rileyhilliard/writing-tests

Writing Tests

Core principle: Test user-observable behavior with real dependencies. Tests should survive refactoring.

"The more your tests resemble the way your software is used, the more confidence they can give you." — Kent C. Dodds

Why this matters: Tests exist to give you confidence. The Testing Trophy prioritizes integration tests because they test real behavior across real modules — giving maximum confidence per test written. Unit tests in isolation often just test mocks, not your actual system.

Testing Trophy Model

| Priority | Type | When | | -------- | ----------- | ----------------------------------------------- | | 1st | Integration | Default - multiple units with real dependencies | | 2nd | E2E | Complete user workflows | | 3rd | Unit | Pure functions only (no dependencies) |

Mocking Guidelines

Default: Don't mock. Use real dependencies.

Only mock:

• External HTTP/API calls
• Time/randomness
• Third-party services (payments, email)

Never mock:

• Internal modules
• Database queries (use test DB)
• Business logic
• Your own code calling your own code

Before mocking, ask: "What side effects does this have? Does my test need those?" If unsure, run with real implementation first, then add minimal mocking only where needed.

Test Type Decision

Complete user workflow? → E2E test
Pure function (no side effects)? → Unit test
Everything else → Integration test

Assertion Strategy

| Context | Assert On | Avoid | | ------- | --------------------- | --------------------------- | | UI | Visible text, roles | CSS classes, internal state | | API | Response body, status | Internal DB state | | Library | Return values | Private methods |

Anti-Patterns

| Pattern | Fix | | ------------------------------- | --------------------------- | | Testing mock calls | Test actual outcome | | Test-only methods in production | Move to test utilities | | sleep(500) | Use condition-based waiting | | Asserting on internal state | Assert on observable output | | Incomplete mocks | Mirror real API completely |

Quality Checklist

• [ ] Happy path covered
• [ ] Error conditions handled
• [ ] Real dependencies used (minimal mocking)
• [ ] Tests survive refactoring
• [ ] Test names describe behavior

Language-Specific Patterns

• JavaScript/Typescript/React: See references/typescript-react.md
• Python: See references/python.md
• Go: See references/go.md

For flaky tests with timing issues, use Skill(ce:condition-based-waiting).

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Remember: Behavior over implementation. Real over mocked. Outputs over internals.