Knapsack Pro

PHPSpec vs Spinach comparison of testing frameworks
What are the differences between PHPSpec and Spinach?

PHPSpec

https://www.phpspec.net/en/stable/

Spinach

https://github.com/codegram/spinach
Programming language

PHP

Ruby

Category

Unit Testing

Acceptance Testing

General info

PhpSpec is a testing tool based on the concept of emergent design using specification

PhpSpec is a tool to use at the spec level or SpecBDD, a type of BDD; It's process generates code for you and guides you through the SpecBDD process through the command line

Spinach is a BDD framework on top of Gherkin

Spinach is a high-level BDD framework that leverages the Gherkin language to help define executable specifications of your application or library's acceptance criteria.
xUnit
Set of frameworks originating from SUnit (Smalltalk's testing framework). They share similar structure and functionality.

No

No

Client-side
Allows testing code execution on the client, such as a web browser

Yes

By testing your PHP classes that run your front-end

N/A

Server-side
Allows testing the bahovior of a server-side code

Yes

You can use PHPSpec to test your PHP classes that run your back-end

Yes

You can test any server-side behaviour with Spinach
Fixtures
Allows defining a fixed, specific states of data (fixtures) that are test-local. This ensures specific environment for a single test

Yes

You can define fixtures

No

Group fixtures
Allows defining a fixed, specific states of data for a group of tests (group-fixtures). This ensures specific environment for a given group of tests.

Yes

You can define group fixtures

No

Generators
Supports data generators for tests. Data generators generate input data for test. The test is then run for each input data produced in this way.

Yes

There are methods that act as generators

Yes

Spinach has inbuilt generator methods
Licence
Licence type governing the use and redistribution of the software

Free

MIT License

Mocks
Mocks are objects that simulate the behavior of real objects. Using mocks allows testing some part of the code in isolation (with other parts mocked when needed)

Yes

It has built in support for Mocks

Yes

Spinach can access the rspec-mocks methods
Grouping
Allows organizing tests in groups

In PHPspec, you can group specification files by a certain namespace in a suite

Yes

Spinach Integrates with your RSpec test suite which allows declaring example groups and contexts.
Other
Other useful information about the testing framework