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Possible Duplicate:
SpecFlow/BDD for Unit Tests?

Over the last few years I have worked in TDD using NUnit/Moq and over the last few months I have been getting to grips with BDD using mSpec.

So far so good but we now want to move more into acceptance criteria based tests where the business analysts are involved and we get an outside in development process.

So now we have predefined Gherkin syntax files and with specflow it feels the right way to work.

However, at a unit test level having predefined Gherkin files would go against what I understand about TDD. In other words, you design as you go a long evolving your design with behaviour.

As we are working using the outside in approach, now at unit test level could it be that we now have the specifications/behaviors that can now be used to drive my unit tests (just feels like it is against the way I have been doing TDD)?

Earlier these files were important for acceptance tests but as a developer I will work alone so they are not necessary unless I use SpecFlow.

Also what benefit would we have at a unit test level having GWT files maintained when we are using mspec? Developers should be able to just jump into the code and read the tests or just run the test runner to see what it is doing.

TIA JD

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JD.
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  • Yes you might be right. I was just wanted some clarification that I did not have to create GWT files all the way through every stage I was was testing/designing. :). – JD. Nov 24 '11 at 10:56
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    Scroll to the bottom - I write my unit-level GWT like this. The audience is purely technical anyway: http://code.google.com/p/wipflash/source/browse/Example.PetShop.Behavior/PetRegistry/RegistrationViewModelBehavior.cs – Lunivore Nov 24 '11 at 13:30
  • Thanks. That has cleared up a lot. The thought of executable specifications at the unit level got me all confused. Clearly it is not required but the way you have shown in your example, you can use a similar wording that will help. – JD. Nov 25 '11 at 09:32
  • To the SO moderators: I actually think this question and its accepted and answer is better than the question linked to as the dupe. I'd rather see the other question go off of SO and this one remain. – fourpastmidnight Aug 25 '14 at 14:49

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My spontaneous answer is No.

Tha main benefit of BDD and tools like specflow and Cucumber is communication with the stakeholders of the project and creating a shared understanding of what is to be built.

The main benefit of TDD is to take small steps through a solutions implementation, ensuring that you build maintainable and great code.

Or if you want; BDD is about ensuring that we're building the right thing, TDD is about ensuring that we're building it right.

I answered a question like this the other day on my blog, if you want more details; http://www.marcusoft.net/2011/11/bdd-and-technical-scenarios.html

Marcus Hammarberg
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