How to resolve a Cucumber::Ambiguous match error while testing a CLI in Aruba

ruby rspec cucumber command-line-interface aruba
fontno picture fontno · Jul 20, 2013 · Viewed 11.5k times · Source

I'm learning to test a CLI with Aruba using this guide that is a few years old. I'm getting an error

Cucumber::Ambiguous match error

After looking through several examples of this kind of error, I'm still not sure what to do about it. 

  Scenario: Recipes
    When I run `foodie recipe dinner steak`
    Then the following files should exist:
      | dinner/steak.txt |
    Then the file "dinner/steak.txt" should contain:
      """
      ##### Ingredients #####
      Ingredients for delicious steak go here.


      ##### Instructions #####
      Tips on how to make delicious steak go here.
      """

in features/step_definitions/extra_aruba_steps.rb I have this added step:

Then /^the file "([^"]*)" should contain:$/ do |file, content|
  check_file_content(file, content, true)
end

Can someone explain this error and what to do different to fix it.

Thanks in advance

Update after Peter Alfrin's comment:

I have aruba/cucumber included which gives access to all these pre-defined steps

Full error output:

Then the file "dinner/steak.txt" should contain: # features/generator.feature:10
      """
      ##### Ingredients #####
      Ingredients for delicious steak go here.


      ##### Instructions #####
      Tips on how to make delicious steak go here.
      """
      Ambiguous match of "the file "dinner/steak.txt" should contain:":

      aruba-0.5.3/lib/aruba/cucumber.rb:300:in `/^the file "([^"]*)" should contain:$/'
      features/step_definitions/aruba_ext_steps.rb:1:in `/^the file "([^"]*)" should contain:$/'

      You can run again with --guess to make Cucumber be more smart about it
       (Cucumber::Ambiguous)
      /Users/Brian/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/cucumber-1.3.4/lib/cucumber/runtime/support_code.rb:147:in `step_match_without_cache'
      /Users/Brian/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/cucumber-1.3.4/lib/cucumber/runtime/support_code.rb:138:in `step_match'
      /Users/Brian/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/cucumber-1.3.4/lib/cucumber/runtime.rb:68:in `step_match'
      /Users/Brian/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/cucumber-1.3.4/lib/cucumber/ast/step_invocation.rb:83:in `find_step_match!'
      /Users/Brian/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/cucumber-1.3.4/lib/cucumber/ast/step_invocation.rb:56:in `invoke'
      /Users/Brian/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/cucumber-1.3.4/lib/cucumber/ast/step_invocation.rb:38:in `accept'
      /Users/Brian/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/cucumber-1.3.4/lib/cucumber/ast/tree_walker.rb:106:in `block in visit_step'
      /Users/Brian/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/cucumber-1.3.4/lib/cucumber/ast/tree_walker.rb:170:in `broadcast'
      /Users/Brian/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/cucumber-1.3.4/lib/cucumber/ast/tree_walker.rb:105:in `visit_step'
      /Users/Brian/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/cucumber-1.3.4/lib/cucumber/ast/step_collection.rb:19:in `block in accept'
      /Users/Brian/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/cucumber-1.3.4/lib/cucumber/ast/step_collection.rb:18:in `each'
      /Users/Brian/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/cucumber-1.3.4/lib/cucumber/ast/step_collection.rb:18:in `accept'
      /Users/Brian/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/cucumber-1.3.4/lib/cucumber/ast/tree_walker.rb:100:in `block in visit_steps'
      /Users/Brian/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/cucumber-1.3.4/lib/cucumber/ast/tree_walker.rb:170:in `broadcast'
      /Users/Brian/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/cucumber-1.3.4/lib/cucumber/ast/tree_walker.rb:99:in `visit_steps'
      /Users/Brian/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/cucumber-1.3.4/lib/cucumber/ast/tree_walker.rb:15:in `block in execute'
      /Users/Brian/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/cucumber-1.3.4/lib/cucumber/runtime.rb:82:in `block (2 levels) in with_hooks'
      /Users/Brian/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/cucumber-1.3.4/lib/cucumber/runtime.rb:98:in `before_and_after'
      /Users/Brian/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/cucumber-1.3.4/lib/cucumber/runtime.rb:81:in `block in with_hooks'
      /Users/Brian/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/cucumber-1.3.4/lib/cucumber/runtime/support_code.rb:120:in `call'
      /Users/Brian/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/cucumber-1.3.4/lib/cucumber/runtime/support_code.rb:120:in `block (3 levels) in around'
      /Users/Brian/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/cucumber-1.3.4/lib/cucumber/language_support/language_methods.rb:9:in `block in around'
      /Users/Brian/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/cucumber-1.3.4/lib/cucumber/language_support/language_methods.rb:97:in `call'
      /Users/Brian/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/cucumber-1.3.4/lib/cucumber/language_support/language_methods.rb:97:in `execute_around'
      /Users/Brian/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/cucumber-1.3.4/lib/cucumber/language_support/language_methods.rb:8:in `around'
      /Users/Brian/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/cucumber-1.3.4/lib/cucumber/runtime/support_code.rb:119:in `block (2 levels) in around'
      /Users/Brian/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/cucumber-1.3.4/lib/cucumber/runtime/support_code.rb:123:in `call'
      /Users/Brian/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/cucumber-1.3.4/lib/cucumber/runtime/support_code.rb:123:in `around'
      /Users/Brian/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/cucumber-1.3.4/lib/cucumber/runtime.rb:93:in `around'
      /Users/Brian/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/cucumber-1.3.4/lib/cucumber/runtime.rb:80:in `with_hooks'
      /Users/Brian/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/cucumber-1.3.4/lib/cucumber/ast/tree_walker.rb:13:in `execute'
      /Users/Brian/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/cucumber-1.3.4/lib/cucumber/ast/scenario.rb:32:in `block in accept'
      /Users/Brian/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/cucumber-1.3.4/lib/cucumber/ast/scenario.rb:79:in `with_visitor'
      /Users/Brian/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/cucumber-1.3.4/lib/cucumber/ast/scenario.rb:31:in `accept'
      /Users/Brian/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/cucumber-1.3.4/lib/cucumber/ast/tree_walker.rb:58:in `block in visit_feature_element'
      /Users/Brian/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/cucumber-1.3.4/lib/cucumber/ast/tree_walker.rb:170:in `broadcast'
      /Users/Brian/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/cucumber-1.3.4/lib/cucumber/ast/tree_walker.rb:57:in `visit_feature_element'
      /Users/Brian/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/cucumber-1.3.4/lib/cucumber/ast/feature.rb:38:in `block in accept'
      /Users/Brian/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/cucumber-1.3.4/lib/cucumber/ast/feature.rb:37:in `each'
      /Users/Brian/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/cucumber-1.3.4/lib/cucumber/ast/feature.rb:37:in `accept'
      /Users/Brian/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/cucumber-1.3.4/lib/cucumber/ast/tree_walker.rb:27:in `block in visit_feature'
      /Users/Brian/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/cucumber-1.3.4/lib/cucumber/ast/tree_walker.rb:170:in `broadcast'
      /Users/Brian/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/cucumber-1.3.4/lib/cucumber/ast/tree_walker.rb:26:in `visit_feature'
      /Users/Brian/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/cucumber-1.3.4/lib/cucumber/ast/features.rb:28:in `block in accept'
      /Users/Brian/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/cucumber-1.3.4/lib/cucumber/ast/features.rb:17:in `each'
      /Users/Brian/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/cucumber-1.3.4/lib/cucumber/ast/features.rb:17:in `each'
      /Users/Brian/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/cucumber-1.3.4/lib/cucumber/ast/features.rb:27:in `accept'
      /Users/Brian/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/cucumber-1.3.4/lib/cucumber/ast/tree_walker.rb:21:in `block in visit_features'
      /Users/Brian/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/cucumber-1.3.4/lib/cucumber/ast/tree_walker.rb:170:in `broadcast'
      /Users/Brian/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/cucumber-1.3.4/lib/cucumber/ast/tree_walker.rb:20:in `visit_features'
      /Users/Brian/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/cucumber-1.3.4/lib/cucumber/runtime.rb:48:in `run!'
      /Users/Brian/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/cucumber-1.3.4/lib/cucumber/cli/main.rb:47:in `execute!'
      /Users/Brian/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/gems/cucumber-1.3.4/bin/cucumber:13:in `<top (required)>'
      /Users/Brian/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/bin/cucumber:23:in `load'
      /Users/Brian/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/bin/cucumber:23:in `<main>'
      /Users/Brian/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/bin/ruby_noexec_wrapper:14:in `eval'
      /Users/Brian/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p0/bin/ruby_noexec_wrapper:14:in `<main>'
      features/generator.feature:10:in `Then the file "dinner/steak.txt" should contain:'

Failing Scenarios:
cucumber features/generator.feature:6 # Scenario: Recipes

Answer

Peter Alfvin picture Peter Alfvin · Jul 23, 2013

This topic is covered straightforwardly in https://github.com/cucumber/cucumber/wiki/Step-Definitions#ambiguous-steps

If the text of a Cucumber step is matched by the pattern of two or more step definitions, then Cucumber will raise Ambiguous unless the --guess option is specified, in which case Cucumber will pick one arbitrarily.

As an aside, it's helpful if you can present the full error message text in any SO question, particularly when the error message contains so much information as in this case.

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