Test Context Laravel Package

Getting Started

Minimal Setup

1. Installation:

   composer require friends-of-behat/test-context --dev
   

   Add to your behat.yml or behat.php:

   # behat.yml
   default:
       contexts:
           - FriendsOfBehat\TestContext\Context\TestContext
   

   Or programmatically:

   // behat.php
   return (new Config())->withProfile(
       (new Profile('default'))
           ->withSuite(
               (new Suite('default'))
                   ->withContexts(TestContext::class)
           )
   );
   

2. First Use Case: Test a Behat extension by creating a feature file and context in a scenario:

   Feature: Extension Test
       Scenario: Basic extension test
           Given a Behat configuration containing:
           """
           default:
               extensions:
                   My\Extension: ~
           """
           And a feature file containing:
           """
           Feature: Test
               Scenario: Test
                   Then it passes
           """
           And a context file "features/bootstrap/MyContext.php" containing:
           """
           <?php
           use Behat\Behat\Context\Context;
           use Behat\Step\Then;
           class MyContext implements Context {
               #[Then('it passes')] public function itPasses() {}
           }
           """
           When I run Behat
           Then it should pass
   

Implementation Patterns

Workflows

1. Extension Testing:

   • Use Given a Behat configuration containing to define extension dependencies.
   • Generate feature files and contexts dynamically with Given steps.
   • Run Behat and assert results with When I run Behat + Then assertions.

2. Isolated Scenarios:

   • Leverage temporary directories per scenario to avoid file conflicts.
   • Example: Test configuration errors without polluting the real project:

     Scenario: Invalid extension config
         Given a Behat configuration containing:
         """
         default:
             extensions:
                 Invalid\Extension: ~
         """
         When I run Behat
         Then it should fail with "ExtensionInitializationException"
     

3. Smoke Testing:

   • Use shorthand steps for quick validation:

     Scenario: Smoke test
         Given a feature file with passing scenario
         When I run Behat
         Then it should pass
     

Integration Tips

• Laravel + Behat: Combine with Laravel’s testing tools (e.g., Artisan::call()) to mock dependencies in contexts.
• CI/CD: Run Behat tests in parallel by isolating scenarios with unique temp directories.
• Custom Contexts: Extend TestContext to add domain-specific setup steps (e.g., Laravel-specific configurations).

Gotchas and Tips

Pitfalls

1. File Paths:

   • Use relative paths (e.g., "features/bootstrap/MyContext.php") for portability.
   • Absolute paths may break across environments.

2. Behat Version Mismatch:

   • Ensure the test environment matches the target Behat version (e.g., behat.php for Behat 4).
   • Use behat.yml for Behat 3 or earlier.

3. Output Assertions:

   • Then it should pass with "text" is strict—use Then it should end with "text" for partial matches.

4. Symfony Autowiring:

   • If testing Symfony-based extensions, ensure the test environment has the same autowiring config as production.

Debugging

• Verbose Output: Add --verbose to Behat commands in your test scenario to inspect generated files.
• Temp Directory: Check $this->getWorkingDirectory() in custom contexts to debug file paths.

Tips

1. Reusable Snippets:

   Background:
       Given a Behat configuration containing:
       """
       default:
           extensions:
               My\Extension: ~
       """
   

   Reduce boilerplate for extension tests.

2. Multiline Strings: Use """ for YAML/feature file content to avoid escaping issues.

3. Extension Points: Override TestContext to add Laravel-specific steps:

   class LaravelTestContext extends TestContext {
       public function __construct() {
           parent::__construct();
           $this->registerStep('Given a Laravel service provider', function() {
               // Custom logic
           });
       }
   }
   

4. Performance:

   • Cache generated feature files/contexts if tests are slow (e.g., using FileCache).
   • Avoid heavy operations in Given steps—keep them lightweight.

5. Edge Cases:

   • Test empty configurations:

     Scenario: Empty config
         Given a Behat configuration containing: ""
         When I run Behat
         Then it should pass