Mamba

What Mamba is

Mamba is a free, MIT-licensed behavior-driven development tool and test runner for Python developers. It runs locally on Linux and organizes tests as specs written with a descriptive DSL, using constructs such as description, context, and it. Its documentation describes RSpec, Mocha, Jasmine, and Ginkgo as influences. The manual lists hooks, shared contexts, example groups, filtering, and focused examples, along with progress, documentation, and custom formatters. Mamba can highlight examples that run longer than a configurable threshold; its documented default is 0.75 seconds. It can also run with coverage enabled and generate a .coverage file for an HTML report. Installation is documented through pip or pipenv, and the getting-started guide lists Python 2.7 or higher as a prerequisite. Mamba does not include an assertion mechanism, so developers can use an assertion library such as expects, Hamcrest, should_dsl, or sure, or use plain Python assertions. It also does not prescribe a test-double library; its documentation mentions Doublex and Mockito as examples. The repository includes an MIT license whose terms permit use, copying, modification, distribution, sublicensing, and sale subject to its conditions. The maker invites contributions through repository forks and pull requests.

Who it suits

Mamba suits Python developers on Linux who want to write behavior-driven specs and run them locally. It is a fit for teams that want to choose their own assertion and test-double libraries and use filters, formatters, hooks, or coverage reporting.

Limits

The Mamba plan is free and the software is MIT-licensed. The getting-started guide lists Python 2.7 or higher as a prerequisite; Mamba does not include its own assertion mechanism.

Getting started

1. Open https://github.com/nestorsalceda/mamba.
2. Use Linux and meet the documented Python 2.7 or higher prerequisite.
3. Install Mamba as a Python package through pip or pipenv.
4. Write specs with constructs such as description, context, and it.
5. Use a compatible assertion library or plain Python assertions, then run Mamba locally.

Verdict

Choose Mamba if you want a free, locally run behavior-driven test runner for Python, with spec organization, filters, formatters, and coverage support. Look elsewhere if you need a built-in assertion mechanism or a platform beyond Linux.