Is it correct to have more than one Then in a single Cucumber scenario?

Question

I am new at Cucumber. I am trying to write a feature file that tests

1. a new drop down on an existing page
2. and on selecting this new value entry goes in a new DB Table

I have written this feature file. It doesn't seem correct.

• I'm not sure if we can have two Thens.
• Or is there some way we can have interdependent features, like one feature for the new drop down and one for the database entry?

The feature file is like

Scenario: Admin user should be able to assign ReadOnly role to a searched user via  Change User page

Given user logs into webapp with Admin role 
And Navigates to Change User page 

When user searches for user with id 123 
And clicks select link corresponding to correct id

Then Change User page loads 
And it has a new drop down with Read Only role
And when user selects MS distributor in drop down  # note when with small w
And Presses Submit button then a new entry is saved in DB table # then with small t

Or maybe I can use the following:

Scenario: Admin user should be able to assign ReadOnly role to a searched user via  Change User page

Given user logs into webapp with Admin role 
And Navigates to Change User page 

When user searches for user with id 123 
And clicks select link corresponding to correct id to open Change User page
And it has a new drop down with Read Only role # need to check this new value in my selenium test case
And when user selects MS distributor value in drop down  # note when with small w
And presses Save button 

Then a new entry is saved in DB table

I'm looking forward to learning from your experience.

Answer 1

With what I understand so far, I'd write your scenario something like this:

Scenario: Admin user should be able to assign ReadOnly role to a searched user via Change User page
    When I log in as an admin
    And I navigate to the Change User page
    And I search for the user with ID 123 
    And I click the link to user 123's Change User page
    And I select the MS distributor value from the dropdown with the Read Only role
    And I press the Save button 
    Then a new entry is saved in the database table

The main point is that there is no need to assert that the dropdown exists. Just use it. If the dropdown doesn't exist, the scenario will fail.

When (and Ands following Whens) is for user actions. Then (and Ands following Thens) is for assertions. It's fine to have multiple When/Then sections in a single scenario; there is just no need for that here. I like a blank line before the second and later Whens to make it easier to see that there are multiple such sections.

Other points:

• Every step should have a clear subject, meaning the subject of the sentence: "the user" or "I". I used "I" rather than "the user" for brevity. It would be fine to use "the user" throughout too.

• I'd use When rather than Given for your first two steps because they're worded as though they are part of the series of actions that the user is taking. Alternatively, you could write two steps worded as though what they say were already the case and use them with Given:

  Given that I am logged in as an admin
  And I am on the Change User page
  

• "a new entry is saved in the database table" is vague, and too nuts-and-bolts for scenario language. Reword that to be specific and to say what's happening in business terms.