Behavior-Driven Development: The benefits and best practices

Behavior-Driven Development: What is it?

Definition and objective of BDD

Behavior-Driven Development (BDD) is a software development approach proposed by Dan North in 2006 to address the difficulties developers may face when testing applications and software designs. BDD focuses on understanding the needs and expectations of end users through the creation of test cases that highlight the behavior a user expects to experience when interacting with the software. These test cases lead to the creation of clear documentation that can be understood by all project stakeholders. BDD obviously works perfectly with Agile methods but in reality, it can be used more widely with the same success and in any type of software development.

The Gherkin syntax at the service of BDD

To ensure test cases can be easily understood and usable by all parties, they must be written using plain language. Gherkin has been designed to be easily understood by people without technical background, while providing a structure that can be used by automated testing tools to execute these scenarios. We find expressions like "given", "when", "then", "and".

Scenario: Deactivate user account

   Given: A user with an active account

   When: I deactivate the user's account

   Then: The user cannot login to the site

   And: I receive a notification that the account has been deactivated

The Benefits of BDD

Benefit #1 – Achieving better communication to ensure the right problem is solved

A BDD approach is obviously aimed at improving the quality of the software, but it also goes beyond that, and the philosophy of this method is broader. It is about learning to achieve better communication within a team to avoid wasting time solving problems that are not really the right ones. BDD helps to remove possible misunderstandings thanks to the use of a common and simple language.

Benefit #2 – Getting a better understanding of the end-user's point of view

During the course of a project, sometimes we lose sight of the end-user's benefits to focus on less important issues. BDD aims to improve the understanding of end-user needs by providing a framework to describe the expected behaviors of the software in a clear and concrete way. By writing test cases in a plain, simple language and using concrete examples, development team members can better understand how the software will be used and how it should meet the needs of the users.

Benefit #3 - BDD makes project documentation lively and responsive

By using this method to guide the development of your product, it becomes possible to proactively verify that your product meets the needs of users by frequently running test cases. You are therefore able to ensure that the software continues to meet user needs over time, even as development continues.

BDD Best Practices

#1 - Start with the why

Clearly and transparently define what you want from BDD. Ask yourself the following questions: What will BDD do for me? And to my team? And to the users? What problems do I want to solve? Is it to improve communication between teams? Reduce errors made by developers? Make the testers' work easier?

#2 - Write clear and concise test cases

To write better test cases, start by using the Gherkin syntax. Make sure that the scenarios clearly describe the behaviors expected by the application. Use plain, concrete language that can easily understood by all team members, whether they have technical skills or not. For example, you can use concrete examples to describe the expected behavior of the software. Furthermore, make sure that each scenario is an independent test case and can be executed independently. Be as specific as possible and avoid using vague or ambivalent terms.

#3 - Run tests regularly and automate them (when possible)

When possible, use automated testing to execute your test cases and verify that the software is working as expected. This will allow you to proactively verify that the software continues to meet user needs over time.

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