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  1. Stackups
  2. DevOps
  3. Testing Frameworks
  4. Testing Frameworks
  5. Behat vs Codeception

Behat vs Codeception

OverviewComparisonAlternatives

Overview

Behat
Behat
Stacks179
Followers65
Votes2
GitHub Stars3.7K
Forks582
Codeception
Codeception
Stacks155
Followers111
Votes5

Behat vs Codeception: What are the differences?

## Introduction
When choosing between Behat and Codeception for testing your web application, it is important to understand the key differences between the two popular testing frameworks.

## 1. Feature Syntax:
Behat uses Gherkin syntax, which focuses on writing test scenarios in plain English using keywords like Given, When, and Then, making it highly readable and understandable for stakeholders. On the other hand, Codeception uses a more traditional programming syntax, which may not be as easy for non-technical stakeholders to grasp.

## 2. Flexibility:
Behat is primarily designed for behavior-driven development (BDD) and encourages a more business-focused approach to testing. It is well-suited for projects where collaboration between technical and non-technical team members is crucial. In contrast, Codeception is more versatile and can be used for a wider range of testing scenarios beyond BDD.

## 3. Learning Curve:
Due to its focus on BDD principles and Gherkin syntax, Behat may have a steeper learning curve for those new to testing frameworks. Codeception, with its more traditional syntax and familiar structure, may be easier for developers to pick up quickly and start writing tests.

## 4. Community and Ecosystem:
Behat has a strong community of users who are passionate about BDD and behavior-driven testing practices. This vibrant community often results in a wealth of resources, plugins, and support for Behat users. While Codeception also has a supportive community, it may not have the same level of focus on BDD practices.

## 5. Integration:
Behat integrates seamlessly with tools like Selenium and Mink for browser testing, making it a popular choice for web application testing. Codeception, on the other hand, offers built-in support for testing various technologies and protocols, providing a more comprehensive testing solution out of the box.

## 6. Extensibility:
Behat's architecture allows for easy extension and customization through plugins, making it a great choice for projects with specific testing requirements. Codeception also supports extensions but may require more effort to tailor to unique testing needs compared to Behat.

In Summary, when deciding between Behat and Codeception, consider your project's requirements for syntax, flexibility, learning curve, community support, integration capabilities, and extensibility to choose the framework that best suits your testing needs.

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Detailed Comparison

Behat
Behat
Codeception
Codeception

It is an open source Behavior-Driven Development framework for PHP. It is a tool to support you in delivering software that matters through continuous communication, deliberate discovery and test-automation.

Full-stack testing framework for PHP. Run browsers tests, framework tests, APIs tests, unit tests with ease.

Statistics
GitHub Stars
3.7K
GitHub Stars
-
GitHub Forks
582
GitHub Forks
-
Stacks
179
Stacks
155
Followers
65
Followers
111
Votes
2
Votes
5
Pros & Cons
Pros
  • 1
    Easy Ubiquitous language integration reusing code
  • 1
    BDD Acceptance Testing
Pros
  • 4
    Easy to get up and running some simple tests

What are some alternatives to Behat, Codeception?

Robot Framework

Robot Framework

It is a generic test automation framework for acceptance testing and acceptance test-driven development. It has easy-to-use tabular test data syntax and it utilizes the keyword-driven testing approach. Its testing capabilities can be extended by test libraries implemented either with Python or Java, and users can create new higher-level keywords from existing ones using the same syntax that is used for creating test cases.

Karate DSL

Karate DSL

Combines API test-automation, mocks and performance-testing into a single, unified framework. The BDD syntax popularized by Cucumber is language-neutral, and easy for even non-programmers. Besides powerful JSON & XML assertions, you can run tests in parallel for speed - which is critical for HTTP API testing.

Cucumber

Cucumber

Cucumber is a tool that supports Behaviour-Driven Development (BDD) - a software development process that aims to enhance software quality and reduce maintenance costs.

TestCafe

TestCafe

It is a pure node.js end-to-end solution for testing web apps. It takes care of all the stages: starting browsers, running tests, gathering test results and generating reports.

Spock Framework

Spock Framework

It is a testing and specification framework for Java and Groovy applications. What makes it stand out from the crowd is its beautiful and highly expressive specification language. It is compatible with most IDEs, build tools, and continuous integration servers.

Selenide

Selenide

It is a library for writing concise, readable, boilerplate-free tests in Java using Selenium WebDriver.

Capybara

Capybara

Capybara helps you test web applications by simulating how a real user would interact with your app. It is agnostic about the driver running your tests and comes with Rack::Test and Selenium support built in. WebKit is supported through an external gem.

PHPUnit

PHPUnit

PHPUnit is a programmer-oriented testing framework for PHP. It is an instance of the xUnit architecture for unit testing frameworks.

Detox

Detox

High velocity native mobile development requires us to adopt continuous integration workflows, which means our reliance on manual QA has to drop significantly. It tests your mobile app while it's running in a real device/simulator, interacting with it just like a real user.

Imagium

Imagium

Imagium provides AI based visual testing solution for various forms of testing. It makes the job easier for QA Automation, Mobile Testers, DevOps and Compliance teams. Imagium is easy to integrate with any programing language

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