Rules

All 41 of them. Each page shows what the rule does, how to switch it on, what you can set, and an example that passes next to one that fails.

Rules you switch on#

Off unless a configuration file names them, or unless you are using the recommended set.

• allowed-tags

  Only lets you use tags from a list you decide on.

• background-setup-only

  Keeps a Background to setting things up.

• file-name

  Keeps every feature file named in the same style.

• indentation

  Checks how far each line is indented.

• keywords-in-logical-order

  Keeps Given, When and Then in that order.

• max-scenarios-per-file

  Limits how many scenarios one file may hold.

• name-length

  Stops names and steps from growing too long.

• new-line-at-eof

  Requires, or forbids, an empty line at the end of the file.

• no-background-only-scenario

  Drops a Background that only one scenario uses.

• no-dupe-feature-names

  Makes sure no two features share a name.

• no-dupe-file-names

  No two feature files may share a name.

• no-dupe-scenario-names

  Makes sure no two scenarios share a name.

• no-duplicate-tags

  Stops the same tag being written twice in one place.

• no-empty-background

  Removes a Background with no steps in it.

• no-empty-file

  Flags feature files with nothing in them.

• no-examples-in-scenarios

  Reminds you that Examples belong to a Scenario Outline.

• no-files-without-scenarios

  Flags a feature file that never tests anything.

• no-homogenous-tags

  Moves a tag up when every scenario carries it.

• no-multiple-empty-lines

  Limits how many blank lines may sit next to each other.

• no-partially-commented-tag-lines

  Catches a "#" part way along a line of tags.

• no-restricted-patterns

  Bans wording you do not want in your feature files.

• no-restricted-tags

  Bans tags you do not want committed.

• no-scenario-outlines-without-examples

  Flags a Scenario Outline with no rows to run.

• no-scenarios-without-then

  Every scenario has to check something.

• no-scenarios-without-when

  Every scenario has to do something.

• no-superfluous-tags

  Removes a tag repeated from the level above.

• no-trailing-spaces

  Removes spaces and tabs left at the end of a line.

• no-unnamed-features

  Every Feature needs a name.

• no-unnamed-scenarios

  Every Scenario needs a name.

• no-unused-variables

  Every column of an Examples table should be used by a step.

• no-undeclared-variables

  Every <placeholder> in a step needs a column to fill it in.

• one-space-between-tags

  One space between tags on the same line.

• only-one-when

  One action per scenario.

• required-tags

  Requires each scenario to carry certain tags.

• scenario-size

  Limits how many steps a scenario or background may have.

• use-and

  Use And instead of repeating a keyword.

Always on#

These describe things Gherkin itself refuses to read, so a file that breaks one of them cannot be checked at all.

• no-tags-on-backgrounds

  A Background cannot have tags.

• one-feature-per-file

  One Feature per file.

• up-to-one-background-per-file

  At most one Background per file.

• background-before-scenarios

  A Background has to come before the Scenarios it applies to.

• no-multiline-steps

  A step has to fit on one line.