UKSTUG Meeting: Koen De Hondt - Behaviour-Driven Development with Hera - 24 June 2026

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At ESUG 2025, Hera ( https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://github.com/koendeh=
ondt/hera-for-pharo__;!!DZ3fjg!79SsonE5wN5umDDjclw8Z7BQoy9_ntiZxIAyKkAUuJUu=
RgEm5JZyRU7eqKsnzHk4X2qpXCkTXklHqAjggF2EJlW4$  ) was
introduced as a BDD framework bringing full Gherkin expressiveness to
Pharo. Since then, Hera has evolved significantly =E2=80=94 both as a frame=
work and
as a tool adopted in real-world industrial settings.

After a brief introduction to Gherkin (
https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://cucumber.io/docs/gherkin/reference__;!!=
DZ3fjg!79SsonE5wN5umDDjclw8Z7BQoy9_ntiZxIAyKkAUuJUuRgEm5JZyRU7eqKsnzHk4X2qp=
XCkTXklHqAjggFqmgayn$  ) for writing given-when-then
scenarios, various aspects of Hera will be highlighted. A functional
overview will set the scene, followed by a dive into the code to show how
Hera maps Gherkin features and scenarios to Smalltalk classes and methods.
During a live demo, example Gherkin scenarios for a simple Pharo Spec
application will be written to explain the full scenario development cycle.

Koen De Hondt ( https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://be.linkedin.com/in/koen=
dehondt__;!!DZ3fjg!79SsonE5wN5umDDjclw8Z7BQoy9_ntiZxIAyKkAUuJUuRgEm5JZyRU7e=
qKsnzHk4X2qpXCkTXklHqAjggN2XCZan$  ) has used Smalltalk
since 1988, first as a student, then as an academic researcher, and then in
industry. He holds a PhD in computer science from the Vrije Universiteit
Brussel (1998). In the nineties and a few years after the turn of the
century, he was one of the driving forces behind the Belgian Smalltalk User
Group (BSUG). In that time frame, he presented at ESUG conferences several
times. In 2003, he left the Smalltalk community for other adventures. In
2023, he returned to the Smalltalk scene and started all: objects all:
theTime ( https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://all-objects-all-the-time.st/_=
_;!!DZ3fjg!79SsonE5wN5umDDjclw8Z7BQoy9_ntiZxIAyKkAUuJUuRgEm5JZyRU7eqKsnzHk4=
X2qpXCkTXklHqAjggBfjInH_$  ). He has been an active
contributor to Pharo ever since. Software development tools are his main
interest. He is the main author of the book =E2=80=9CApplication Building w=
ith Spec
2.0=E2=80=9D ( https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://books.pharo.org/Building=
ApplicationsWithSpec/__;!!DZ3fjg!79SsonE5wN5umDDjclw8Z7BQoy9_ntiZxIAyKkAUuJ=
UuRgEm5JZyRU7eqKsnzHk4X2qpXCkTXklHqAjggJskTz-l$  ).

This will be an online meeting.

If you'd like to join us, please sign up in advance on the meeting's Meetup
page ( https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.meetup.com/ukstug/events/313=
860369/__;!!DZ3fjg!79SsonE5wN5umDDjclw8Z7BQoy9_ntiZxIAyKkAUuJUuRgEm5JZyRU7e=
qKsnzHk4X2qpXCkTXklHqAjggDvMAMWE$  ) to receive the
meeting details.

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<div dir=3D"ltr">At ESUG 2025, Hera ( <a href=3D"https://urldefense.com/v3/=
__https://github.com/koendehondt/hera-for-pharo__;!!DZ3fjg!79SsonE5wN5umDDj=
clw8Z7BQoy9_ntiZxIAyKkAUuJUuRgEm5JZyRU7eqKsnzHk4X2qpXCkTXklHqAjggF2EJlW4$">=
https://github.com/koendehondt/hera-for-pharo</a> ) was introduced as a BDD=
 framework bringing full Gherkin expressiveness to Pharo. Since then, Hera =
has evolved significantly =E2=80=94 both as a framework and as a tool adopt=
ed in real-world industrial settings.<br><br>After a brief introduction to =
Gherkin ( <a href=3D"https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://cucumber.io/docs/g=
herkin/reference__;!!DZ3fjg!79SsonE5wN5umDDjclw8Z7BQoy9_ntiZxIAyKkAUuJUuRgE=
m5JZyRU7eqKsnzHk4X2qpXCkTXklHqAjggFqmgayn$">https://cucumber.io/docs/gherki=
n/reference</a> ) for writing given-when-then scenarios, various aspects of=
 Hera will be highlighted. A functional overview will set the scene, follow=
ed by a dive into the code to show how Hera maps Gherkin features and scena=
rios to Smalltalk classes and methods. During a live demo, example Gherkin =
scenarios for a simple Pharo Spec application will be written to explain th=
e full scenario development cycle.<br><br>Koen De Hondt ( <a href=3D"https:=
//urldefense.com/v3/__https://be.linkedin.com/in/koendehondt__;!!DZ3fjg!79S=
sonE5wN5umDDjclw8Z7BQoy9_ntiZxIAyKkAUuJUuRgEm5JZyRU7eqKsnzHk4X2qpXCkTXklHqA=
jggN2XCZan$">https://be.linkedin.com/in/koendehondt</a> ) has used Smalltal=
k since 1988, first as a student, then as an academic researcher, and then =
in industry. He holds a PhD in computer science from the Vrije Universiteit=
 Brussel (1998). In the nineties and a few years after the turn of the cent=
ury, he was one of the driving forces behind the Belgian Smalltalk User Gro=
up (BSUG). In that time frame, he presented at ESUG conferences several tim=
es. In 2003, he left the Smalltalk community for other adventures. In 2023,=
 he returned to the Smalltalk scene and started all: objects all: theTime (=
 <a href=3D"https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://all-objects-all-the-time.st=
/__;!!DZ3fjg!79SsonE5wN5umDDjclw8Z7BQoy9_ntiZxIAyKkAUuJUuRgEm5JZyRU7eqKsnzH=
k4X2qpXCkTXklHqAjggBfjInH_$">https://all-objects-all-the-time.st/</a> ). He=
 has been an active contributor to Pharo ever since. Software development t=
ools are his main interest. He is the main author of the book =E2=80=9CAppl=
ication Building with Spec 2.0=E2=80=9D ( <a href=3D"https://urldefense.com=
/v3/__https://books.pharo.org/BuildingApplicationsWithSpec/__;!!DZ3fjg!79Ss=
onE5wN5umDDjclw8Z7BQoy9_ntiZxIAyKkAUuJUuRgEm5JZyRU7eqKsnzHk4X2qpXCkTXklHqAj=
ggJskTz-l$">https://books.pharo.org/BuildingApplicationsWithSpec/</a> ).<br=
><br>This will be an online meeting.<br><br>If you&#39;d like to join us, p=
lease sign up in advance on the meeting&#39;s Meetup page ( <a href=3D"http=
s://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.meetup.com/ukstug/events/313860369/__;!=
!DZ3fjg!79SsonE5wN5umDDjclw8Z7BQoy9_ntiZxIAyKkAUuJUuRgEm5JZyRU7eqKsnzHk4X2q=
pXCkTXklHqAjggDvMAMWE$">https://www.meetup.com/ukstug/events/313860369/</a>=
 ) to receive the meeting details.</div>

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