Adding Squad Tags to Extent Reports in a Cucumber-Appium Project

Automation is all about clarity and speed. In projects where multiple squads own different parts of the codebase, organizing test results can feel like herding cats. But with squad tags, you’re turning chaos into order. Here’s how we implemented this in our Cucumber-Appium project using the Extent Report adapter for Cucumber.

The Code: Keeping It Clean and Focused

Here’s the snippet we used to automatically extract squad tags and assign them to categories in Extent Reports:

if (t.toLowerCase().endsWith("-squad")) {
    String squadName = t.toLowerCase()
                       .replace("@", "")
                       .replace("-squad", "")
                       .trim();
    squads.add(squadName);
    ((ExtentTest)scenarioThreadLocal.get()).assignCategory(new String[]{t});
}

Let’s break it down:

1. Identify Squad Tags:

   • We check if the tag ends with "-squad" to filter relevant tags.
   • Tags like @automation-squad or @energy-squad are instantly recognizable as squad-specific.

2. Extract the Squad Name:

   • Convert the tag to lowercase for consistency.
   • Remove @ and -squad to extract the pure squad name (e.g., automation or energy).
   • Trim any whitespace to ensure clean data.

3. Store and Assign Tags:

   • Add the squad name to a squads list for future use.
   • Assign the full tag (e.g., @automation-squad) to the test category in the Extent Report.

This keeps your reports clean, organized, and aligned with your team structure.

Why This Approach Rocks

1. Automation at Scale

No need to manually assign tags — just add @squad tags in your feature files, and the code does the rest.

@energy-squad
Scenario: Validate energy settings
  Given ...
  When ...
  Then ...

2. Seamless Integration with Extent Reports

Using the Extent Report adapter, the squad tags appear in the report’s category section, enabling dynamic filtering for each squad.

3. Scalability

Whether you add more squads or reorganize teams, your reports adapt instantly with minimal changes.

Squad Tagging in Action

Here’s how the Extent Report looks with squad tagging:

• Scenario Categories: Each test scenario is grouped under its squad tag.
• Filters: Want to see tests owned by the Device Squad? Just filter by device-squad.
• Metrics Per Squad: Easily analyze pass/fail rates for each squad during retrospectives.

Extending the Functionality

Want to take it further? Here are a few ideas:

• Add Execution Time Per Squad: Track how long each squad’s tests take and identify bottlenecks.
• Error Trends: Highlight recurring errors in squad-owned tests to prioritize fixes.
• Slack Notifications: Automatically notify squads about failures using their tags.

Final Thoughts

Adding squad tagging to Extent Reports is a small but impactful change. It brings clarity, ownership, and faster debugging to your test automation process. If you’re using Cucumber and Appium, this integration is a no-brainer.

Your Turn: How are you organizing your test results? Have you tried squad tagging yet? Drop your tips and ideas below! Let’s build smarter, together.