Behat vs Cucumber: What are the differences?

Introduction

In the world of software development, automation testing plays a crucial role in ensuring the reliability and quality of applications. Two popular tools that facilitate automated testing are Behat and Cucumber. While both Behat and Cucumber are widely used for Behavior Driven Development (BDD) testing, they do have some key differences that developers should consider.

1. Feature File Syntax: One of the key differences between Behat and Cucumber lies in the syntax used to write feature files. Behat uses the Gherkin language, which is a plain-text representation of the desired behavior of the software. On the other hand, Cucumber uses a similar syntax but with some slight differences, such as the use of keywords like Given, When, and Then. These differences in syntax may require some adjustments in transitioning from one tool to another.

2. Programming Language Support: Another difference between Behat and Cucumber is in the programming languages they support. Behat is primarily built for PHP, allowing developers to write step definitions and hooks in PHP code. On the other hand, Cucumber supports a wide range of programming languages, including Ruby, Java, JavaScript, and more. This difference in language support gives developers more flexibility in choosing the language that best suits their needs.

3. Integration with Frameworks: Behat and Cucumber also differ in their integration with frameworks. Behat provides native integration with popular PHP frameworks, such as Symfony and Laravel, allowing developers to easily incorporate BDD testing into their existing framework-based projects. In contrast, Cucumber has a more generic approach and can be integrated with different frameworks but may require additional configuration and setup.

4. Community and Ecosystem: While both Behat and Cucumber have active communities, there may be differences in the size and maturity of their respective ecosystems. Behat, being primarily used for PHP projects, may have a more focused and smaller community compared to Cucumber, which has a wider language support and a larger community. This can impact the availability of resources, plugins, and community support for developers using these tools.

5. Extensibility and Customization: Behat and Cucumber also differ in their extensibility and customization options. Behat provides a plugin system that allows developers to create custom extensions and integrate them into the testing framework easily. Cucumber, on the other hand, offers similar extensibility options but may require additional setup and configuration. The differences in extensibility and customization can be important factors to consider when choosing between Behat and Cucumber for a particular project.

6. Testing Ecosystem Integration: Both Behat and Cucumber integrate well with various testing frameworks and tools, but they may differ in the level of integration and available features. Behat's integration with PHP testing frameworks like PHPUnit can provide a seamless testing experience for developers using PHP. Cucumber, with its wider language support, may have integrations with different testing frameworks specific to each programming language. The level of integration with existing testing ecosystems can influence the decision between Behat and Cucumber.

In summary, Behat and Cucumber differ in feature file syntax, programming language support, integration with frameworks, community and ecosystem, extensibility and customization options, and testing ecosystem integration. These differences should be carefully evaluated to select the most suitable tool for Behavior Driven Development testing in a specific project.