Stellarwp Slic Slic

slic — WPUnit Integration Testing Guide

When to use this skill

Activate this skill when:

• Writing new WPUnit integration tests for a WordPress plugin or theme
• Modifying or debugging existing Codeception/wp-browser tests
• Running test suites through slic (the slic run workflow)
• Setting up a project for slic-based testing for the first time
• Diagnosing flaky or order-dependent test failures

Quick-start workflow

slic orchestrates Docker containers (MariaDB, Redis, WordPress, Chrome, and a Codeception runner) so you never configure a local test environment manually.

1. Point slic at your code

# From a plugins directory (e.g. wp-content/plugins):
slic here

# Or from a full WordPress root (where wp-config.php lives):
slic here

2. Select the target project

slic use my-plugin

# Subdirectory targets are supported:
slic use event-tickets/common

3. Initialize (first time only)

slic init my-plugin

This generates three files in the plugin root:

4. Run tests

slic run                              # all suites, sequentially
slic run wpunit                       # one suite
slic run tests/wpunit/FooTest.php     # one file
slic run tests/wpunit/FooTest::test_something  # one method

5. Interactive shell (optional)

slic shell
# Inside the container:
> cr wpunit                           # shorthand for codecept run

Test creation rules

When creating or modifying a test file, follow these rules:

1. Extend WPTestCase — every WPUnit test class extends \Codeception\TestCase\WPTestCase (wp-browser v3) or lucatume\WPBrowser\TestCase\WPTestCase (wp-browser v4).
2. Use the AAA pattern — Arrange, Act, Assert. Keep each section visually distinct.
3. Name clearly — file: <DescriptiveName>Test.php; methods: test_<what_it_verifies> (preferred over @test annotations).
4. Isolate — every test must pass in any order. Clean up in tearDown().
5. Use factories — prefer $this->factory()->post->create() over raw SQL or wp_insert_post() in test setup.
6. Follow WordPress coding standards — tabs for indentation, spaces inside parentheses.

See test-anatomy.md for the complete file skeleton and naming rules.

Environment setup tiers

Choose the right level of setUp/tearDown for your test:

Testing patterns

Verification workflow

After writing or modifying tests, follow this sequence:

1. Write the code under test (or confirm it exists).
2. Create or update tests following the patterns above.
3. Run the targeted test — slic run tests/wpunit/YourTest.php.
4. Run the full suite — slic run wpunit — to catch side effects.
5. Fix any failures and re-run.
6. Verify isolation — run the single test again to confirm it passes independently.
7. Check the isolation checklist before committing.

Reference material

External resources

• slic repository
• wp-browser documentation
• Codeception documentation
• WordPress PHPUnit test utilities

Source: stellarwp/slic — distributed by TomeVault.