.daveayan.com
• http://daveayan.com
• Terry Wiegmann, CBAP, CSQE
• @twieg
• twiegmann@quicksolutions.com