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Version: 2.31

Editing Feature Files

Creating a new Feature File​

In the Explorer view, right-click the folder in which you want to create the new Feature File. Select New Cycle File and then New Feature... from the context menu.

Creating a new feature from the context menu

VS Code then opens an input box at the top of the editor window for the Feature File name. Enter the name you want to give the Feature File. This name becomes the file name as well as the Feature title.

New Feature Name Input Box

Do not use special characters in this name, and do not append a file extension. VS Code automatically appends the .feature extension to the file name.

Viewing Step Assistant​

Every CycleScript step has helpful information available through Step Assistant. Hover over the step to trigger a modal with the Step Assistant information.

Step Assistant

Opening the Step Guide​

The Step Guide is a reference tool included with the Cycle application that provides searchable documentation for all available CycleScript steps. You can open it from VS Code using the Command Palette, provided Cycle is installed on your machine.

Open the Command Palette and run the Cycle: Open Step Guide command.

The Step Guide opens in a new window, where you can browse and search for steps, check syntax, and review step details.

Automatically completing steps​

As you type steps, the editor provides suggestions for how to complete the step's text. Select the desired option from the suggestions to use it in the Feature File.

Step Automatic Completion

Identifying syntax errors​

The editor marks any syntax errors for incorrect CycleScript syntax or step texts with red underlines.

Syntax Error Identification

Toggling comments​

Lines for CycleScript comments start with the # character. It is common to temporarily comment out steps or even whole Scenarios while editing and debugging Feature Files. Rather than type the # character for every single line, highlight multiple lines and then press Ctrl+/ to add or remove the # character from them at once.

Toggling Comments On

Using CycleScript snippets​

Snippets are templatized blocks of code that you can insert into a file. They help you use proper syntax and structure. The Cycle Testing VS Code Extension provides the following snippets:

  • if. For If statements
  • while. For While loops

To use a snippet, type the name of the snippet on a new line. Snippet options should then appear in a modal. Select the desired snippet.

Selecting the snippet for "if" statements

The editor inserts the snippet's code directly into the Feature File. Replace the highlighted sections with appropriate CycleScript code and steps.

The snippet template code for "if" statements

Snippet names are case-sensitive. For example, you must select if and not If for the If statement snippet.

Formatting Feature Files​

The extension formats Feature Files so that their indentation, spacing, and keyword casing follow the standard CycleScript formatting rules. By default, VS Code formats a Feature File every time you save it. Formatting changes only how the code looks, not how it runs. VS Code does not format a Feature File that contains syntax errors.

Formatting from the context menu​

Right-click anywhere in an open Feature File and select Format Document.

Format Document in the VS Code editor context menu

You can also press Shift+Alt+F to format the open Feature File. To see what formatting changes in a Feature File, see Seeing formatting in action.

Formatting from the Command Palette​

Open the Command Palette with Ctrl+Shift+P and run the Format Document command.

Formatting when saving​

VS Code formats a Feature File each time you save it, because the extension turns on the editor.formatOnSave setting for CycleScript files by default. Your other file types keep their own editor.formatOnSave setting.

Changing the formatting settings​

To stop formatting Feature Files when you save, turn off editor.formatOnSave for CycleScript in your VS Code settings.json file:

"[cyclescript]": {
    "editor.formatOnSave": false
}

You can still format Feature Files from the context menu, the Command Palette, or the keyboard shortcut.

The Preserve Step Indentation setting (cyclescript.format.preserveStepIndentation) controls whether formatting keeps extra indentation between steps, such as steps indented under an Activity step. It is turned on by default. To change it, open File > Preferences > Settings, search for Preserve Step Indentation, and select or clear the checkbox. See Preserving step indentation for the effect of each choice.

Preserve Step Indentation in the VS Code Settings editor

In CycleScript, a Scenario can call another Scenario by using the I execute scenario "..." step, where "..." is the name of the Scenario to call. To see the called Scenario's code, hover over the step, and press and hold the Ctrl key. The Scenario name turns into a blue hyperlink. Click the name while holding the Ctrl key. VS Code opens the Feature File containing the called Scenario and navigates to the Scenario's definition within it.