behave

behave Best Practices

This guide outlines the definitive best practices for writing behave tests. Adhere to these standards for consistent, high-quality BDD automation.

1. Code Organization & Structure

Maintain a clear, predictable project structure.

✅ GOOD: Standard Project Layout

.
├── features/
│   ├── authentication.feature   # Gherkin feature files
│   ├── product_management.feature
│   ├── environment.py           # Global hooks and fixtures
│   └── steps/
│       ├── common_steps.py      # Reusable, generic steps
│       ├── auth_steps.py        # Authentication-specific steps
│       └── product_steps.py     # Product-specific steps
├── src/                         # Your application code
│   └── my_app/
│       ├── __init__.py
│       ├── models.py
│       └── services.py          # Business logic layer
└── pyproject.toml               # Project configuration

2. Feature Files: Clear, Business-Centric Gherkin

Feature files describe what the system does from a business perspective, not how it's implemented. Keep scenarios concise.

❌ BAD: Implementation Details in Gherkin

Feature: User Login
  Scenario: Successful login
    Given I am on the "/login" page
    When I fill in "username" with "testuser" and "password" with "password123"
    And I click the "Login" button with CSS selector ".login-form button"
    Then I should be redirected to "/dashboard"

✅ GOOD: Abstract, User-Focused Gherkin

Feature: User Login
  Scenario: Successful login with valid credentials
    Given a registered user "testuser" with password "password123"
    When "testuser" logs in
    Then "testuser" should be logged in successfully

3. Step Implementations: Thin & Pythonic

Steps should be thin wrappers that delegate complex logic to your application's service layer or dedicated helper modules. Follow PEP 8.

❌ BAD: Fat Steps with Business Logic

# features/steps/auth_steps.py
from behave import given
from my_app.models import User # Direct ORM access

@given('a registered user "{username}" with password "{password}"')
def step_impl(context, username, password):
    # Direct database manipulation and complex logic in step
    user = User.objects.create_user(username=username, password=password)
    context.user = user
    # ... more setup logic