SpecFlow Support

Behavior-Driven Development (BDD) testing with SpecFlow and Gherkin.

Overview

C# Dev Tools provides syntax highlighting and support for SpecFlow feature files.

Gherkin Syntax Highlighting

Feature files (.feature) have full syntax highlighting for:

• Feature: Feature definitions
• Scenario: Test scenarios
• Given/When/Then: BDD steps
• And/But: Additional steps
• Examples: Scenario outlines
• Tags: Feature and scenario tags

Running SpecFlow Tests

SpecFlow tests integrate with the Test Explorer:

1. Test Explorer automatically discovers SpecFlow scenarios
2. Run scenarios like regular unit tests
3. Debug scenarios with breakpoints in step definitions
4. View results in Test Explorer

Creating Feature Files

Create .feature files using:

1. Quick Add (Shift+F2): Enter MyFeature.feature
2. Right-click in Solution Explorer: Add > New File
3. Manually create with .feature extension

Step Definitions

Create step definitions in C# files:

[Binding]
public class UserSteps
{
    [Given(@"a user named (.*)")]
    public void GivenAUserNamed(string name)
    {
        // Step implementation
    }
}

Best Practices

• Keep feature files focused and readable
• Use descriptive scenario names
• Organize step definitions logically
• Tag scenarios for filtering
• Use scenario outlines for data-driven tests

Integration

• Feature files show in Solution Explorer
• Scenarios appear in Test Explorer
• Full debugging support
• Test results show in output panel