Read Excel Data in Cucumber: Quick Guide

Automation testing has become an indispensable part of software development, ensuring applications work as intended without manual intervention. Among various tools available, Cucumber stands out for its ability to bridge the gap between technical and non-technical stakeholders by using natural language. This blog post delves into how to read data from an Excel file in Cucumber, which can significantly streamline test data management.

Why Use Excel with Cucumber?

• Data-Driven Testing: Excel files can serve as a central repository for test data, allowing testers to manage and maintain data outside the code.
• Non-Technical Stakeholder Involvement: Stakeholders can easily edit or review test scenarios and data in Excel without needing programming knowledge.
• Reusability: Data from Excel can be used across different test scenarios, reducing redundancy.

To utilize Excel data in Cucumber, we'll need to follow these steps:

Step 1: Set Up the Project

Firstly, ensure you have Maven installed, as we will use it to manage our project dependencies. Here’s how you can set up your project:

1. Create a new Maven project in your preferred IDE.
2. Add the following dependencies to your pom.xml:

    
        org.apache.poi
        poi
        5.2.0
    
    
        org.apache.poi
        poi-ooxml
        5.2.0
    

💡 Note: The versions might differ; ensure to check for the latest stable releases from Apache POI.

Step 2: Write the Data Reader Class

Create a Java class to handle Excel file reading. Here’s a basic example:

import org.apache.poi.ss.usermodel.*;
import org.apache.poi.xssf.usermodel.XSSFWorkbook;
import java.io.FileInputStream;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.HashMap;
import java.util.List;
import java.util.Map;

public class ExcelDataReader {

public List<Map<String, String>> readExcelData(String filePath, String sheetName) throws IOException {
    List<Map<String, String>> data = new ArrayList<>();

    FileInputStream fis = new FileInputStream(filePath);
    Workbook workbook = new XSSFWorkbook(fis);
    Sheet sheet = workbook.getSheet(sheetName);

    Row headerRow = sheet.getRow(0);
    List<String> headers = new ArrayList<>();
    for (Cell cell : headerRow) {
        headers.add(cell.getStringCellValue());
    }

    for (int i = 1; i <= sheet.getLastRowNum(); i++) {
        Row row = sheet.getRow(i);
        Map<String, String> rowData = new HashMap<>();
        for (int j = 0; j < headers.size(); j++) {
            rowData.put(headers.get(j), row.getCell(j).getStringCellValue());
        }
        data.add(rowData);
    }

    workbook.close();
    fis.close();
    return data;
}


}

🔍 Note: Ensure the Excel file path is correct and the sheet name matches the one in the file.

Step 3: Integrate with Cucumber

To integrate this data reading capability with Cucumber:

1. Write your feature file that needs data from Excel:

Feature: User Authentication

Scenario Outline: User login
    Given I read user data from Excel file
    When I enter username “”
    And I enter password “”
    Then login should be successful

Examples:
  | username | password |

2. In your step definition file, create methods to read and use data:

    @Given(“I read user data from Excel file”)
    public void readExcelData() throws IOException {
        String filePath = “src/test/resources/userdata.xlsx”;
        String sheetName = “LoginData”;
        List> data = new ExcelDataReader().readExcelData(filePath, sheetName);
        for (Map row : data) {
            // Injecting data into the Example table
        }
    }

🎯 Note: If you're using Cucumber with other test automation frameworks, ensure the data reading happens before executing scenarios that require this data.

Step 4: Handling Complex Data Scenarios

Excel files might contain complex data structures like nested tables or different data types. Here are a few ways to handle these:

• Nested Tables: Flatten the data structure or use separate sheets for related data.
• Different Data Types: Use Apache POI to handle various cell types (e.g., dates, numbers, strings).
• Dynamic Data: If the data structure in Excel might change, consider creating a utility method to dynamically read headers and adapt the reading process.

Wrap-Up

Integrating Excel with Cucumber for test automation not only simplifies data management but also enhances the flexibility of your test scenarios. By following the steps outlined above, you can read data from Excel, manage it effectively, and make your tests more dynamic and maintainable. Remember, while the basic structure provided here works well for many scenarios, for complex data scenarios, you might need to expand on the provided examples or explore other Excel manipulation libraries.

Can I use different Excel formats with this setup?

+

Yes, the Apache POI library supports various Excel formats like XLS (old .xls files) and XLSX (new .xlsx files). Ensure your project has the necessary POI dependencies for the format you’re using.

How do I handle empty cells in Excel?

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You can check for empty cells using methods like cell.getCellType() == CellType.BLANK and handle them accordingly by either skipping or setting a default value.

Is there a way to dynamically read headers from Excel?

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Yes, as shown in the example, the headers can be read into a List, allowing for dynamic usage in your test scripts. This flexibility ensures your tests adapt if headers in the Excel file change.