How much detail about Feature should be provided in user story?

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Ambreen Khan

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Jan 25, 2018, 3:32:48 AM1/25/18
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  - Our team is just starting the BDD journey and we are writing user stories while also discussing feature files using Gherkin format. We are confused how much details we should mention in user story about Feature. Should we keep feature file separate and link to actual user story? 
  Just to give you a little background, this is kind of my second project in BDD. Our first project ended up being BDAT (behaviour driven automated testing) as when we started, due to time constraint and other issues, the dev team declined to code using BDD. I continued working on it and completed my automation part using Feature File. (Even BA/BSA's didn't contribute in writing feature files and at the end I was the only one writing and consuming those feature files). I know, not appropriate way to do BDD. During that project I explored about BDD using books like BDD in Action, The Cucumber Book & Cucumber Cookbook. Now in our second project we want to start by following proper procedure, where all 3 amigos are participating in feature file writing. But now we are confused how much detail we should provide in user story, or we should use some plugin that can link our Feature Files from Git To JIRA user story and shouldn't write feature files as part of user story itself. 

Can anyone provide me some insight or point me to the resources that can help me...

Marit van Dijk

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Feb 4, 2018, 1:22:23 AM2/4/18
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Ambreen, if your question is about how to collaborate to create a shared understanding of the feature, have a look at: https://cucumber.io/blog/2015/12/08/example-mapping-introduction
If your question is about what practically should be part of your feature file, I'd say it depends on whatever you need to capture that shared understanding.
In my case, we log user stories in Jira; they will contain a user story (As a user / I want to ... / In order to ...) and acceptance criteria. Usually I copy the user story to the description part of the feature file, might add a few high level rules, and make sure the acceptance criteria are covered by the Scenarios/Examples.
Hope this helps!

Regards,
Marit

George Dinwiddie

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Feb 4, 2018, 11:14:15 AM2/4/18
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Ambren

On 1/23/18 11:22 PM, Ambreen Khan wrote:
>   - Our team is just starting the BDD journey and we are writing user
> stories while also discussing feature files using Gherkin format. We are
> confused how much details we should mention in user story about Feature.
> Should we keep feature file separate and link to actual user story?

The user story represents a small amount of functionality that you want
to add to, or modify, in the application. Its value is a a moment in
time, when you are going from not having that functionality to when you do.

The feature file is a description of the application that lasts as long
as the application does. It is the sum of all the changes that user
stories make and unmake. This is the durable documentation of what the
application does. It's reliable documentation because you can run it to
check that the application still does what is described.

>   Just to give you a little background, this is kind of my second
> project in BDD. Our first project ended up being BDAT (behaviour driven
> automated testing) as when we started, due to time constraint and other
> issues, the dev team declined to code using BDD. I continued working on
> it and completed my automation part using Feature File. (Even BA/BSA's
> didn't contribute in writing feature files and at the end I was the only
> one writing and consuming those feature files). I know, not appropriate
> way to do BDD. During that project I explored about BDD using books like
> BDD in Action, The Cucumber Book & Cucumber Cookbook. Now in our second
> project we want to start by following proper procedure, where all 3
> amigos are participating in feature file writing. But now we are
> confused how much detail we should provide in user story, or we should
> use some plugin that can link our Feature Files from Git To JIRA user
> story and shouldn't write feature files as part of user story itself.

The user story is a reminder to have a conversation. As Marit suggested,
Example Mapping is an excellent way of structuring the conversation. The
feature file documents that conversation. It can be written
collaboratively with the three amigos, and that's a good practice to
help each other get good at it when you're first starting. The feature
file can also be written by any one of the three amigos, based on
available time and ability to write well. If written solo, I suggest
getting the other amigos to review it.

User stories have no value once they've been implemented. They are the
steps you took to get to the present position. If there is a question
next year, you don't want to have to read all the steps to figure out
what the final position was.

My preference is to check the feature files into Git with the code, so
that you see the appropriate version of each no matter what revision you
check out. This will give you all the historical information you might
possibly want.

I suggest writing your user stories on tissue paper. They are ephemeral.
Flush them when they are done.

>
> Can anyone provide me some insight or point me to the resources that can
> help me...

Hope this helps,
-- George

--
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* George Dinwiddie * http://blog.gdinwiddie.com
Software Development http://www.idiacomputing.com
Consultant and Coach http://www.agilemaryland.org
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Tim Walker

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Feb 4, 2018, 11:37:55 AM2/4/18
to cu...@googlegroups.com
On Sat, Feb 3, 2018 at 11:22 PM, Marit van Dijk <mlva...@gmail.com> wrote:
Ambreen, if your question is about how to collaborate to create a shared understanding of the feature, have a look at: https://cucumber.io/blog/2015/12/08/example-mapping-introduction
If your question is about what practically should be part of your feature file, I'd say it depends on whatever you need to capture that shared understanding.
In my case, we log user stories in Jira; they will contain a user story (As a user / I want to ... / In order to ...) and acceptance criteria. Usually I copy the user story to the description part of the feature file, might add a few high level rules, and make sure the acceptance criteria are covered by the Scenarios/Examples.
Hope this helps!

Howdy! I'll make a slightly different recommendation. Since expressiveness is the goal make sure to publish your feature files to the people who read them. Nothing like a little visibility to get feedback! 

Tim
  
Regards,
Marit



On Thursday, 25 January 2018 09:32:48 UTC+1, Ambreen Khan wrote:
  - Our team is just starting the BDD journey and we are writing user stories while also discussing feature files using Gherkin format. We are confused how much details we should mention in user story about Feature. Should we keep feature file separate and link to actual user story? 
  Just to give you a little background, this is kind of my second project in BDD. Our first project ended up being BDAT (behaviour driven automated testing) as when we started, due to time constraint and other issues, the dev team declined to code using BDD. I continued working on it and completed my automation part using Feature File. (Even BA/BSA's didn't contribute in writing feature files and at the end I was the only one writing and consuming those feature files). I know, not appropriate way to do BDD. During that project I explored about BDD using books like BDD in Action, The Cucumber Book & Cucumber Cookbook. Now in our second project we want to start by following proper procedure, where all 3 amigos are participating in feature file writing. But now we are confused how much detail we should provide in user story, or we should use some plugin that can link our Feature Files from Git To JIRA user story and shouldn't write feature files as part of user story itself. 

Can anyone provide me some insight or point me to the resources that can help me...

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80Vikram

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Feb 7, 2018, 6:03:52 AM2/7/18
to Cukes
Hi Ambreen,

Good to know that your team wants to try BDD

few inputs from my side being BDD practitioner since last 2 year ( I had attended 2 days of workshop from Matt Wayne )

- worth buying video serios https://cucumber.io/school

- worth trying out https://hiptest.net/

-  I use Serenity framework for Web and Mobile automation by linking automation to user stories & highly recommend it ( https://github.com/vikramvi/serenity-cucumber-wl )
   Author of this framework is also an author of famous book "BDD in Action"

- Now answering your question; your team needs to find out "Ubiquitous Language" https://blog.carbonfive.com/2016/10/04/ubiquitous-language-the-joy-of-naming/
  As main goal of BDD is that everyone understands user stories same way to avoid "You Burn, I Scrape" practices across IT companies across globe.


Regards,
Vikram
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