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react-testing-library VS Cucumber

Compare react-testing-library VS Cucumber and see what are their differences

react-testing-library logo react-testing-library

[`React Testing Library`][gh] builds on top of `DOM Testing Library` by adding

Cucumber logo Cucumber

Cucumber is a BDD tool for specification of application features and user scenarios in plain text.
  • react-testing-library Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-08-21
  • Cucumber Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-01-19

react-testing-library features and specs

  • Focused on user-centric testing
    React Testing Library encourages tests that closely resemble how users interact with an application. This approach makes tests more reliable and meaningful.
  • Reduces coupling to implementation details
    By encouraging developers to interact with components via the DOM, the library minimizes dependencies on component internals, making tests less prone to breaking from refactors.
  • Improved test readability
    Tests written with React Testing Library are generally easier to read and understand because they focus on what the user sees and does, rather than the internal logic of the components.
  • Comprehensive query options
    The library provides a wide range of query methods (e.g., getByText, getByRole), which makes it easy to select elements in ways that resemble how users think.
  • Active community and well-maintained
    React Testing Library has a strong, active community and it's maintained by experienced developers who keep the library up-to-date with React's evolution.

Possible disadvantages of react-testing-library

  • Limited support for non-DOM testing
    The library is heavily focused on DOM interactions, making it less suited for testing non-DOM logic or scenarios that don't involve user interactions.
  • Can be slower
    Tests that involve the DOM can be slower compared to tests that interact directly with component methods and state, which can lead to longer test execution times.
  • Learning curve for traditional testers
    Developers who are used to testing implementation details with other tools (like Enzyme) might find it challenging to adjust to the user-centric approach advocated by React Testing Library.
  • Potential for less granular control
    Because the library encourages testing through the UI, developers might find it harder to test specific, isolated internal behaviors of components that aren't directly visible to users.
  • Dependencies on browser APIs
    The library's reliance on browser APIs means that tests may behave differently in different environments or may require polyfills for certain features, leading to potential inconsistencies.

Cucumber features and specs

  • Behavior-Driven Development (BDD) Framework
    Cucumber supports BDD, allowing collaboration between developers, testers, and non-technical stakeholders to improve the quality of development through clear specifications.
  • Gherkin Syntax
    Utilizes the Gherkin language to write test cases in plain English, making them more readable and understandable for non-technical team members.
  • Integrates with Other Tools
    Easily integrates with other testing and development frameworks like JUnit, TestNG, and Selenium, enhancing its flexibility and utility.
  • Open Source
    As an open-source tool, Cucumber allows for extensive customization and community support, reducing the cost of setting up a testing framework.
  • Supports Multiple Languages
    Offers support for various programming languages including Java, Ruby, and JavaScript, making it versatile for different project needs.

Possible disadvantages of Cucumber

  • Steep Learning Curve
    Requires a good understanding of both BDD practices and Cucumber’s structure, which might be challenging for beginners.
  • Performance Overheads
    Execution of Cucumber tests can be slower compared to other testing frameworks, making it less ideal for very large projects requiring fast feedback loops.
  • Verbose Code
    Writing tests in Gherkin can lead to more verbose code, which might require additional maintenance and can become cumbersome over time.
  • Dependency Management
    Managing dependencies for integrating Cucumber with other testing frameworks can be complex, requiring careful coordination.
  • Not Ideal for Unit Testing
    Cucumber is more suited for acceptance and integration testing rather than unit testing, potentially necessitating additional tools for a comprehensive testing strategy.

react-testing-library videos

React unit testing with Jest & React-testing-library

More videos:

  • Review - Test a React Component that renders a list with react-testing-library

Cucumber videos

Madam Kilay Skin Magical Review / Orange cucumber review

More videos:

  • Review - Puff Bar - Cucumber Review (Best Disposable Vape Brand)
  • Review - THE CUCUMBER CHALLENGE! (1 MILLION SUBSCRIBER SPECIAL)
  • Tutorial - Cucumber automation suit

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to react-testing-library and Cucumber)
Developer Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Automated Testing
35 35%
65% 65
Browser Testing
0 0%
100% 100
Javascript UI Libraries
100 100%
0% 0

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Reviews

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Cucumber Reviews

Top Selenium Alternatives
Cucumber itself is not a test automation tool but a framework that supports BDD. It is often used in conjunction with Selenium to provide a layer where test scenarios are written in a way that is understandable by all team members. Unlike Selenium, which focuses on automating browser actions, Cucumber focuses on defining behavior and can be used to drive Selenium tests.
Source: bugbug.io
5 Selenium Alternatives to Fill in Your Top Testing Gaps
Business testers are likely to prefer to use Cucumber over Selenium since script Cucumber lets you write test scenarios using a plain-English scripting language called Gherkin. Using Gherkin instead of code makes test script creation a much simpler process, since anyone can read, write, and understand the scripts regardless of testing experience.
Source: www.perfecto.io
Top 20 Best Automation Testing Tools in 2018 (Comprehensive List)
Cucumber is an open-source tool that is designed over the concept of BDD (Behavior-driven development). It is used to perform the automated acceptance testing by running the examples that best describe the behavior of the application. It gets you a single up-to-date living document that is having both specification and test documentation.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, react-testing-library seems to be a lot more popular than Cucumber. While we know about 133 links to react-testing-library, we've tracked only 1 mention of Cucumber. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

react-testing-library mentions (133)

  • Migrating from AngularJS to React
    Additionally, I wrote Jest and Enzyme unit tests to demonstrate how to go about unit testing the components, as test driven development (TDD) is another methodology my organization subscribes to. Jest is a unit testing framework that actually shipped with React if you use the Create React App CLI to make a new React project. And at the time, Enzyme was created by Airbnb and added additional functionality to Jest... - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • How To Convert HTML CSS JS To React JS
    After converting your components, take some time to test your application. Make sure everything is working as expected. React’s development server automatically reloads your application whenever you save changes, which makes testing a lot easier. Tools like Jest and React Testing Library are also available to help you write tests for your components. - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • How To Write Unit Test Cases In React JS
    React Testing Library: For testing React components from a user’s point of view, visit the React Testing Library documentation. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • Top 20 Modern React Libraries To Supercharge Your Next Big Project
    Resource: React Testing Library Documentation. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • Next.js Testing Guide: Unit and E2E Tests with Vitest & Playwright
    In this article, you will write unit tests in Next.js client components and synchronous server components using Vitest and React Testing Library, and you will write end-to-end tests for your async server components using Playwright. - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
View more

Cucumber mentions (1)

What are some alternatives?

When comparing react-testing-library and Cucumber, you can also consider the following products

Jest - Jest is a delightful JavaScript Testing Framework with a focus on simplicity.

Selenium - Selenium automates browsers. That's it! What you do with that power is entirely up to you. Primarily, it is for automating web applications for testing purposes, but is certainly not limited to just that.

Storybook - Storybook is an open source tool for developing UI components in isolation for React, Vue, and Angular. It makes building stunning UIs organized and efficient.

Robot framework - Robot Framework is a generic test automation framework for acceptance testing and acceptance...

Enzyme - Enzyme is a JavaScript testing utility for React.

JUnit - JUnit is a simple framework to write repeatable tests.