While using Behat Can you have Multiple PyStrings in a Step Definition?

Question

I have a step definition in which I would like to have multiple pystrings input by the feature file. Is this possible, and if so what, syntax would you use to do that?

Currently my step definition looks like:

 @Then /^(?:I )?get a value "([^"]+)" when I have a username "([^"]+)" and a password "([^"]+)" and I send a "([A-Z]+)" request to "([^"]+)" with form data: and header data:$/

Then my actual feature file looks like:

 Then I get a value "orange" when I have a username "jsmith" and a password "password" and I send a "POST" request to "www.google.com" with form data: 

     """
           {
               "key1": "value1",
               "key2": "value2",
           }
     """
and header data:

     """
           {
               "key1": "value1",
               "key2": "value2",
           }
     """

Answer 1

For every customized step it appears to be resetting the shared public variables.

It shouldn't happen!

You can separate all those lines like below, store data in variables and process them at the end so you don't have to do all in one go. If one of them must run in the middle then you can.

Some examples:

http://www.inanzzz.com/index.php/post/ajqn/api-request-response-testing-with-behat-v2-includes-json-xml-html-and-cli

http://www.inanzzz.com/index.php/post/xw1v/api-request-response-testing-with-behat-v1

EXAMPLE

FeatureContext

class FeatureContext extends MinkContext
{
    private $value;
    private $username;
    private $password;

    /**
     * @When /^I get a value "([^"]*)"$/
     */
    public function iGetValue($value)
    {
        $this->value = $value;
    }

    /**
     * @When /^I have the username "([^"]*)"$/
     */
    public function iHaveUsername($username)
    {
        $this->username = $username;
    }

    /**
     * @When /^I have the password "([^"]*)"$/
     */
    public function iHavePassword($password)
    {
        $this->password = $password;
    }

    /**
     * @When /^I send a "([^"]*)" request to "([^"]*)" with form data:$/
     */
    public function iSendRequestToWithFormData($method, $address, PyStringNode $requestPayload)
    {
        // Example is here: http://www.inanzzz.com/index.php/post/ajqn/api-request-response-testing-with-behat-v2-includes-json-xml-html-and-cli
        // @When /^I send a "([^"]*)" request to "([^"]*)"$/
    }

    /**
     * @When /^I have header data:$/
     */
    public function iHaveHeaderData(PyStringNode $requestPayload)
    {
        // Example is here: http://www.inanzzz.com/index.php/post/ajqn/api-request-response-testing-with-behat-v2-includes-json-xml-html-and-cli
    }

    /**
     * @When /^You run this step to do whatever you wanted to do with your steps above$/
     */
    public function iRun()
    {
        echo $this->value . PHP_EOL;
        echo $this->username . PHP_EOL;
        echo $this->password . PHP_EOL;
    }
}

Gherkin

  Scenario: I test things
    When I get a value "69"
    Then I have the username "hello"
    And I have the password "world"
    And I send a "POST" request to "www.google.com" with form data:
    """
    {
      "key1": "value1",
      "key2": "value2"
    }
    """
    And I have header data:
    """
    {
      "key1": "value1",
      "key2": "value2"
    }
    """
    Then You run this step to do whatever you wanted to do with your steps above

Result

Feature: Whatever

  Scenario: I test things
    When I get a value "69"
    Then I have the username "hello"
    And I have the password "world"
    And I send a "POST" request to "www.google.com" with form data:
      """
      {
        "key1": "value1",
        "key2": "value2"
      }
      """
    And I have header data:
      """
      {
        "key1": "value1",
        "key2": "value2"
      }
      """
69
hello
world
    Then You run this step to do whatever you wanted to do with your steps above

1 scenario (1 passed)
6 steps (6 passed)
0m0.857s