Maps in Data Tables in Cucumber

  

In Cucumber, a Data Table can be converted into a Map when the data is represented as a single row with two columns (Key-Value pair). This is useful when you want to pass configuration data or form field values to a step definition in a structured way.

What is a Map in Data Table?

A Map in a data table is a key-value pair where the first column is considered the key, and the second column is the value.

Format Example:

Feature: Login Feature

  Scenario: Successful login with valid credentials
    Given the user logs in with the following details
      | username | testuser |
      | password | testpass |

Step Definition (Java):

You can access this data as a Map<String, String> using DataTable.asMap().

hilite.me-->

import io.cucumber.java.en.Given;
import io.cucumber.datatable.DataTable;

import java.util.Map;

public class LoginStepDef {

    @Given("the user logs in with the following details")
    public void user_logs_in_with_details(DataTable dataTable) {
        Map<String, String> loginDetails = dataTable.asMap(String.class, String.class);
        
        String username = loginDetails.get("username");
        String password = loginDetails.get("password");

        System.out.println("Username: " + username);
        System.out.println("Password: " + password);
        
        // Add login logic here
    }
}

Explanation:

• DataTable is converted to Map<String, String> using .asMap(String.class, String.class)

• Each row in the table becomes a key-value pair in the map.

• Very useful for form inputs or structured key-value data.

Output

Username: testuser
Password: testpass