Exception in thread "main" cucumber.runtime.CucumberException: No backends were found

Question

I am developing my Selenium-JVM framework with Cucumber and while running my first feature got below error.

Please help.

How did I launch the feature -

1. Right click on feature file
2. Select Run As -> Cucumber Feature

Immediate Exception -

Exception in thread "main" cucumber.runtime.CucumberException: No backends were found. Please make sure you have a backend module on your CLASSPATH.
    at cucumber.runtime.Runtime.<init>(Runtime.java:78)
    at cucumber.runtime.Runtime.<init>(Runtime.java:67)
    at cucumber.runtime.Runtime.<init>(Runtime.java:63)
    at cucumber.api.cli.Main.run(Main.java:24)
    at cucumber.api.cli.Main.main(Main.java:16)

What I have in code -

Launcher.java -

package cucumber;

import org.junit.runner.RunWith;

import cucumber.api.CucumberOptions;
import cucumber.api.junit.Cucumber;

@RunWith(Cucumber.class)
@CucumberOptions(format={"pretty","json:target/"} , features="/src/test/java/cucumber/features")
public class Launcher {

}

Feature file -

Feature: it works demo

  Scenario: First test
    Given this is my step
    When this is my second step
    Then this is my final step

List of Dependencies added to list -

cucumber-core-1.1.8
cucumber-html-0.2.3
cucumber-java-1.1.8
cucumber-junit-1.1.8
cucumber-jvm-deps-1.0.3
gherkin-2.12.2
hamcrest-all-1.3
junit-4.11
selenium-api-2.42.2
selenium-firefox-driver-2.42.2
selenium-java-2.42.2
selenium-remote-driver-2.42.2
selenium-support-2.42.2

My JVM - 1.7

Only this much is available in project.

Please help.

Sandrocottus

Can you post your pom.xml file – Aldon

Answer 1

Make sure you're adding below dependencies for Maven project:

You can replace version to the latest or the required version:

<dependency>
    <groupId>info.cukes</groupId>
    <artifactId>cucumber-java</artifactId>
    <version>1.2.0</version>
    <scope>test</scope>
</dependency>

<dependency>
    <groupId>info.cukes</groupId>
    <artifactId>cucumber-junit</artifactId>
    <version>1.2.0</version>
</dependency>

Grouch

Also, the versions of cucumber have to be correct for your version of Java - I had to do an exclude group on 'io.cucumber' and 'info.cukes' when adding com.github.mkolisnyk:cucumber-runner, because it brought in an older version – Amye

Make sure all dependencies for Cucumber are the same version. Note that we are currently at v4 and counting. Also note that as of v2 the groupId changed from info.cukes to io.cucumber. – Smug

Answer 2

This error is thrown when no 'backends' are found on the classpath. There is a 'backend' for each supported language (e.g. cucumber-java, cucumber-groovy etc.)

It's probably a classpath error, although if cucumber-core and cucumber-java are in the same location that does seem strange.

Hephzibah

How to do this for gradle? – Deviltry

add cucumber dependencies to your gradle build file – Smug

Answer 3

Used the latest and same version for all dependencies and it works fine.

<dependencies>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>io.cucumber</groupId>
            <artifactId>cucumber-core</artifactId>
            <version>6.11.0</version>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>junit</groupId>
            <artifactId>junit</artifactId>
            <version>4.13</version>
            <scope>test</scope>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>io.cucumber</groupId>
            <artifactId>cucumber-java</artifactId>
            <version>6.11.0</version>
        </dependency>
        <dependency>
            <groupId>io.cucumber</groupId>
            <artifactId>cucumber-junit</artifactId>
            <version>6.11.0</version>
        </dependency>
    </dependencies>

Sheff

It helped me with above version., thanks to you – Osculum

Answer 4

You can try the cucumber-java-1.2.4 at https://mvnrepository.com/artifact/info.cukes/cucumber-java/1.2.4.

I found that trying a previous version of the same JAR file worked for me. I guess this may solve for other people as well. In case it does not, please add another answer.

Let me know if it worked for you and saved some valuable time :-)

Hesson

Answer 5

You are not providing the path of the step definition class Add glue in the cucumber options may be it will help.

@RunWith(Cucumber.class) @CucumberOptions( 
    features ="Path of the feature file", 
    glue = {"path of step definition class or package "},
    format={"pretty","json:target/"},
    dryRun = true, 
    strict = true,      
    monochrome = true )

Degust

Answer 6

Writing in 2020, though enough discussion has already gone on this topic. Still if it helps someone. For me the issue got resolved with same version of

1. cucumber-java

2. cucumber-junit

3. cucumber-core dependencies snippet of my POM

   io.cucumber cucumber-java 6.4.0 io.cucumber cucumber-core 6.4.0 io.cucumber cucumber-junit 6.4.0 compile

Dogbane

Answer 7

I got this same error message when trying to run a Cucumber feature file in Eclipse.

These steps worked for me:

Updated my pom.xml file with the latest and same version of the following libraries.

• cucumber-junit - 1.2.6
• cucumber-java - 1.2.6

Also I updated 'junit' to the latest version

Embrangle

Answer 8

Here is the fix: in eclipse projects add the following in the .project file

<buildSpec>
  ...
  <buildCommand>
	<name>cucumber.eclipse.steps.jdt.stepsBuilder</name>
	<arguments>
	</arguments>
  </buildCommand>
</buildSpec>
<natures>
  ...
  <nature>cucumber.eclipse.steps.jdt.stepsNature</nature>
</natures>

If this did not fix the issue, add the dependency

cucumber-java

in the project classpath or change the version of the jar to latest or n-1

Piecework

Answer 9

i had pom in my dependency for cucumber-java. Once i removed that worked fine

Messmate

Answer 10

<!-- https://mvnrepository.com/artifact/info.cukes/cucumber-jvm-deps -->
<dependency>
    <groupId>info.cukes</groupId>
    <artifactId>cucumber-jvm-deps</artifactId>
    <version>1.0.5</version>
    <scope>provided</scope>
</dependency>

Keep only three tags (groupId, artifactId and version) in your dependencies. Delete <scope> and other additional tags in pom.xml and then try.

Prosy

Answer 11

I have updated my pom.xml file with the latest version of following libraries. It works for me.

• junit
• cucumber-java
• cucumber-junit

Make sure you are using the correct version of junit, cucumber-java, cucumber-junit. It should not be like you are using some older version of junit and latest versions of cucumber junit and java. I have list down the dependencies which I have used. You can try these.

<dependency>
      <groupId>junit</groupId>
      <artifactId>junit</artifactId>
      <version>4.13</version>
      <scope>test</scope>
</dependency>
<dependency>
        <groupId>io.cucumber</groupId>
        <artifactId>cucumber-java</artifactId>
        <version>6.7.0</version>
</dependency>
<dependency>
        <groupId>io.cucumber</groupId>
        <artifactId>cucumber-junit</artifactId>
        <version>6.7.0</version>
</dependency>

Organist

Answer 12

The error simply says that cucumber is not configured properly on your device. This can be because of missing dependencies or the dependencies are not loaded properly. Check for the dependencies first and then save all, close the editor, and then reopen it. Try to run again and check.

Nonrigid

Instead of the descriptive answer, provide with code snippet or example for clean illustration of the answer – Flogging

Answer 13

Removed Cucumber Core dependency from POM.XML it is working fine

Jeopardous

Answer 14

Commenting in 2021. This might help someone. The issues is simple, cucumber groupid has been changed to >io.cucumber< so if you are still using >info cukes< you will be getting exceptions. That is why when you update your cucumber java to the latest it solves the issue bc the latest groupid comes as io.cucumber. You can as well change all the groupid info cukes in your pom.xml to io.cucumber. This will solve the issue

Gaullism

Answer 15

Errors on running Cucumber Feature Exception in thread "main" cucumber.runtime.CucumberException: No backends were found. Please make sure you have a backend module on your CLASSPATH.

Solution

Most probably this means that your cucumber-java version and java version on your machine is not compatible with each other. First, check Java Version on your machine by going through this article How to check Java/JDK Version Installed on your Machine.

On my machine, I have Java 1.8.0 with cucumber-Java8-1.2.5 and it did not work. When I degraded my cucumber java version to cucumber-Java-1.2.5, it worked fine for me. Just make sure that first, you remove the cucumber-java which did not work for you from Project build path >> Libraries and then add new.

Blindage

Answer 16

It can also be caused by having 2 backend: for example:

    <dependency>
        <groupId>io.cucumber</groupId>
        <artifactId>cucumber-junit</artifactId>
        <version>7.8.0</version>
        <scope>test</scope>
    </dependency>

and

    <dependency>
        <groupId>info.cukes</groupId>
        <artifactId>cucumber-junit</artifactId>
        <version>${cucumber.version}</version>
    </dependency>

Also make sure you have compatible versions

Monocycle

Answer 17

I encountered this same error message when trying to run a Cucumber feature file in Eclipse ("No backends were found. Please make sure you have a backend module on your CLASSPATH").

What fixed it for me was going into my pom.xml and changing the cucumber-java and cucumber-junit versions away from 1.2.5 (per their documentation) to 1.2.0.

I'm not 100% sure if I'm ignoring a real issue by doing this or not. Here is more information about my setup:

• Windows 10
• Eclipse Neon (4.6.0)
• Apache Maven 3.5.0
• Java 1.8

I verified via quick commands that java and maven are installed successfully and running on my machine. I also verified that Maven pulled in the cucumber-java, and cucumber-core jars in my Eclipse project. Odd.

Sylvestersylvia

Answer 18

Adding the following dependency I got resolved this issue

   <dependency>
       <groupId>io.cucumber</groupId>
       <artifactId>cucumber-java</artifactId>
       <version>4.2.6</version>
   </dependency>

Pinafore