A feature file keeps the examples for one software feature together. It is a plain-text Gherkin document with a Feature title, an optional description of the business objective, and one or more scenarios. Business stakeholders can read the expected behavior, while BDD tools can use the same scenarios as executable specifications. section 2.3.5 section 7.2.1
Feature: Transferring money between accounts
In order to manage my money more efficiently
As a bank client
I want to transfer funds between my accounts whenever I need to
Scenario: Transferring money to a savings account
Given Tess has a current account with $1000
And a savings account with $2000.00
When she transfers $500 from current to savings
Then she should have $500 in her current account
And she should have $2500 in her savings account
Scenario: Transferring with insufficient funds
Given Tess has a current account with $1000
And a savings account with $2000.00
When she transfers $1500 from current to savings
Then she should receive an 'insufficient funds' error
Then she should have $1000 in her current account
And she should have $2000 in her Savings account
The money-transfer feature puts a successful transfer and an insufficient-funds case in one file. Each scenario states the starting accounts, the attempted transfer, and the expected result. section 2.3.5
To write a useful feature file:
- Name the user activity with Feature, then briefly state why it matters. Put text between the title and first scenario in the feature description. section 7.2.1
- Turn each concrete example chosen for automation into a scenario. Include straightforward behavior, alternatives, and edge cases. section 7.4.2
- Use Given for preconditions, When for the action, and Then for expected outcomes. Use And or But where they make the steps easier to read; use an Examples table for repeated variations. section 2.3.5
Keep the file aligned with the feature, not a temporary user story or release. Feature files conventionally end in .feature, live in the source repository, and can be grouped into directories by business capability. In a Java project, src/test/resources/features is a common location. section 7.4.1 section 7.4.6
A scenario in a feature file states business outcomes rather than the mechanics of interacting with the application. Running it before step definitions exist produces a pending or failing test, not a working check. Step definitions connect its steps to automation; once automated and executed, the file and its reports can serve as living documentation. section 3.5.2 section 16.1
