Test Automation with the Gauge Framework: Experience and Best Practices

Abstract

While Behavior-driven development (BDD) tools such as Cucumber are powerful tools for automated testing, they have certain limitations. For example, they often enforce strict syntax for test cases, like the “Given-When-Then” format, which may not always be easy to write for a given test case. A new test automation framework named Gauge (gauge.org) addresses that limitation since it does not prescribe the BDD testing process with a strict syntax. In Gauge, writing a test case is as easy as writing down the flow of test cases in several itemized sentences in a natural language, like English. In the context of Testinium (testinium.com), a large software testing company which provides software testing services, tools and solutions to a large number of clients, we have actively used the Gauge framework since 2018 to develop large automated front-end test suites for several large web applications. In this paper/talk, the speakers will share several examples and best practices of developing automated tests in natural-language requirements using the Gauge framework. By learning from the ideas presented in the talk, readers (attendees) will be able to consider applying the Gauge framework in their own test automation projects.