Is it possible to use variables in beforeFeature Hook as part of the Specflow scenario statement?

Question

I am pretty new to Specflow and I'm trying see if this is possible with Specflow BeforeFeature Hook. I have some dynamic test data setup that is only for a particular feature. I want to use these test data values as part of the scenario test. This is one of the scenario tests of the feature file:

@logintest
Feature: User login
Scenario: User login with different product access
Given I am in <productType> login page
When I login as <user>
I should see <productType> logo in my account

Inside the BeforeFeature(), we have functions that generate: -a random user account that has a property of product access type - random urls for a product login page. (e.g: productA234234.dev.local)

[Binding]
public class LoginHooks
{
    [BeforeFeature("logintest")]
    public static void BeforeFeature()
    {
        UserAccount testUser = new UserAccount(productType1);
        var product1Url = CreateProductUrl(productType1);
        FeatureContext.Current.Set("testUser", testUser);
        FeatureContext.Current.Set("productUrl", productUrl);
        ...
    }

Because the username is generated randomly each time on tests run, I couldn't provide the username to the Gherkins as part of data tables etc. Is there a way to construct the Gherkins to take in values from FeatureContext?

[Binding]
public class UserLoginSteps
{
   //var productUrl = ???
   [Given(@"I am in (.*) login page")]
   public void GivenIAmInLoginPage(string productUrl)
   { . . .}
}

Question:

1. is it possible to get FeatureContext values for the productUrl and set in the step?
2. I think the regex Given is incorrect in such case. Is there another way to construct it to take a variable as part of the data input?

Thanks!

Answer 1

Working with a random data when you are with a BDD is a bad approach AFAK so I think you need to change your feature to something like this

  @alogintest
Feature: SpecFlowFeature1
    try many user logins 

Scenario Outline:  User login with different product access
Given I am in <productType> login page
And  the user is <user>
When I login 
Then I should see <prouctResult> logo in my account
Examples:  
| productType | userAccount | userPwd | productTypeResult |
| P1          | u1          | pwd1    | p1                |
| P2          | u2          | pwd2    | p2                |

is it possible to get FeatureContext values for the productUrl and set in the step? yes you can just add a column for each specific productTypeUrl for example

Note that you can add as many as you want scenarios

I think the regex Given is incorrect in such case. Is there another way to construct it to take a variable as part of the data input?

Yes because the placeholder is used only with Scenario Outlines

and here your steps generated

using TechTalk.SpecFlow;

namespace loginTest
{
    [Binding]
    public class SpecFlowFeature1Steps
    {
        [Given(@"I am in P(.*) login page")]
        public void GivenIAmInPLoginPage(int p0)
        {
            ScenarioContext.Current.Pending();
        }

        [Given(@"the user is (.*)")]
        public void GivenTheUserIs(string p0)
        {
            ScenarioContext.Current.Pending();
        }

        [When(@"I login")]
        public void WhenILogin()
        {
            ScenarioContext.Current.Pending();
        }

        [Then(@"I should see (.*) logo in my account")]
        public void ThenIShouldSeeLogoInMyAccount(string p0)
        {
            ScenarioContext.Current.Pending();
        }
    }
}