Context Service Extension Laravel Package

Getting Started

Minimal Setup

1. Installation

   composer require friends-of-behat/context-service-extension --dev
   

2. Configure Behat Add the extension to your behat.yml with service file imports:

   default:
       extensions:
           FriendsOfBehat\ContextServiceExtension:
               imports:
                   - "%paths.base%/features/bootstrap/config/services.yml"
   

3. Define a Context Service Create a service in services.yml with the fob.context_service tag:

   services:
       Acme\FeatureContext:
           tags:
               - { name: fob.context_service }
   

4. Use in Suite Reference the service in your suite’s contexts_services:

   suites:
       default:
           contexts_services:
               - Acme\FeatureContext
   

First Use Case

Replace a traditional class-based context with a service:

// Before: Class-based context
class FeatureContext implements Context { ... }

// After: Service-based context (injected via DI)
class FeatureContext {
    public function __construct(private SomeDependency $dependency) {}
    public function someStep() { ... }
}

Implementation Patterns

Dependency Injection Workflow

1. Service Definition Define contexts as services with dependencies:

   services:
       Acme\AuthContext:
           arguments:
               - "@auth_service"
               - "@logger"
           tags:
               - { name: fob.context_service }
   

2. Scenario-Scoped Container Leverage the extension’s scenario-scoped container to manage context lifecycles:

   // Context service can access scenario-specific data
   class UserContext {
       public function __construct(private UserRepository $repo) {}
       public function iHaveAnAccount() {
           $this->repo->createTestUser(); // Scenario-scoped DB state
       }
   }
   

3. Integration with Laravel

   • Service Providers: Register Behat services in AppServiceProvider:

     public function register() {
         $this->app->register(FriendsOfBehat\ContextServiceExtension\ContextServiceExtension::class);
     }
     

   • Configuration: Merge Laravel’s DI container with Behat’s:

     # behat.yml
     extensions:
         FriendsOfBehat\ContextServiceExtension:
             imports:
                 - "%paths.base%/config/behat-services.php"
     

     // config/behat-services.php
     $container->loadFromExtension('framework', ['secret' => env('APP_KEY')]);
     

Common Patterns

• Context Initializers: Use context_initializers to set up services:

  services:
      Acme\Initializer:
          tags:
              - { name: fob.context_initializer }
  

• Autoconfiguration: Enable autowiring for contexts:

  extensions:
      FriendsOfBehat\ContextServiceExtension:
          autoconfigure: true
  

Gotchas and Tips

Pitfalls

1. Deprecation Warning

   • The package is deprecated; migrate to SymfonyExtension v2 for long-term support.
   • Use SymfonyExtension’s contexts key instead of contexts_services in newer versions.

2. Service Lifecycle Mismatch

   • Context services are scenario-scoped, not globally shared. Avoid storing state across scenarios.
   • Debug with:

     // Dump container services in a context
     public function __construct(private ContainerInterface $container) {}
     

3. Configuration Overrides

   • Service files (XML/YAML/PHP) are merged in order. Later files override earlier ones.

Debugging Tips

• Validate Services: Use bin/behat -d to check loaded services.
• Tag Verification: Ensure fob.context_service tags are correctly applied (check behat.yml logs).
• Dependency Errors: Laravel’s container may conflict with Behat’s. Explicitly define services in Behat’s config.

Extension Points

1. Custom Tags Extend with custom tags for conditional context loading:

   services:
       Acme\AdminContext:
           tags:
               - { name: fob.context_service, priority: 100 }
   

2. Post-Initialization Use context_initializers to modify services after creation:

   class ContextInitializer implements ContextInitializer {
       public function initialize(ContextService $context) {
           $context->setOption('timeout', 30);
       }
   }
   

3. Laravel-Specific
   • Service Binding: Bind Laravel services to Behat’s container:

     $this->app->when(FriendsOfBehat\ContextServiceExtension\ContextService::class)
         ->needs('logger')
         ->give($this->app->make('log'));