Behave

Spec sheet

Purpose

Behave is a Python-style behavior-driven development tool that runs tests written in a natural-language style backed by Python code.Read 9 Oct 2026 · behave.readthedocs.io

Integrations

The documentation includes integration guidance for Django and Flask and examples using Selenium for browser interaction.Read 9 Oct 2026 · behave.readthedocs.io

Security

The Behave GitHub repository has a Security tab, but the opened page did not state specific security or compliance claims.Read 4 Oct 2026 · github.com

BDD collaboration

Its documentation describes BDD as encouraging collaboration among developers, QA, and non-technical or business participants.Read 9 Oct 2026 · behave.readthedocs.io

Browser tooling

The documentation lists Selenium WebDriver as software that can be combined with Behave to drive a browser.Read 4 Oct 2026 · behave.readthedocs.io

Collaboration

Its documentation describes BDD as a way to encourage collaboration among developers, QA, and non-technical or business participants.Read 4 Oct 2026 · behave.readthedocs.io

Editor support

The ecosystem page lists IDE and editor plugins with Behave or Gherkin support, including entries for PyCharm and VS Code.Read 9 Oct 2026 · behave.readthedocs.io

Extensibility

Optional formatter dependencies can add formatters from behave-contrib to those provided by default.Read 9 Oct 2026 · behave.readthedocs.io

Feature files

Behave uses Gherkin feature files as both human-readable documentation and automated tests.Read 9 Oct 2026 · behave.readthedocs.io

Fixtures

Behave fixtures support setup and cleanup tasks during test execution.Read 4 Oct 2026 · behave.readthedocs.io

Hooks

Optional environment controls can run code before and after steps, scenarios, features, or the whole test run.Read 9 Oct 2026 · behave.readthedocs.io

Install

The installation guide provides pip, source-distribution, and GitHub repository installation methods.Read 9 Oct 2026 · behave.readthedocs.io

Installation

The documentation gives pip and source-distribution installation instructions and also describes installing from the GitHub repository.Read 4 Oct 2026 · behave.readthedocs.io

Limits

The documentation says Behave is one of several options for Gherkin-based BDD in Python and warns that its comparison page may be out of date.Read 9 Oct 2026 · behave.readthedocs.io

Optional packages

Optional installation extras include documentation and development dependencies, plus additional formatters from behave-contrib.Read 4 Oct 2026 · behave.readthedocs.io

Python steps

Scenarios are backed by Python step implementations stored in a steps directory.Read 9 Oct 2026 · behave.readthedocs.io

Scenario data

Scenario outlines run once for each example row, and steps can receive associated text blocks or tables through the context object.Read 4 Oct 2026 · behave.readthedocs.io

Scenario outlines

Scenario outlines use example tables to run a scenario repeatedly with substituted values.Read 9 Oct 2026 · behave.readthedocs.io

Selection and debugging

Tags can selectively run scenarios, and a work-in-progress option runs tagged scenarios, disables output capture, and stops at the first error.Read 4 Oct 2026 · behave.readthedocs.io

Step implementations

Behave maps Given, When, Then, and Step decorators in Python files to steps written in feature scenarios.Read 4 Oct 2026 · behave.readthedocs.io

Support and community

The project documentation directs users to GitHub issues to discuss bugs and features.Read 4 Oct 2026 · behave.readthedocs.io

Support and contribution

The project invites bug reports and enhancement contributions through GitHub issues and pull requests.Read 9 Oct 2026 · behave.readthedocs.io

Tags

Tags can select which features or scenarios to include in a test run, and tag information is accessible to the backing Python code.Read 9 Oct 2026 · behave.readthedocs.io

Test controls

Environment hooks can run before and after steps, scenarios, feature files, tags, or the whole test run.Read 4 Oct 2026 · behave.readthedocs.io

Web framework integration

The documentation describes Django integration options and links to Flask integration guidance.Read 4 Oct 2026 · behave.readthedocs.io

Where Specifiction places it

• BDD Testing Tools#9 of 307.8