What the plugins do

I'm gradually trying to make the experience of writing test cases the same as when I code when it comes to IDE features that make coding easier. I've put these screenshots here to show how I've tried to map the DSL to a JVM language. I'll think I'll have to manually create a Java equivalent of a feature file to help understand the mapping. The Xtext framework lets you map the DSL to Java so that you can generate the Java code with minimal coding. I think that's useful for a tester if every component is written in Java. If it's not, and there's PL/SQL, COBOL, webMethods, Layer 7 and other such languages, you might not need Java code but insert statements for example.

Xtext plugin

Statements

Each statement has a component, path to the object, the object, sub type in the object or primitive type in tables.

Component

When testing, the component under test is specified only initially. After that every object is assumed to belong to the last specified component.

Object

When using Java you explicitly add them at the top.

When using the editor it's implicitly derived from the first time a reference is made to an object.

Validation

Error Messages

Java

Editor

Validate Menu

Java

Editor

Quick Fixes

Java

Editor

Content Assist

Java

Editor

Build Project Output Directory

Java

Editor