Multiple Paras for One Step in Cucumber

Options for Handling Long Steps Without Splitting Lines:

1. Keep the Step on a Single Line

If the step becomes too long, the simplest solution is to keep it on one line. Feature files are typically expected to be concise, so steps should be as short as possible. You can refactor the step to make it shorter and more readable.

Example:

Given I pass first string = "first string", second string = "second string", 10, 20, and the following lists:
  | List1  | List2   |
  | apple  | car     |
  | banana | bike    |
  | cherry | bus     |

Even though it’s a long line, this is a valid step, and Cucumber will correctly parse it.

2. Use Parameters in Multiple Steps

If the step is too long, consider breaking it into multiple steps instead of trying to fit everything into one. This makes the scenario easier to follow and allows you to handle the parameters more cleanly.

Example:

Given I pass first string = "first string"
And I pass second string = "second string"
And I pass 10 and 20
And I pass the following lists:
  | List1  | List2   |
  | apple  | car     |
  | banana | bike    |
  | cherry | bus     |

In this case:

• The long step is split into multiple smaller steps, each handling a part of the information.
• The lists are handled in a final step that takes a Data Table.

3. Use a Data Table for All the Values

You can also use a Data Table to pass the values (including strings and integers) instead of embedding them directly in the step. This allows you to pass a lot of data while keeping the step itself short.

Example:

Given I pass the following values:
  | Key            | Value          |
  | first_string   | first string    |
  | second_string  | second string   |
  | first_integer  | 10             |
  | second_integer | 20             |
  | List1          | apple, banana, cherry |
  | List2          | car, bike, bus |

In this case, you can handle the parsing of the values in the step definition, for example:

Java Step Definition:

import io.cucumber.java.en.Given;
import io.cucumber.datatable.DataTable;

import java.util.List;
import java.util.Map;
import java.util.Arrays;

public class StepDefinitions {

    @Given("^I pass the following values:$")
    public void i_pass_the_following_values(DataTable dataTable) {
        // Convert DataTable to Map
        Map<String, String> data = dataTable.asMap(String.class, String.class);

        // Extract values
        String firstString = data.get("first_string");
        String secondString = data.get("second_string");
        int firstInteger = Integer.parseInt(data.get("first_integer"));
        int secondInteger = Integer.parseInt(data.get("second_integer"));

        // Handle lists by splitting the comma-separated values
        List<String> list1 = Arrays.asList(data.get("List1").split(", "));
        List<String> list2 = Arrays.asList(data.get("List2").split(", "));

        // Print values for debugging
        System.out.println("First String: " + firstString);
        System.out.println("Second String: " + secondString);
        System.out.println("First Integer: " + firstInteger);
        System.out.println("Second Integer: " + secondInteger);
        System.out.println("List 1: " + list1);
        System.out.println("List 2: " + list2);

        // You can now use these values in your test logic
    }
}

• Data Table: Instead of having a long step with multiple parameters, you can use a data table to pass different values in a structured way.
• Lists: Lists are passed as comma-separated strings, which can be split in the step definition.

4. Use a Doc String for Complex Data

If you're passing a lot of text or complex structured data, a doc string might be another way to deal with a long step. However, note that this is more suited for passing large blocks of text or multi-line information (not typically for lists or individual values).

Example:

Given I pass the following data:
    """
    first_string: first string
    second_string: second string
    first_integer: 10
    second_integer: 20
    List1: apple, banana, cherry
    List2: car, bike, bus
    """

In this case, the entire block of data is passed as a doc string, and you can parse it in your step definition.

Conclusion:

Unfortunately, Cucumber does not support breaking a single step across multiple lines directly. However, you can:

• Keep long steps on a single line.
• Break long steps into multiple smaller steps.
• Use Data Tables or doc strings to pass multiple values in a structured way, making the step shorter and easier to read.

Each of these approaches can help improve readability and maintainability of your feature files.