tomevault-io Testing Patterns and Strategy
Test Types
| Type | Scope | Speed | When to Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit | Single function/class | Fast | Business logic, utilities, transformations |
| Integration | Multiple components | Medium | API endpoints, DB operations, services |
| E2E | Full application | Slow | Critical user journeys, smoke tests |
Test Structure
Arrange-Act-Assert (Technical)
// Arrange: Set up test data
user = User.new(name: "John")
cart = ShoppingCart.new(user)
// Act: Execute code under test
total = cart.calculate_total
// Assert: Verify outcomes
assert_equal 0, total
Given-When-Then (BDD)
given_a_user_with_an_empty_cart
when_the_user_calculates_total
then_the_total_should_be_zero
Test Doubles
| Type | Purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Stub | Canned responses | stub(fetch_user: { id: 1 }) |
| Mock | Verify interactions | mock.expect(:send_email, args: [...]) |
| Spy | Record calls, real behavior | spy(Logger.new) |
| Fake | Working lightweight impl | In-memory database |
Naming Conventions
Technical: test_[method]_[scenario]_[expected]
test_calculateTotal_withEmptyCart_returnsZero
BDD: [method]_should_[behavior]_when_[condition]
calculateTotal_should_returnZero_when_cartIsEmpty
Critical Practices
- Test happy path first, then edge cases, then errors
- Edge cases: Empty inputs, max values, nulls, zero, negatives
- Error cases: Invalid inputs, network failures, timeouts
- Isolate tests: Each test independent with setup/teardown
- One assertion per concept: Single logical verification per test
- Readable names: Tests serve as documentation
Coverage Guidelines
- 80%+ for critical code paths
- Branch coverage more thorough than line coverage
- High coverage does not guarantee bug-free code
- Prioritize meaningful tests over metrics
Anti-Patterns
- Testing implementation - Test behavior, not internals
- Excessive mocking - Use real implementations where practical
- Flaky tests - Control time, randomness, async operations
- Slow tests - Unit tests should run in milliseconds
- Test interdependence - Each test creates its own data
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