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WhereScreenplayIsUseful
Screenplay is not a silver bullet; some tests will benefit from using Screenplay and others will not. Used inappropriately Screenplay could hinder more than it helps.
To explore where Screenplay is appropriate & recommended, let's consider a few kinds of automated test. Since terminology can differ between developers, each is discussed with a short definition.
Automated acceptance tests test the full deployed application with no test fakes involved. The tests interact with the app in the same way that a real user would, by controlling the app's user interface. These are also known as "end to end" or "system" tests.
Acceptance tests are an ideal candidate for Screenplay test logic.
Unit tests test a single small unit of code, such as a class, in isolation. Anything external to the tested unit is replaced with a test fake or mock.
Because the test & expected outcomes are specific only to that unit's responsibility, Screenplay is going to offer very little value.
- Test steps will be short and simple, without need for code reuse
- Test steps can be difficult to describe from the overall 'behaviour domain' because the unit under test might only represent a small aspect of a more complex behaviour
It is not recommended to use Screenplay for unit testing.
Integration tests live at a point in 'the testing spectrum' between unit & acceptance testing. Like unit tests, they execute code directly instead of testing the deployed application. Unlike unit tests, each integration test executes code across many units of code/classes. It's common for integration tests to test high-level APIs which represent real user use-cases.
Integration tests may include some test fakes, but usually these are limited to things which are difficult or expensive to control. For example asynchronous web services & databases.
It is recommended to evaluate for yourself as to whether you can benefit from using Screenplay with integration tests. Some teams & projects will find great value from it and others will not.