Cucumber Jump

Cucumber Jump connects Gherkin .feature files with step definitions across Java, Kotlin, Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Ruby, C#, Dart, and Go — navigate from any step line straight to the implementation and back.

Install from the Visual Studio Marketplace (VS Code) or your editor's extension panel — search Cucumber Jump (publisher lntvan166). Open a workspace that contains both .feature files and the configured step paths, then add the settings below.

---

Demos

Demo 1 — Jump between .feature and implementation

This shows bidirectional navigation: from a Gherkin step to the right implementation, and from the implementation back to the scenario.

Demo 2 — Dev mode (paired panes)

Dev mode pins a split layout: implementation on the left, .feature on the right. When you move the caret on a step line, the left editor updates to the matching code. When you move inside the step file, the right scrolls to the linked feature line.

Start or stop it from the cucumber icon in the .feature editor title bar, from the command palette (Toggle Dev mode / Open Dev mode), or via the DEV · … status bar item.

---

Supported languages

The extension auto-detects the language from the file extension in your stepsGlob. No language field needed.

Language	Step file extension	Framework
Java	.java	Cucumber-JVM
Kotlin	.kt	Cucumber-JVM
Python	.py	behave (full support), pytest-bdd (@given/@when/@then decorators only)
JavaScript	.js	cucumber-js
TypeScript	.ts	cucumber-js
Ruby	.rb	Cucumber-Ruby
C#	.cs	SpecFlow, Reqnroll
Dart	.dart	flutter_gherkin
Go (new-style)	.go (no bddFile)	godog ctx.Step()
Go (legacy)	.go + bddFile	godog StepMap

---

Quick setup

For Java, Python, JS/TS, Ruby, C#, Dart

Two fields are all you need — featureGlob and stepsGlob. The language is inferred automatically:

{
  "cucumberJump.projects": [
    {
      "featureGlob": "src/test/**/*.feature",
      "stepsGlob": "src/test/**/*Steps.java"
    }
  ]
}

{
  "cucumberJump.projects": [
    {
      "featureGlob": "features/**/*.feature",
      "stepsGlob": "features/steps/**/*.py"
    }
  ]
}

{
  "cucumberJump.projects": [
    {
      "featureGlob": "e2e/**/*.feature",
      "stepsGlob": "e2e/step_definitions/**/*.ts"
    }
  ]
}

For Go (godog standard ctx.Step() pattern)

Same two-field config — just point stepsGlob at your Go files:

{
  "cucumberJump.projects": [
    {
      "featureGlob": "services/my-api/feature/**/*.feature",
      "stepsGlob": "services/my-api/testing/*_steps.go"
    }
  ]
}

For Go (legacy StepMap pattern)

If your project uses a step registry file (bdd.go) that maps regex patterns to handler functions, keep the three-field config — existing setups work without any changes:

{
  "cucumberJump.projects": [
    {
      "featureGlob": "services/my-api/feature/**/*.feature",
      "bddFile": "services/my-api/testing/bdd.go",
      "stepsGlob": "services/my-api/testing/*_steps.go"
    }
  ]
}

---

Quick setup with an AI assistant

If your editor has an AI chat (e.g. GitHub Copilot Chat, Cursor, Codeium), paste the setup prompt so the assistant inspects your tree and proposes cucumberJump entries for .vscode/settings.json.

1. Open your project as the workspace root so paths resolve correctly.
2. Copy the prompt: Open raw file (select all → copy), or expand the block below.
3. Paste into your AI chat and ask it to merge the settings (or show a diff first). Review the JSON before saving.

Setup prompt (expand to copy) — also available as raw

You are helping configure Cucumber Jump (VS Code / Cursor extension, publisher lntvan166) for this workspace.

Context: The workspace root is opened in a VS Code–compatible editor. All paths in cucumberJump settings are relative to that workspace folder.

Cucumber Jump supports Java, Kotlin, Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Ruby, C#, Dart, and Go. The language is auto-detected from the stepsGlob file extension — no language field is needed. For most languages only two fields are required: featureGlob and stepsGlob.

Tasks:
1. Discover all *.feature files and infer each BDD "package root" (the directory segment before /feature/ in the path, or the folder that groups one BDD module).
2. For each distinct layout, identify the language from the step file extensions, then locate the step definition files. For Go projects using a godog StepMap registry (bdd.go / *_bdd.go), also locate that registry file for the bddFile field. For all other languages (Java, Python, JS/TS, Ruby, C#, Dart) and for Go projects using standard ctx.Step() registration, bddFile is not needed.
3. Monorepo / many services: if every module uses the same relative layout, prefer one cucumberJump.projects entry with ** in featureGlob and stepsGlob. Do not emit one projects object per service — it bloats the array. Add multiple projects entries only when layouts genuinely differ.
4. Add cucumberJump.libraries entries only for shared/common features and shared step definitions. Libraries are searched after the matching project, in array order.
5. Merge cucumberJump.projects, cucumberJump.libraries, and optional keys into .vscode/settings.json. Preserve every existing unrelated setting. Create .vscode/settings.json if missing.
6. If the official Cucumber extension is used, suggest cucumber.glue globs that include the same step definition paths so its language server does not conflict with Cucumber Jump on step lines.
7. Conflicting Cucumber / Gherkin extensions: Inspect the workspace for other step-definition providers. Known overlaps: Cucumber (Gherkin) Full Support (alexkrechik.cucumberautocomplete) and Cucumber (CucumberOpen.cucumber-official). Prefer F12 (Go to primary step target) for Jump-only navigation, or recommend Disable (Workspace) for the other extension if the team wants a single provider. Merge cucumberJump.notifyConflictingExtensions: true (default) so editors show the one-time in-IDE notice.
8. Multi-root workspaces: if multiple folders are opened, settings may need per-folder .vscode/settings.json or the correct scope for each root.
9. After editing, explain how to verify: open a .feature, put the caret on a step line, press F12 (Go to primary step target) or Go to Definition; use the command "Cucumber Jump: Show step resolution" if something fails.
10. Glob pitfalls (not regex): prefer ** from a stable parent rather than prefix-* style globs in the middle of paths.

Output: proposed JSON fragment or full merged settings.json. If you cannot write files, show the diff clearly and remind the human to review before saving.

---

How settings map to your project

Step registration patterns recognized

Java / Kotlin — annotation on the method:

@Given("I have {int} cucumbers")
public void iHaveCucumbers(int n) { ... }

Python — decorator on the function:

@given('I have {int} cucumbers')
def step_impl(context, n): ...

JavaScript / TypeScript — function call (string or regex):

Given('I have {int} cucumbers', function(n) { ... })
When(/^the user logs in$/, () => { ... })

Ruby — block form (string or regex):

Given('I have {int} cucumbers') do |n| ... end
When(/^the user logs in$/) do ... end

C# — attribute on the method:

[Given("I have {int} cucumbers")]
public void IHaveCucumbers(int n) { ... }

Dart — registration call:

given1<int>('I have {int} cucumbers', (world, n) async { ... })

Go (new-style) — ctx.Step() / s.Step() call:

ctx.Step(`^I have (\d+) cucumbers$`, iHaveCucumbers)

Go (legacy StepMap) — registry file + handler in separate files (requires bddFile):

// in bdd.go
`^I have (\d+) cucumbers$`: func(state *State) error {
    return iHaveCucumbers(state)
},

---

Settings (cucumberJump.*)

All paths are relative to the workspace folder.

cucumberJump.projects (array)

Each object describes one service or module.

Field	Required	Meaning
featureGlob	yes	Glob for .feature files owned by this module.
stepsGlob	yes	Glob for step definition files. Extension determines the language.
bddFile	no — Go legacy only	The step registry file (godog StepMap pattern). Omit for all other languages and for Go projects using ctx.Step().
name	no	Optional label for your own documentation.

If several featureGlob values match the same file, the extension prefers the entry whose bddFile (or stepsGlob root) lives under the same package root as the feature file.

cucumberJump.libraries (array)

Same shape as projects. Used for shared steps searched after the matching project.

cucumberJump.includeStepRegistryInDefinition

Go legacy only. Default false: Go to Definition prefers the implementation file; falls back to bdd.go. Set true to also list the registry line.

cucumberJump.codeLensEnabled

Default false. When true, step lines in .feature files show Implementation and Registry CodeLens links.

cucumberJump.statusBarHintEnabled

Default false. When true, on a .feature step line the status bar shows the resolved implementation path. Click opens Show step resolution.

cucumberJump.devModeDebounceMs

Delay in milliseconds (default 200, minimum 50) before Dev mode syncs the paired editor.

Wildcards in bddFile and stepsGlob

If the pattern contains **, the extension builds a concrete path from the feature's package root (everything before /feature/). Example: **/testing/bdd.go + repo/my-svc/feature/x.feature → repo/my-svc/testing/bdd.go.

---

Example settings.json

Multi-language monorepo

{
  "cucumberJump.projects": [
    {
      "name": "java-api",
      "featureGlob": "services/java-api/src/test/**/*.feature",
      "stepsGlob": "services/java-api/src/test/**/*Steps.java"
    },
    {
      "name": "python-worker",
      "featureGlob": "services/python-worker/features/**/*.feature",
      "stepsGlob": "services/python-worker/features/steps/**/*.py"
    },
    {
      "name": "go-service",
      "featureGlob": "services/go-service/feature/**/*.feature",
      "stepsGlob": "services/go-service/testing/*_steps.go"
    }
  ]
}

Go legacy (existing users — no changes needed)

{
  "cucumberJump.projects": [
    {
      "name": "my-api",
      "featureGlob": "services/my-api/feature/**/*.feature",
      "bddFile": "services/my-api/testing/bdd.go",
      "stepsGlob": "services/my-api/testing/*_steps.go"
    }
  ],
  "cucumberJump.libraries": [
    {
      "name": "shared",
      "featureGlob": "libs/bdd-shared/feature/**/*.feature",
      "bddFile": "libs/bdd-shared/steps/common_bdd.go",
      "stepsGlob": "libs/bdd-shared/steps/*_steps.go"
    }
  ]
}

---

Dev mode (paired panes)

Dev mode opens a fixed layout: implementation on the left, .feature on the right, and keeps them in sync when you move the cursor.

Title bar button (on .feature tabs)

• Cucumber icon → start Dev mode for that feature.
• Close (×) icon → this tab is the paired feature; click to exit Dev mode.

If the icon is hidden, open the ⋯ overflow menu on the title bar.

Commands

• Cucumber Jump: Toggle Dev mode — same as the title bar control.
• Cucumber Jump: Open Dev mode — start Dev mode when it is off.
• Cucumber Jump: Close Dev mode — stop pairing and clear the session.

While Dev mode is on, a status bar item shows DEV · <file.feature>; click it for actions.

---

Other navigation

• F12 on a .feature step: Go to primary step target — jumps to the implementation without relying on merged definition lists.
• Cucumber Jump: Peek step targets — pick list of this extension's targets only.
• From a step file: Go to Definition / Find All References jumps to or lists .feature usages.
• Cucumber Jump: Show step resolution — opens the output panel with a step-by-step trace of how a step was resolved. Useful for diagnosing misses.

Highlighting for .feature files comes from your Gherkin / Cucumber extension; Cucumber Jump does not replace it.

Coexisting with other Cucumber extensions

Cucumber (Gherkin) Full Support (alexkrechik.cucumberautocomplete) and the official Cucumber extension (CucumberOpen.cucumber-official) also register Go to Definition on .feature steps. VS Code merges all providers, which can produce duplicate or wrong targets.

1. Prefer F12 (Go to primary step target) or Cucumber Jump: Peek step targets for Jump-only navigation.
2. If it still fights your workflow: Extensions → Disable (Workspace) the other extension.

Notice: If a conflicting extension is installed, Cucumber Jump shows a one-time editor notification (dismiss with Don't show again). Turn off with cucumberJump.notifyConflictingExtensions: false.

---

Authoring: create missing steps

A warning squiggle appears on any .feature step that has no matching step definition (on by default — set cucumberJump.diagnosticsEnabled: false to turn it off). Squiggles appear only when a project/library matches the feature and at least one step file exists, so unconfigured features stay clean, and Scenario Outline <placeholder> steps are never flagged.

On a squiggled step, use the lightbulb or Cmd+. (or Cucumber Jump: Create step definition from the command palette) to generate a stub in the right language. Quoted values become {string}, integers {int}, and decimals {float} (Go stubs use an anchored regex). You pick which step file receives the stub, or create a new one.

---

License

MIT — see the license field in package.json.