How to use variable from generate method to another method

Question

In short when i run this commend mvn clean test -D"cucumber.filter.tags=@Test1" after i run mvn clean test -D"cucumber.filter.tags=@Test2" command i want i can use the variable created in the previous method in the other method. For example;

@Test1
Scenario: Create Folder
    When I create folder with "test" name api

This scenerio linked this method

@When("^I create folder with \"([^\"]*)\" name api$")
public void createFolder(String name) {

    response = RestAssured.given()
            .baseUri(prp_url)
            .accept("application/json")
            .contentType("application/json")
            .header("X-Auth-Token", xAuthToken.userAuth())
            .header("Folder-Name", name)
            .header("Folder-Uuid", "123456")
            .queryParam("parentFolderUuid", "")
            .when()
            .post("/filesystem/createFolder")
            .then().extract().response();

    getUuid = getJsonPath(response, "uuid");    
}

And here is my second scenerio

@Test2
Scenario: Create inside the Folder
    When I send create inside the folder with "1" name api
```

And this scenerio is also linked this method
```
@When("^I send create inside the folder with \"([^\"]*)\" name api$")
public void createInsideFolder(String name) {

    String uuid = getUuid();

    response = RestAssured.given()
            .baseUri(prp_url)
            .accept("application/json")
            .contentType("application/json")
            .header("X-Auth-Token", xAuthToken.userAuth())
            .header("Folder-Name", name)
            .header("Folder-Uuid", "123456")
            .queryParam("parentFolderUuid", getUuid)
            .when()
            .post("/filesystem/createFolder")
            .then()
            .extract().response();
}
```
So when I use the same tag, I can use the variable created in the previous method in the other method, but when I run each scenario with different tags, I get a null pointer error. How can I run 2 scenarios separately and use the variable in the previous method in the other method?

Answer 1

Can you do this? Yes, you can.

Should you do this? Absolutely not! Unless, you are creating a Background to do this.

Under no circumstance, you should create a scenario that depends on another scenario. Scenarios are meant to be run independently and in no specific order. Creating a dependency such as the one you described here is counterproductive. But, against my better judgment, I am going to show you how to do it...

Create a global variable!

public class MyFeatureClass {

    private String folderName = "";

    @When("^I create folder with \"([^\"]*)\" name api$")
    public void createFolder(String name) {

        response = RestAssured.given()
            .baseUri(prp_url)
            .accept("application/json")
            .contentType("application/json")
            .header("X-Auth-Token", xAuthToken.userAuth())
            .header("Folder-Name", name)
            .header("Folder-Uuid", "123456")
            .queryParam("parentFolderUuid", "")
            .when()
            .post("/filesystem/createFolder")
            .then().extract().response();

        getUuid = getJsonPath(response, "uuid");
        folderName = // whatever;
    }

    @When("^I send create inside the folder with \"([^\"]*)\" name api$")
    public void createInsideFolder(String name) {

        // Use "folderName" here
        String uuid = getUuid();

        response = RestAssured.given()
            .baseUri(prp_url)
            .accept("application/json")
            .contentType("application/json")
            .header("X-Auth-Token", xAuthToken.userAuth())
            .header("Folder-Name", name)
            .header("Folder-Uuid", "123456")
            .queryParam("parentFolderUuid", getUuid)
            .when()
            .post("/filesystem/createFolder")
            .then()
            .extract().response();
    }
}

A better approach is to use a Background. A background in Cucumber is very much the same as what @Before annotation is for JUnit or TestNG. A background step definition is a chunk of code that runs automatically before each scenario (whether a particular scenario needs it or not). This is the correct place to resolve all the dependencies a scenario might need to execute correctly. In the cucumber file, add a background after the declaration of the feature, like this:

Feature: Test Background Feature
Description: The purpose of this feature is to test the Background keyword

Background: Files and Folders are created
    When I create folder with "XYZ" name api

Scenario: Create subfolder
    Given Open my app
    When I send create inside the folder with "1" name api
    Then I can create files inside folder

To access this variable, do the same as I proposed: declare it as global. When you add scenarios to this feature that require this attribute, they will be able to access it automatically.

If you are required to use a variable in between steps, you should be able to use the same strategy.