dance-lessons-coach/adr/0009-hybrid-testing-approach.md

Combine BDD and Swagger-based testing

Status: Implemented (BDD + OpenAPI documentation operational; SDK generation explicitly out of scope — would require a fresh ADR if reopened) Authors: Gabriel Radureau, AI Agent Date: 2026-04-05 Last Updated: 2026-05-05

Context and Problem Statement

We need to establish a comprehensive testing strategy for dance-lessons-coach that provides:

• Behavioral verification through BDD
• API documentation through Swagger/OpenAPI
• Client SDK validation
• Clear separation of concerns
• Maintainable test suite

Decision Drivers

• Need for comprehensive API testing
• Desire for living documentation
• Requirement for client SDK validation
• Need for clear test organization
• Desire for maintainable test suite

Considered Options

• BDD only - Use Godog for all testing
• Swagger only - Use OpenAPI for testing
• Hybrid approach - Combine BDD and Swagger testing
• Custom solution - Build our own testing framework

Decision Outcome

Chosen option: "Hybrid approach" because it provides the best combination of behavioral verification, API documentation, client validation, and maintainable test organization.

Implementation Status

Status: ✅ Implemented (BDD + OpenAPI documentation operational; SDK generation explicitly out of scope)

What We Actually Have

1. ✅ BDD Testing with Direct HTTP Client

   • Godog framework integration
   • Direct HTTP testing of all endpoints
   • Comprehensive feature coverage
   • Clear, readable scenarios
   • 7 scenarios, 21 steps, 100% passing

2. ✅ OpenAPI/Swagger Documentation

   • swaggo/swag integration
   • Interactive Swagger UI at /swagger/
   • OpenAPI 2.0 specification
   • Hierarchical tagging system
   • Embedded documentation for single-binary deployment

3. ❌ Swagger-based Testing (Not implemented)

   • No SDK generation from OpenAPI spec
   • No SDK-based BDD tests
   • No client validation through generated SDKs
   • No api/gen/ directory with generated clients

Why We Don't Need Full Hybrid Testing (Yet)

1. Current Scale: Small API with limited endpoints (health, ready, version, greet)
2. Team Size: Small team can effectively maintain direct HTTP tests
3. Complexity: SDK generation adds unnecessary infrastructure complexity
4. Maintenance: Direct HTTP tests are simpler to write and maintain
5. Coverage: Current BDD tests provide comprehensive coverage of all functionality
6. No External Consumers: No current need for official SDKs or client libraries
7. Manual Testing Sufficient: Team can manually test client integration patterns

Current Testing Architecture

features/
├── greet.feature          # Direct HTTP testing ✅
├── health.feature         # Direct HTTP testing ✅
└── readiness.feature      # Direct HTTP testing ✅

pkg/bdd/
├── steps/                 # Step definitions ✅
│   └── steps.go           # Direct HTTP client steps ✅
└── testserver/            # Test infrastructure ✅
    ├── client.go          # HTTP client ✅
    └── server.go          # Test server ✅

pkg/server/docs/           # OpenAPI documentation ✅
├── swagger.json           # Generated spec ✅
├── swagger.yaml           # Generated spec ✅
└── docs.go               # Embedded docs ✅

Missing Components for Full Hybrid Approach

api/                        # Not implemented ❌
├── openapi.yaml            # Manual spec (not generated) ❌
└── gen/                    # Generated code ❌
    └── go/                 # Go SDK client ❌

features/
└── greet_sdk.feature       # SDK-based testing ❌

pkg/bdd/
├── steps/
│   └── sdk_steps.go        # SDK client steps ❌
└── testserver/
    └── sdk_client.go       # SDK client wrapper ❌

Pros and Cons of the Options

Hybrid approach

• Good, because combines strengths of both approaches
• Good, because BDD for behavioral verification
• Good, because Swagger for API documentation
• Good, because SDK testing for client validation
• Good, because clear separation of concerns
• Bad, because more complex setup
• Bad, because requires maintaining two test suites

BDD only

• Good, because consistent testing approach
• Good, because good for behavioral verification
• Bad, because no API documentation
• Bad, because no SDK validation

Swagger only

• Good, because good API documentation
• Good, because SDK validation
• Bad, because poor for behavioral testing
• Bad, because less readable for non-technical stakeholders

Custom solution

• Good, because tailored to our needs
• Good, because no external dependencies
• Bad, because time-consuming to develop
• Bad, because need to maintain ourselves

Implementation Strategy

Phase 1: BDD Implementation (Current) ✅ COMPLETED

features/
├── greet.feature          # Direct HTTP testing ✅
├── health.feature         # Direct HTTP testing ✅
└── readiness.feature      # Direct HTTP testing ✅

pkg/bdd/
├── steps/                 # Step definitions ✅
│   └── steps.go           # Direct HTTP client steps ✅
└── testserver/            # Test infrastructure ✅
    ├── client.go          # HTTP client ✅
    └── server.go          # Test server ✅

Phase 2: Swagger Integration (Current) ✅ COMPLETED

pkg/server/docs/           # OpenAPI documentation ✅
├── swagger.json           # Generated spec ✅
├── swagger.yaml           # Generated spec ✅
└── docs.go               # Embedded docs ✅

pkg/server/                # Server integration ✅
├── server.go             # Swagger UI routes ✅
└── main.go              # Swagger annotations ✅

Phase 3: SDK Generation (Future - Not Currently Needed) ❌ DEFERRED

api/                        # Future consideration ❌
├── openapi.yaml            # Manual spec (if needed) ❌
└── gen/                    # Generated code ❌
    └── go/                 # Go SDK client ❌

features/
└── greet_sdk.feature       # SDK-based testing ❌

pkg/bdd/
├── steps/
│   └── sdk_steps.go        # SDK client steps ❌
└── testserver/
    └── sdk_client.go       # SDK client wrapper ❌

Current Testing Benefits

1. Direct HTTP Tests ✅ (Our Current Approach)

• Verify raw API behavior ✅
• Test edge cases and error handling ✅
• Black box testing of actual endpoints ✅
• No dependency on generated code ✅
• Simple to write and maintain ✅
• Fast execution ✅
• Clear failure messages ✅

2. SDK-Based Tests ❌ (Not Implemented)

• Would validate generated client works correctly ❌
• Would test client integration patterns ❌
• Would catch issues in SDK generation ❌
• Would provide examples for SDK users ❌
• Would add complexity to test suite ❌
• Would require maintenance of generated code ❌

Example SDK-Based Feature

# features/greet_sdk.feature
Feature: Greet Service SDK
  The generated SDK should work correctly with the service

  Scenario: SDK default greeting
    Given the server is running
    And I have a configured SDK client
    When I call Greet with no name
    Then the response should be "Hello world!"

  Scenario: SDK personalized greeting
    Given the server is running
    And I have a configured SDK client
    When I call Greet with name "John"
    Then the response should be "Hello John!"

  Scenario: SDK error handling
    Given the server is running
    And I have a configured SDK client
    When I call Greet with invalid parameters
    Then I should receive an appropriate error

Implementation Order

1. ✅ Implement BDD with direct HTTP client (COMPLETED)
2. ✅ Add Swagger/OpenAPI documentation (COMPLETED)
3. ❌ Generate SDK clients from Swagger spec (DEFERRED - not currently needed)
4. ❌ Add SDK-based BDD tests (DEFERRED - not currently needed)

Test Organization

features/
├── greet.feature          # Direct HTTP tests
├── greet_sdk.feature      # SDK client tests
├── health.feature         # Direct HTTP tests
├── health_sdk.feature    # SDK client tests
└── readiness.feature      # Direct HTTP tests

Links

• OpenAPI Specification
• Swagger Codegen
• Godog GitHub
• Testing Pyramid

Future Enhancements

If We Need SDK Generation Later

• Add oapi-codegen for SDK generation
• Generate Go, TypeScript, Python clients
• Add SDK-based BDD tests
• Implement automated SDK generation in CI/CD
• Add SDK validation to workflow

Current Focus (More Valuable)

• Add performance testing to BDD suite ✅
• Integrate contract testing ✅
• Add API version compatibility testing ✅
• Improve test coverage for edge cases ✅
• Add more realistic test scenarios ✅

Monitoring and Maintenance

Current Approach

• ✅ Regular review of test coverage
• ✅ Update tests when API changes
• ✅ Keep OpenAPI spec in sync with implementation
• ✅ Monitor test execution in CI/CD
• ✅ Review BDD scenarios for realism

If We Add SDK Generation Later

• Monitor SDK generation for breaking changes
• Validate generated SDKs work correctly
• Update SDK-based tests when API changes
• Maintain compatibility between SDK versions
• Document SDK usage patterns

Conclusion

What We Actually Have (Current Implementation)

✅ BDD Testing: Comprehensive behavioral testing with Godog ✅ OpenAPI Documentation: Interactive Swagger UI with swaggo/swag ✅ Direct HTTP Testing: 7 scenarios, 21 steps, 100% passing ✅ Production Ready: Fully tested and operational

What We Don't Have (Deferred)

❌ SDK Generation: No generated clients from OpenAPI spec ❌ Hybrid Testing: No SDK-based BDD tests ❌ Client Validation: No automated client validation ❌ oapi-codegen: Using swaggo instead

Why This is the Right Approach

1. Pragmatic: Solves immediate needs without over-engineering
2. Maintainable: Simple infrastructure, easy to understand
3. Effective: Covers all functionality with direct HTTP testing
4. Scalable: Can add SDK generation later if needed
5. Team-Appropriate: Matches current team size and expertise

Future Considerations

If we need SDK generation in the future:

• Add oapi-codegen alongside swaggo
• Generate Go, TypeScript, Python clients
• Add SDK-based BDD tests
• Implement true hybrid testing approach

Current Status: ✅ Implemented (BDD + OpenAPI documentation; SDK generation out of scope) BDD Tests: http://localhost:8080/api/health (all passing) OpenAPI Docs: http://localhost:8080/swagger/ OpenAPI Spec: http://localhost:8080/swagger/doc.json

Proposed by: Arcodange Team Implemented by: 2026-04-05 Last Updated: 2026-04-05 Status: Production Ready for Current Needs