Calling By in a container node now emits a useful error.

core_dsl.go

@@ -478,6 +478,9 @@ Note that By does not generate a new Ginkgo node - rather it is simply synctacti
 You can learn more about By here: https://onsi.github.io/ginkgo/#documenting-complex-specs-by
 */
 func By(text string, callback ...func()) {
+	if !global.Suite.InRunPhase() {
+		exitIfErr(types.GinkgoErrors.ByNotDuringRunPhase(types.NewCodeLocation(1)))
+	}
 	value := struct {
 		Text     string
 		Duration time.Duration

integration/_fixtures/malformed_by_fixture/malformed_by_fixture_suite_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+package malformed_fixture_test
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	. "github.com/onsi/ginkgo/v2"
+	. "github.com/onsi/gomega"
+)
+
+func TestMalformedFixture(t *testing.T) {
+	RegisterFailHandler(Fail)
+	RunSpecs(t, "MalformedFixture Suite")
+}
+
+var _ = Describe("Malformed by...", func() {
+	By("right here...")
+
+	It("should never run", func() {
+
+	})
+})

integration/fail_test.go

@@ -63,4 +63,20 @@ var _ = Describe("Failing Specs", func() {
 			Ω(output).Should(ContainSubstring("malformed_fixture_test.go:9"))
 		})
 	})
+
+	Describe("when By is called outside of a runnable node", func() {
+		BeforeEach(func() {
+			fm.MountFixture("malformed_by")
+		})
+
+		It("exits early with a helpful error message", func() {
+			session := startGinkgo(fm.PathTo("malformed_by"), "--no-color", "--procs=2")
+			Eventually(session).Should(gexec.Exit(1))
+			output := string(session.Out.Contents()) + string(session.Err.Contents())
+
+			Ω(output).Should(ContainSubstring("Ginkgo detected an issue with your spec structure"))
+			Ω(output).Should(ContainSubstring("malformed_by_fixture_suite_test.go:16"))
+
+		})
+	})
 })

internal/suite.go

@@ -85,6 +85,10 @@ func (suite *Suite) Run(description string, suiteLabels Labels, suitePath string
 	return success, hasProgrammaticFocus
 }
 
+func (suite *Suite) InRunPhase() bool {
+	return suite.phase == PhaseRun
+}
+
 /*
   Tree Construction methods
 

internal/suite_test.go

@@ -72,6 +72,27 @@ var _ = Describe("Suite", func() {
 			})
 		})
 
+		Describe("InRunPhase", func() {
+			It("returns true when in the run phase and false when not in the run phase", func() {
+				falsey := true
+				truey := false
+
+				err := suite.PushNode(N(ntCon, "a top-level container", func() {
+					falsey = suite.InRunPhase()
+					suite.PushNode(N(ntIt, "an it", func() {
+						truey = suite.InRunPhase()
+					}))
+				}))
+
+				Ω(suite.BuildTree()).Should(Succeed())
+				suite.Run("suite", Labels{}, "/path/to/suite", failer, reporter, writer, outputInterceptor, interruptHandler, client, conf)
+
+				Ω(err).ShouldNot(HaveOccurred())
+				Ω(truey).Should(BeTrue())
+				Ω(falsey).Should(BeFalse())
+			})
+		})
+
 		Context("when pushing nodes during PhaseRun", func() {
 			var pushNodeErrDuringRun error
 

types/errors.go

@@ -292,6 +292,16 @@ func (g ginkgoErrors) AddReportEntryNotDuringRunPhase(cl CodeLocation) error {
 	}
 }
 
+/* By errors */
+func (g ginkgoErrors) ByNotDuringRunPhase(cl CodeLocation) error {
+	return GinkgoError{
+		Heading:      "Ginkgo detected an issue with your spec structure",
+		Message:      formatter.F(`It looks like you are calling {{bold}}By{{/}} outside of a running spec.  Make sure you call {{bold}}By{{/}} inside a runnable node such as It or BeforeEach and not inside the body of a container such as Describe or Context.`),
+		CodeLocation: cl,
+		DocLink:      "documenting-complex-specs-by",
+	}
+}
+
 /* FileFilter and SkipFilter errors */
 func (g ginkgoErrors) InvalidFileFilter(filter string) error {
 	return GinkgoError{