Cucumber step definition folder naming

Question

I have just started using cucumber and am seeking clarification whether the folder having my step definitions must be named exactly as step_defnitions or can it be anything (e.g. my_defs). I tried renaming in my local machine but sometimes it works and sometimes doesn't.

features/
|
|-- step_definitions/ 

Answer 1

Cucumber will automatically load any files within the features folder. This means that your step definition files can be located in any folder name/structure as long as they are in the features folder.

Note that it is possible to override this setting and explicitly state the location of your steps by doing:

cucumber -r your/steps/folder/location

For more details you can see the help - cucumber -h:

-r: Require files before executing the features. If this option is not specified, all *.rb files that are siblings or below the features will be loaded auto-matically. Automatic loading is disabled when this option is specified, and all loading becomes explicit. Files under directories named "support" are always loaded first. This option can be specified multiple times.