An Introduction to Gherkin: A Step-by-Step Guide with Examples

2 min readMar 12, 2023

Introduction
What is Gherkin?
Why use Gherkin?
The Gherkin Syntax
Writing a User Story with Gherkin
Example: Writing a User Story with Gherkin
Conclusion

Introduction

In software development, it is essential to have a clear understanding of the requirements before starting the development process. User stories are an effective way to capture these requirements in a concise and understandable format. However, it can be challenging to ensure that all team members have the same understanding of the user story. This is where Gherkin comes in.

What is Gherkin?

Gherkin is a language that uses a specific syntax to describe software requirements in a way that is easy to understand for all stakeholders. It is commonly used in Behavior-Driven Development (BDD) and Acceptance Test-Driven Development (ATDD) to create executable specifications.

Why use Gherkin?

Gherkin has several benefits, including:

Creating a shared understanding of requirements among all stakeholders
Improving communication between developers, testers, and business analysts
Creating executable specifications that can be used for automated testing

The Gherkin Syntax

Gherkin uses a specific syntax that includes three main elements:

Feature: A high-level description of the functionality being developed.
Scenario: A specific example of the feature that describes a particular use case or behavior.
Step: A specific action or assertion that is performed as part of the scenario.

Writing a User Story with Gherkin

To write a user story with Gherkin, follow these steps:

Start with the feature. Describe the high-level functionality that is being developed.
Write a scenario that describes a specific use case or behavior.
Add steps to the scenario that describe the actions or assertions that need to be performed.

Example: Writing a User Story with Gherkin

Here is an example of a user story written using Gherkin:

Feature: Login
  As a user
  I want to be able to log in to the application
  So that I can access my account

Scenario: Successful login
  Given I am on the login page
  When I enter valid credentials
  And click the login button
  Then I should be redirected to the home page

In this example, the feature is the login functionality, and the scenario describes a successful login. The steps in the scenario describe the actions that the user needs to perform to log in successfully.

Conclusion

Gherkin is a powerful tool for creating shared understanding among stakeholders and creating executable specifications for software development. By following the simple syntax and steps outlined in this article, you can start writing user stories using Gherkin and improve the quality of your software development process.