Reusing background steps

another_way.rb

class LoginPage
  include Gametel
 
  text(:username, :index => 0)
  text(:password, :index => 1)

  def login_successfully
    self.username = 'user'
    self.password = 'secret'
    on(LandingPage).should be_active
  end
end

Given /^I have logged in successfully$/
  on(LoginPage).login_successfully
end

login.feature

When I login with 'user' / 'secret'
Then I am successfully logged in

one_way.rb

Given /^I have logged in successfully$/
  Given "I login with 'user' / 'secret'
  Then "I am successfully logged in"
end

some_other.feature

Background:
  Given I have logged in successfully

How would you reuse step definitions? Would you do it like I've done in one_way.rb by re-using other step definitions, or would you push behavior into the page object like I have in anothe_way.rb?

I wouldn't use nested "Given.. Given"

Instead, turn it into a reusable login method in your steps.rb file -- or in the @chzy page object style if that is preferred

Agreed, that is the approach I had been taking. Nested Given statements now have two points of change if the gherkin is modified. I just wasn't sure what was idiomatic.

I would not call one step definition from another. It will create very brittle steps.

I also would not say "I have logged in successfully". Instead I would say given I'm logged in and I would not have the step verify I have logged in. I would just attempt to perform the next action. If I am not logged in then it will fail.

Right, that's why I added

on(LandingPage).should be_active

So rspec will assert that we're on the landing page where LandingPage looks like

class LandingPage

  def active?
    has_text? 'some text to find on Landing Page'
    has_view? 'id_that_only_exists_on_landing_page'
  end
end

General good rule of thumb is to strive to keep any technical stuff out of the cucumber steps.

  Scenario: Axial Admin behavior
    Given I am on sign in page
    When I login as an "axial_admin" role
    Then I should see the following links:
      | Encounters |
      | Runsheets  |
      | More       |
      | Sign Out   |

I could probably take the 'as an "X" role' and make that even more english-like: 'I login as an Axial Admin' and do some magic behind the scenes. Deeper in the step implementation, you can see some other styles of reuse:

Given /^I am logged in as an? "([^"]*)" role$/ do |role|
  step %Q(I login as an "#{role}" role)
end
When /^I login as an? "([^"]*)" role$/ do |role|
  login = "#{role}_user"
  @user = FactoryGirl.create :user,
    :id => 'user',
    :login => "#{role}_user",
    :role_string => role,
    :confirmed_at => Time.now
  step %Q(I login as "#{login}")
end

When /^I login as "([^"]*)"$/ do |login|
  visit '/users/sign_in'
  fill_in("user_login", :with => login)
  fill_in("user_password", :with => "P@ssw0rd")
  click_button "Sign In"
end