Konubinix' opinionated web of thoughts

Acceptance Criteria vs. Scenarios

Fleeting

Acceptance Criteria vs. Scenarios

difference between a Scenario and Acceptance Criteria.

https://lizkeogh.com/2011/06/20/acceptance-criteria-vs-scenarios/

A scenario is an example of the system’s behavior from one or more users’ perspectives. Acceptance criteria are a set of rules which cover aspects of a system’s behavior, and from which scenarios can be derived

https://lizkeogh.com/2011/06/20/acceptance-criteria-vs-scenarios/

Here’s a scenario

https://lizkeogh.com/2011/06/20/acceptance-criteria-vs-scenarios/

Given a rabbit called Fluffy who is 1 1/2 months old When we try to sell Fluffy Then we should be told Fluffy is too young

https://lizkeogh.com/2011/06/20/acceptance-criteria-vs-scenarios/

It’s quite specific, containing actual data, and illustrates our domain nicely. We can tell quite a lot from this: that pets have names, that there are rules around the sale of pets, the units in which we measure the age of young pets, etc.

https://lizkeogh.com/2011/06/20/acceptance-criteria-vs-scenarios/

Given a baby animal is younger than its recommended selling age When we try to sell it Then we should be told it’s too young.

Despite the Given, When and Then, this is not a scenario. It’s acceptance criteria – a full specification of this aspect of behavior – phrased in scenario form

https://lizkeogh.com/2011/06/20/acceptance-criteria-vs-scenarios/

Talking through scenarios is, for me, the most important aspect of BDD

https://lizkeogh.com/2011/06/20/acceptance-criteria-vs-scenarios/

how we discover whether we have a shared understanding or not; by using specific examples to illustrate our understanding or discover our ignorance.

https://lizkeogh.com/2011/06/20/acceptance-criteria-vs-scenarios/

isn’t always necessary to write scenarios for all the acceptance criteria

https://lizkeogh.com/2011/06/20/acceptance-criteria-vs-scenarios/

possible to phrase acceptance criteria in other ways:

We should be prevented from selling animals younger than the recommended age.

Now you can talk through the scenarios, and see potential other criteria which you missed:

Customers should be encouraged to return when the animal is old enough to sell.

https://lizkeogh.com/2011/06/20/acceptance-criteria-vs-scenarios/

You can ask your business stakeholders, “Can you give me a scenario where that happens?” or “Can you give me an example?” I’ve found this often draws out more useful discussions than, “Can you give me acceptance criteria for this?” or “Can you help me work out how to test this?”

https://lizkeogh.com/2011/06/20/acceptance-criteria-vs-scenarios/