Codeception vs PhpSpec: What are the differences?

1. Test Scope: Codeception focuses on functional and acceptance testing by providing a unified framework for writing various types of tests like unit, functional, and acceptance. On the other hand, PhpSpec is specifically designed for Behavior Driven Development (BDD) and focuses primarily on unit testing with a behavior-driven approach.

2. Syntax: Codeception uses a more traditional syntax for writing tests that resembles natural language and is similar to writing code in popular programming languages like PHP. In contrast, PhpSpec uses a very specific DSL (Domain Specific Language) that requires developers to follow a strict format and structure when writing tests.

3. Isolation of Units: Codeception does not enforce strict isolation of units and allows for more flexibility in testing different components together. PhpSpec, on the other hand, emphasizes isolating units of code and promotes a more modular and independent testing approach for each unit.

4. Test Documentation: Codeception generates detailed test reports and documentation automatically, making it easier for developers to understand and analyze test results. PhpSpec, while providing detailed test outputs, focuses more on the behavior and specification of the code being tested, making it useful for keeping track of code behavior.

5. Mocking and Stubbing: Codeception provides built-in support for mocking and stubbing objects, making it easier to simulate dependencies and interactions in tests. PhpSpec, on the other hand, encourages the use of test doubles like mocks and stubs to isolate units and verify behavior, but does not provide direct support for these features.

6. Community and Ecosystem: Codeception has a larger community and ecosystem with a wide range of extensions, plugins, and resources available for developers to enhance their testing capabilities. PhpSpec, being focused on BDD and unit testing, has a smaller but dedicated community that provides more specialized support and resources for behavior-driven testing.

In Summary, Codeception and PhpSpec differ in their test scope, syntax, unit isolation, test documentation, mocking capabilities, and community support.