Interface ICanReport
- Namespace
- CSF.Screenplay
- Assembly
- CSF.Screenplay.Abstractions.dll
A type which can provide a human-readable report fragment when it is used in a IPerformance.
public interface ICanReportRemarks
It is recommended for all types for Actions, Questions, Tasks (broadly "Performables") as well as Abilities to implement this interface. Implementing this interface permits the type to emit a human-readable value for when the type is used in a Performance.
For Performables implementing this interface, the report fragment indicates that the performable has been executed in the Performance. For abilities which implement this interface, the report fragment is used when an Actor gains/is granted the ability.
Methods
GetReportFragment(IHasName)
Gets a fragment of a Screenplay report, specific to the execution (performables) or gaining (abilities) of the current instance, for the specified actor.
string GetReportFragment(IHasName actor)Parameters
actorIHasNameAn actor for whom to write the report fragment
Returns
- string
A human-readable report fragment.
Examples
For a performable which clicks a button (where the button itself has been constructor-injected into
the performable instance), then a suitable return value might be a formatted string such as
{Actor name} clicks {Button}, where the two placeholders indicated by braces: {} are
substituted with the actor's Name and a string representation of
the button.
For a performable which reads the temperature from a thermometer, a suitable return value might be a
string in the format {Actor name} reads the temperature.
For an ability which allows the actor to wash dishes then a suitable return value might be a string in the
format {Actor name} is able to wash the dishes.
Remarks
Implementers should return a string which indicates that the named actor is performing (present tense)
the performable, for types which also implement a performable interface. For types which represent
abilities, the implementer should return a string which indicates that the named actor is able to do
something. In particular for abilities, to make them easily recognisable in reports, it helps to stick
to the convention {Actor name} is able to {Ability summary}.
For performables which return a value (Questions, or Tasks which behave like Questions), there is no need to include the returned value within the report fragment. The framework will include the return value in the report and will format it via a different mechanism.
Good report fragments are concise. Be aware that report fragments for Tasks (which are composed from other performables) do not need to go into detail about what they do. Users reading Screenplay reports are able to drill-down into Tasks to see what they are composed from, so if the user is curious as to what the task does, it is easy to discover. It is also strongly recommended to avoid periods (full stops) at the end of a report fragment. Whilst report fragments tend to be complete sentences, punctuation like this is distracting and reports are seldom presented as paragraphs of prose.