BDD Scenario Runner

BDD Scenario Runner is a Visual Studio Code extension that executes Playwright BDD tests directly from Gherkin .feature files.

It is designed for fast local feedback, minimal context switching, and consistent execution across different terminal shells.

Overview

Execute the current scenario from the editor or command palette.
Execute all scenarios in the current feature file.
Re-run failed tests in one action.
Run individual Scenario Outline example rows from the Testing view.
Keep command quoting safe across PowerShell, CMD, and Bash.

Capability Matrix

Capability	Description
Current scenario run	Detects scenario from cursor position and runs it immediately
Current feature run	Runs all scenarios in the active `.feature` file
Re-run failed	Uses Playwright's last failed filter
Scenario Outline support	Generates run items per `Examples` row
Run mode selection	Supports `headless` and `headed` execution
Configurable templates	Supports placeholder-based command customization

Available Commands

Command	Purpose
`BDD Runner: Run Current Scenario`	Run scenario at the active cursor context
`BDD Runner: Run Current Feature`	Run all scenarios in current feature file
`BDD Runner: Re-run Failed`	Re-run failed test cases from previous run
`BDD Runner: Diagnose Environment`	Validate shell/tool runtime and print diagnostics

Default Command Templates

# Scenario
pnpm bddgen && pnpm playwright test --grep {scenarioQuoted}{headedFlag}

# Feature
pnpm bddgen && pnpm playwright test --grep {featureNameQuoted}{headedFlag}

# Example row (Scenario Outline)
pnpm bddgen && pnpm playwright test --grep {scenarioExampleRegexQuoted}{headedFlag}

# Re-run failed
pnpm bddgen && pnpm playwright test --last-failed{headedFlag}

Usage

Open a .feature file.
Place the cursor inside a Scenario or Scenario Outline.
Trigger execution from editor title, command palette, or Testing panel.
Select run mode (Headless or Headed) when prompted.
Review output in the BDD Scenario Runner terminal and Testing results.

Configuration Reference

Search for bddScenarioRunner in VS Code Settings.

Setting	Type	Default	Description
`bddScenarioRunner.commandTemplate`	`string`	`pnpm bddgen && pnpm playwright test --grep {scenarioQuoted}{headedFlag}`	Template for current scenario runs
`bddScenarioRunner.featureCommandTemplate`	`string`	`pnpm bddgen && pnpm playwright test --grep {featureNameQuoted}{headedFlag}`	Template for feature-level runs
`bddScenarioRunner.exampleCommandTemplate`	`string`	`pnpm bddgen && pnpm playwright test --grep {scenarioExampleRegexQuoted}{headedFlag}`	Template for `Scenario Outline` example-row runs
`bddScenarioRunner.rerunFailedCommandTemplate`	`string`	`pnpm bddgen && pnpm playwright test --last-failed{headedFlag}`	Template for failed-test reruns
`bddScenarioRunner.terminalName`	`string`	`BDD Scenario Runner`	Terminal name used by the extension
`bddScenarioRunner.autoClearTerminal`	`boolean`	`true`	Clears terminal before each execution
`bddScenarioRunner.showTerminalOnRun`	`boolean`	`false`	Reveals terminal automatically on run
`bddScenarioRunner.askRunMode`	`boolean`	`true`	Prompts mode selection for each run
`bddScenarioRunner.defaultRunMode`	`headless \\| headed`	`headless`	Fallback mode when prompt is disabled
`bddScenarioRunner.forceShell`	`auto \\| git-bash \\| pwsh \\| powershell \\| cmd \\| bash`	`auto`	Force shell runtime with fallback logic
`bddScenarioRunner.gitBashPath`	`string`	``	Optional absolute path to `bash.exe` on Windows
`bddScenarioRunner.pwshPath`	`string`	`pwsh`	Command/path used when `forceShell = pwsh`

Placeholder Reference

{scenario} / {scenarioQuoted}
{featureName} / {featureNameQuoted}
{example} / {exampleQuoted}
{scenarioExampleRegex} / {scenarioExampleRegexQuoted}
{featurePath} / {featurePathQuoted}
{runMode}
{headedFlag}

Build and Package

cd /path/to/bdd-runner-extension
npm install
npm run compile
npm run package

Packaging generates a .vsix artifact in the project root.

Publish to Visual Studio Marketplace

Create a publisher in Marketplace Management if not already available: fresma-labs-space.
Create a Personal Access Token (PAT) with Marketplace > Manage scope.
Set PAT in terminal session.

$env:VSCE_PAT = "<your-pat>"

Publish from project root.

# Publish current version from package.json
npm run publish

# Auto-bump + publish
npm run publish:patch
npm run publish:minor
npm run publish:major

If the extension was never published before, make sure publisher in package.json matches your Marketplace publisher ID exactly.

Install from VSIX

Open Extensions in VS Code.
Select ... (More Actions).
Click Install from VSIX....
Choose the generated .vsix file.

Compatibility Notes

Intended for Playwright + Gherkin BDD projects.
PowerShell 5 and PowerShell 7 are both supported.
On PowerShell 5 profiles, && command chains are converted to fail-fast PowerShell-compatible chaining.
On PowerShell 7 (pwsh), commands run natively without && rewriting.
With forceShell = auto, the extension resolves shell per OS and falls back safely when a runtime is missing.
If you force git-bash on Windows without Git Bash installed, it falls back to PowerShell and shows a warning.

BDD Scenario Runner

fresma-labs

BDD Scenario Runner

Overview

Capability Matrix

Available Commands

Default Command Templates

Usage

Configuration Reference

Placeholder Reference

Build and Package

Publish to Visual Studio Marketplace

Install from VSIX

Compatibility Notes