In Cucumber, what does the Background section do?

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The Background section in Cucumber is specifically designed to specify steps that are run before each scenario in a feature file. This allows for the inclusion of common setup tasks that multiple scenarios may require, thereby enhancing the efficiency and readability of the test cases. By defining these common steps only once in the Background section, it reduces redundancy in the scenarios themselves, making the feature file cleaner and easier to maintain.

For example, if several scenarios rely on the same initial state, such as logging in a user or setting up certain preconditions, those steps can be placed in the Background section. Each scenario in the file will then automatically include these steps, ensuring they are executed before the scenario runs. This not only streamlines scenario definitions but also aids in keeping the focus on the specifics of each test scenario rather than repeating the same setup multiple times.