How do you refactor and optimize your BDD tests to avoid duplication and redundancy?

1 Define clear and concise scenarios

One of the first steps to refactor and optimize your BDD tests is to review your scenarios and make sure they are clear, concise, and focused on a single behavior or outcome. A good scenario should have a descriptive title, a realistic context, a specific action, and a measurable result. It should also avoid unnecessary details, technical jargon, or implementation details. A clear and concise scenario will help you avoid ambiguity, confusion, and overlap among your tests.

2 Extract common steps into background

Another way to refactor and optimize your BDD tests is to identify and extract the common steps that are shared by multiple scenarios into a background section. A background section is a special part of a feature file that runs before each scenario in that file. It allows you to define the preconditions or setup steps that are needed for all the scenarios in that file. By using a background section, you can avoid repeating the same steps in each scenario, reduce the length of your tests, and improve the readability of your tests.

3 Use parameters and examples

A third way to refactor and optimize your BDD tests is to use parameters and examples to make your tests more dynamic and data-driven. Parameters are placeholders that can be replaced by different values in your steps. For example, you can use parameters to specify different inputs, outputs, or expectations in your tests. Examples are tables that provide multiple sets of values for your parameters. For example, you can use examples to test different combinations of inputs and outputs in your tests. By using parameters and examples, you can avoid writing multiple scenarios that are similar but have different data, increase the coverage of your tests, and simplify the maintenance of your tests.

4 Apply the testing pyramid

A fourth way to refactor and optimize your BDD tests is to apply the testing pyramid principle to your test suite. The testing pyramid is a model that suggests that you should have more low-level tests, such as unit tests or integration tests, than high-level tests, such as end-to-end tests or UI tests. The reason is that low-level tests are faster, cheaper, and more reliable than high-level tests, while high-level tests are slower, more expensive, and more brittle than low-level tests. By applying the testing pyramid, you can avoid over-relying on BDD tests for every aspect of your system, balance the speed and quality of your tests, and optimize the feedback loop of your tests.

5 Use hooks and tags

A fifth way to refactor and optimize your BDD tests is to use hooks and tags to control the execution and organization of your tests. Hooks are functions that run before or after certain events in your test suite, such as before or after each scenario, feature, or step. Hooks can help you perform actions such as initializing or cleaning up resources, logging or reporting results, or setting up or tearing down databases. Tags are labels that you can assign to your scenarios or features to categorize them based on criteria such as priority, functionality, or status. Tags can help you filter, group, or exclude your tests based on your needs.

6 Review and refactor regularly

A sixth way to refactor and optimize your BDD tests is to review and refactor them regularly as part of your development process. BDD tests are not static artifacts that you write once and forget. They are living documents that reflect the current state and expectations of your system. As your system evolves, so should your BDD tests. You should review your BDD tests periodically to check if they are still relevant, accurate, and consistent with your requirements. You should also refactor your BDD tests whenever you find opportunities to improve their structure, style, or performance. By reviewing and refactoring your BDD tests regularly, you can ensure that they remain valuable, reliable, and maintainable.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?