Appbuilder Testing

App Builder Testing

Generate and run Jest tests for Adobe App Builder actions and React Spectrum UI components. Scaffolds unit tests, integration tests, component tests, and mock helpers for Adobe SDKs.

Pattern Quick-Reference

Pick the template or reference that matches the user's intent. Default to assets/unit-test-template.js for generic test requests.

Fast Path (for clear requests)

When the user's request maps unambiguously to a single pattern above — they name a specific test type, reference a template, or describe a use case that clearly matches one entry — skip straight to generation. Use the matched template and proceed directly.

Examples of fast-path triggers:

• "Write tests for my action" → Read the action source, use assets/unit-test-template.js, generate immediately
• "Help me mock State SDK" → Use assets/mock-state-sdk.js, inject into test file
• "Add integration tests" → Use assets/integration-test-template.js, configure for deployed action
• "Run tests with coverage" → Execute npx jest --coverage or aio app test
• "Test my component/page/form/table" → Read the component source, use assets/component-test-template.js, wrap in Provider
• "Mock shell context" → Use assets/shell-mock-helper.js, inject into test file
• "Test my AEM extension component" → Use assets/uix-guest-mock-helper.js + assets/component-test-template.js

If there is any ambiguity — multiple test types needed, project structure unclear, or the user hasn't specified enough — fall through to the full workflow below.

Quick Reference

• Test directory: Place test files in test/ mirroring the action path, e.g., test/actions/<action-name>/index.test.js.
• Jest configuration: App Builder projects use Jest by default. Config lives in package.json or jest.config.js.
• Test command: aio app test (wrapper) or npx jest --coverage (direct).
• Mock pattern: Use jest.mock() at the top of test files to mock Adobe SDK dependencies before importing the action.
• Response shape: All actions return { statusCode, body } — assert both in every test.
• Error paths: Always test 200 (success), 400 (bad input), and 500 (SDK failure) scenarios.
• CommonJS: Action test files use require() and module.exports (not ES imports).
• Component test directory: test/web-src/components/<ComponentName>.test.js (or test/components/).
• Provider wrapper: Always wrap in <Provider theme={defaultTheme}> — Spectrum renders nothing without it.
• ARIA selectors: Use getByRole(), not CSS classes — see references/component-testing-patterns.md selector table.
• Async testing: Use findBy* for data that appears async, queryBy* for absence, waitFor for state changes.

Full Workflow (for ambiguous or complex requests)

1. Scan project structure — Check for existing test/ directory, jest.config.js, and test scripts in package.json. Scan both src/ for actions AND web-src/ for UI components.
2. Identify targets to test — Parse ext.config.yaml (or app.config.yaml) for declared actions and their source paths. Check web-src/src/components/ for React components.
3. Determine test types needed — Unit tests for logic, integration tests for deployed actions, contract tests for API interactions.
4. **For each action:**a. Read the action source to identify SDK dependencies (State, Files, Events, Logger, etc.).b. Generate unit test using assets/unit-test-template.js as the base.c. Inject appropriate mocks from references/mock-catalog.md based on detected dependencies.d. Add error scenario tests (missing params, auth failures, SDK errors).
5. **For each UI component:**a. Read the component source to identify dependencies (shell context, UIX guest, action calls).b. Generate component test using assets/component-test-template.js as the base.c. Wrap all renders in <Provider theme={defaultTheme}> — Spectrum renders nothing without it.d. Inject shell mock (assets/shell-mock-helper.js) or UIX guest mock (assets/uix-guest-mock-helper.js) as needed.e. Add loading, success, and error state tests for async data using findBy* and waitFor.
6. Run tests — Execute aio app test or npx jest --coverage and report results.
7. Validate — Check against references/checklist.md before marking done.

Example User Prompts

• "Write unit tests for my generic action"
• "Add integration tests for my deployed action"
• "My action uses State SDK — help me mock it in tests"
• "Run tests and show me coverage"
• "Set up Jest for my App Builder project"
• "Test my action handles errors properly"
• "Write component tests for my data table page"
• "Test my AEM extension panel component"
• "Help me mock shell context in my tests"
• "Add tests for my React Spectrum form"

Inputs To Request

• Current repository path and action file locations
• Which actions need tests (or test all declared actions)
• Target test types: unit, integration, contract, or all
• Whether action is deployed (needed for integration tests)

Deliverables

• Test files in test/ matching the action directory structure
• Component test files in test/web-src/components/ for UI components
• Mock helpers for detected Adobe SDK dependencies
• Shell or UIX Guest mock helpers when components depend on context SDKs
• Jest configuration if not already present (including jsdom environment for component tests)
• Coverage report from test execution

Quality Bar

• Every action test covers at minimum: success (200), bad input (400), and SDK failure (500) paths
• Mocks are isolated per test via beforeEach(() => jest.clearAllMocks())
• No real SDK calls in unit tests — all external dependencies are mocked
• Tests are deterministic and can run offline (no network dependencies in unit tests)
• Coverage reporting is enabled (--coverage flag)
• All component tests wrap in <Provider theme={defaultTheme}> — Spectrum renders nothing without it

References

• Use references/testing-patterns.md for unit, integration, and contract test patterns with annotated examples.
• Use references/component-testing-patterns.md for React Spectrum component testing with Provider wrapping, ARIA selectors, and async patterns.
• Use references/mock-catalog.md for mock helpers covering all Adobe SDKs (State, Files, Events, Logger, Database, Shell, UIX Guest).
• Use references/checklist.md for pre-deployment test verification.
• Use assets/unit-test-template.js for Jest unit test boilerplate (CommonJS).
• Use assets/integration-test-template.js for integration test against deployed actions.
• Use assets/component-test-template.js for React Spectrum component test boilerplate with renderWithSpectrum() helper.
• Use assets/shell-mock-helper.js for ExC Shell context mock (@adobe/exc-app).
• Use assets/uix-guest-mock-helper.js for AEM UIX Guest mock (@adobe/uix-guest).
• Use assets/mock-state-sdk.js, assets/mock-files-sdk.js, assets/mock-events-sdk.js, and assets/mock-database-sdk.js for ready-to-use SDK mock setups.

Common Issues

• Tests fail with "Cannot find module": Ensure the action path in require() matches the actual file location. App Builder actions are typically at src/dx-excshell-1/actions/<name>/index.js.
• Mocks not working: jest.mock() calls must appear before require() of the module under test. Jest hoists mock declarations but order still matters for manual mocks.
• State/Files SDK tests fail: These SDKs require Runtime environment for real calls. Always mock them in unit tests. Use aio app run (not aio app dev) for integration tests that need real SDK access.
• Coverage too low: Add tests for error branches — missing params, invalid auth headers, SDK init() failures, and timeout scenarios.
• aio app test** vs npx jest:** aio app test is a thin wrapper around Jest. Use npx jest --coverage directly for more control over flags and reporters.
• Spectrum components render blank in tests: Missing <Provider theme={defaultTheme}> wrapper. Use renderWithSpectrum() helper from assets/component-test-template.js.
• ARIA role queries return null: Spectrum components use ARIA roles, not CSS classes. See references/component-testing-patterns.md section g for the role reference table.

Chaining

• Chains FROM appbuilder-action-scaffolder (test actions after implementation)
• Chains FROM appbuilder-ui-scaffolder (test UI components after scaffolding)
• Chains TO appbuilder-cicd-pipeline (automated test execution in CI)