Table of Contents

TinyBDD Extensions

TinyBDD provides extension packages that integrate the BDD workflow engine with enterprise .NET infrastructure, enabling TinyBDD to serve as a general-purpose application orchestrator beyond testing.

Available Extensions

Dependency Injection

TinyBDD.Extensions.DependencyInjection integrates TinyBDD with Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection, providing:

  • IScenarioContextFactory for DI-aware context creation
  • AddTinyBdd() service collection extension
  • Configurable TinyBddOptions for default scenario behavior
  • Custom trait bridge registration

Hosting

TinyBDD.Extensions.Hosting integrates TinyBDD with Microsoft.Extensions.Hosting, enabling:

  • BDD workflows as hosted services via IWorkflowDefinition
  • IWorkflowRunner for programmatic workflow execution
  • WorkflowHostedService<T> for background workflow execution
  • UseTinyBdd() host builder extensions

Reporting

TinyBDD.Extensions.Reporting provides structured JSON reporting through the observer pattern:

  • JsonReportObserver for capturing scenario execution data
  • JSON reports suitable for CI/CD artifacts and trend analysis
  • Integration with TinyBDD's observer extensibility layer
  • Configurable JSON serialization options

File-Based DSL

TinyBDD.Extensions.FileBased enables writing BDD scenarios in external files:

  • Gherkin .feature files for business-readable specifications
  • YAML format for programmatic test generation
  • Convention-based driver methods with [DriverMethod] attributes
  • Scenario Outline support with Examples tables
  • Multi-framework support (xUnit, NUnit, MSTest)

Why Use TinyBDD as an Orchestrator?

TinyBDD's Given/When/Then pattern isn't just for testing. The same structured approach works for:

Use Case Description
Application Bootstrapping Define startup sequences as clear, traceable steps
Data Pipelines Express ETL workflows with explicit preconditions and validations
Saga Orchestration Coordinate distributed transactions with observable step outcomes
Health Checks Structure diagnostic sequences with Given/When/Then semantics
Batch Processing Define batch job workflows with clear phase separation
Integration Workflows Orchestrate multi-service interactions with step-by-step traceability

Core Benefits

Traceability

Every step is recorded with timing, input/output, and error information. This provides production-grade observability for any workflow.

Testability

The same workflow definitions can run in both production and test environments. Write your workflow once, test it thoroughly, deploy with confidence.

Composability

Workflows can be composed, extended, and customized through the fluent API. Build complex orchestrations from simple, reusable steps.

Error Handling

Built-in support for continuation on error, step timeouts, and graceful failure handling. Configure behavior per-scenario with ScenarioOptions.

Getting Started

Install the packages:

dotnet add package TinyBDD.Extensions.DependencyInjection
dotnet add package TinyBDD.Extensions.Hosting
dotnet add package TinyBDD.Extensions.Reporting
dotnet add package TinyBDD.Extensions.FileBased

Register services:

services.AddTinyBdd(options =>
{
    options.DefaultScenarioOptions = new ScenarioOptions
    {
        ContinueOnError = false,
        StepTimeout = TimeSpan.FromSeconds(30)
    };
});

Define and run workflows:

public class StartupWorkflow : IWorkflowDefinition
{
    public string FeatureName => "Application Startup";
    public string ScenarioName => "Initialize services";
    public string? FeatureDescription => null;

    public async ValueTask ExecuteAsync(ScenarioContext context, CancellationToken ct)
    {
        await Bdd.Given(context, "configuration loaded", () => LoadConfiguration())
            .When("database connected", cfg => ConnectDatabase(cfg))
            .And("cache warmed", db => WarmCache(db))
            .Then("ready to serve", state => state.IsReady);
    }
}

Next Steps

Return to: User Guide

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