Testing Standards

Testing Standards

This skill provides comprehensive guidance on testing strategies, patterns, and coverage standards to ensure code quality and reliability.

Core Philosophy

Tests are first-class citizens in the codebase.

• Write tests alongside production code, not after
• Tests document how code should be used
• Tests enable confident refactoring
• Good tests catch bugs early and reduce debugging time

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when:

• Writing any new code (tests first or alongside)
• Reviewing code for test quality
• Establishing testing practices for a team
• Deciding what type of test to write
• Setting coverage goals and standards
• Debugging test failures

Key Concepts

1. Testing Pyramid

The testing pyramid guides the distribution of different test types.

See Testing Pyramid Pattern for details.

Quick Summary:

• Many unit tests (fast, isolated, focused)
• Some integration tests (test component interactions)
• Few end-to-end tests (test complete workflows)

2. Test Structure

Consistent test structure makes tests easier to read and maintain.

See Test Structure Pattern for details.

Common Patterns:

• AAA: Arrange, Act, Assert
• Given-When-Then: BDD-style test structure

3. Coverage Guidelines

Coverage targets vary by code criticality.

See Coverage Guidelines for details.

General Targets:

• Business logic: 80-100% coverage
• Integration points: 70-90% coverage
• UI code: 40-60% coverage

Testing Principles

1. Fast Tests

Tests should run quickly

• Unit tests: < 100ms each
• Integration tests: < 1 second each
• E2E tests: < 10 seconds each
• Full suite should run in minutes, not hours

2. Independent Tests

Tests should not depend on each other

• Each test sets up its own data
• Tests can run in any order
• One test failure doesn't cascade

3. Repeatable Tests

Tests should produce same results every time

• No randomness (or use fixed seeds)
• No dependency on external state
• No reliance on system time (mock it)

4. Self-Validating Tests

Tests should have clear pass/fail

• Use assertions, not manual verification
• Clear error messages
• One logical assertion per test

5. Timely Tests

Tests should be written at the right time

• TDD: Write tests first
• Test-alongside: Write with production code
• Never: Write tests months later

Test Types

Unit Tests

• Test single functions/methods in isolation
• Fast and focused
• Mock external dependencies
• Most numerous in test suite

Integration Tests

• Test interaction between components
• Use real dependencies where reasonable
• Test API contracts
• Moderate speed

End-to-End Tests

• Test complete user workflows
• Use real systems
• Test critical paths
• Slowest, least numerous

Contract Tests

• Test API contracts between services
• Ensure backwards compatibility
• Run on both sides of integration

Best Practices

1. Test Behavior, Not Implementation

Bad:

test('uses correct algorithm', () => {
  const spy = jest.spyOn(calculator, 'quickSort');
  calculator.sortNumbers([3, 1, 2]);
  expect(spy).toHaveBeenCalled();
});

Good:

test('sorts numbers in ascending order', () => {
  const result = calculator.sortNumbers([3, 1, 2]);
  expect(result).toEqual([1, 2, 3]);
});

2. One Logical Assertion Per Test

Bad:

test('user creation', () => {
  const user = createUser({ name: 'John', age: 30 });
  expect(user.name).toBe('John');
  expect(user.age).toBe(30);
  expect(user.isActive).toBe(true);
  expect(user.createdAt).toBeDefined();
});

Good:

test('creates user with provided name', () => {
  const user = createUser({ name: 'John' });
  expect(user.name).toBe('John');
});

test('creates user with provided age', () => {
  const user = createUser({ age: 30 });
  expect(user.age).toBe(30);
});

test('sets new user as active by default', () => {
  const user = createUser({});
  expect(user.isActive).toBe(true);
});

3. Descriptive Test Names

Test names should describe what is being tested and the expected outcome.

Bad:

test('test1', () => { /* ... */ });
test('user test', () => { /* ... */ });
test('works', () => { /* ... */ });

Good:

test('creates user with valid email', () => { /* ... */ });
test('throws error when email is invalid', () => { /* ... */ });
test('sends welcome email after user creation', () => { /* ... */ });

4. Test Edge Cases and Errors

Don't only test the happy path.

describe('divide', () => {
  test('divides positive numbers', () => {
    expect(divide(10, 2)).toBe(5);
  });

  test('divides negative numbers', () => {
    expect(divide(-10, 2)).toBe(-5);
  });

  test('throws error when dividing by zero', () => {
    expect(() => divide(10, 0)).toThrow('Division by zero');
  });

  test('handles decimal results', () => {
    expect(divide(10, 3)).toBeCloseTo(3.333, 2);
  });
});

5. Use Test Doubles Appropriately

• Stubs: Provide fixed responses
• Mocks: Verify interactions
• Spies: Observe without changing behavior
• Fakes: Working implementations for testing

Use the simplest test double that works.

Common Anti-Patterns

1. Testing Implementation Details

Don't test private methods or internal state directly.

2. Fragile Tests

Tests that break when refactoring working code.

3. Slow Tests

Tests that take too long reduce their value.

4. Flaky Tests

Tests that randomly fail reduce trust in test suite.

5. Test Interdependence

Tests that rely on execution order or shared state.

Integration with Feature Slicing

When using feature slicing:

• Keep tests within feature directory
• Test features in isolation
• Mock interactions with other features
• Write integration tests for feature APIs

/features
  /user-management
    service.js
    /tests
      service.test.js
      integration.test.js
      e2e.test.js

Testing Workflow

1. Write Test First (TDD) or alongside code
2. Watch It Fail - Ensure test catches the issue
3. Write Minimal Code - Make test pass
4. Refactor - Improve code while tests pass
5. Repeat - For next piece of functionality

Resources

• Testing Pyramid - Test distribution strategy
• Test Structure - AAA and Given-When-Then patterns
• Coverage Guidelines - Coverage targets by code type

Summary

Good tests are fast, independent, repeatable, self-validating, and timely. Follow the testing pyramid to balance different test types. Write tests that verify behavior, not implementation. Use clear structure and descriptive names. Test edge cases and errors, not just happy paths. Keep tests close to the code they test, especially in feature-sliced architectures.

Converted and distributed by TomeVault — claim your Tome and manage your conversions.