UI testing on ASP.Net MVC, running the server

[Xavier Hahn]

Hi,

I'm trying to use SpecFlow on a project that I start to do BDD/Integration tests. I'm trying to use SpecFlow to do automated UI testing. I've already managed to setup a SpecFlow project, make some very simple features, make them compile and run (which is not so easy using VS Express).

I've used Selenium to automate Firefox and make it load the home page of the MVC app and pass the first feature, so far so good.

Now, I'd like to go a bit further and make my website get some data in the database and display it. I've already written a feature for that, but now I'm stuck on how to configure all that.

What I'd like is a way to run a server before running any test, with a configuration string for a "test" database (that will be in a "new" state before each feature run). This server will of course be different that the one for the development (which will contain "test" data) and the production (which will be hosted anyway).

So, is there some way to do this?

Thanks!

PS: I've seen that lots of people explain that SpecFlow tests are easier to maintain and develop when they are built directly on the Controllers, but I've fallen in love with Cucumber + Capybara in the Ruby world and would really love to try something as similar as possible for .Net app (even if it's to turn back later, it's what pet projects are made for, aren't they ? :) )