testing-best-practices

This skill provides guidance on writing high-quality, maintainable tests across all levels of the testing pyramid.

Testing Pyramid

        /\
       /E2E\       (Few)
      /------\
     /  Inte- \
    /  gration \   (Some)
   /------------\
  /  Unit Tests  \  (Many)
 /----------------\

Unit Tests: Test individual functions/classes in isolation Integration Tests: Test how components work together E2E Tests: Test complete user workflows through the UI/API

Unit Testing Best Practices

The AAA Pattern

Structure tests with Arrange-Act-Assert:

it('should calculate total price with tax', () => {
  // Arrange: Set up test data
  const cart = new ShoppingCart();
  cart.addItem({ price: 100, quantity: 2 });

  // Act: Execute the behavior
  const total = cart.calculateTotal(0.08); // 8% tax

  // Assert: Verify the outcome
  expect(total).toBe(216); // 200 + 16 tax
});

Test Naming

Use descriptive names that explain:

1. What is being tested
2. Under what conditions
3. What the expected outcome is

Good:

it('should throw ValidationError when email format is invalid', () => {})
it('should return empty array when no items match filter', () => {})
it('should retry failed requests up to 3 times', () => {})

Bad:

it('works', () => {})
it('test email', () => {})
it('should return correct value', () => {})

One Assertion Per Test (Generally)

Focus each test on a single behavior:

Good:

it('should add item to cart', () => {
  cart.addItem(item);
  expect(cart.items).toContain(item);
});

it('should increment total count when adding item', () => {
  cart.addItem(item);
  expect(cart.itemCount).toBe(1);
});

Acceptable (related assertions):

it('should create valid user object', () => {
  const user = createUser('John', 'john@example.com');
  expect(user.name).toBe('John');
  expect(user.email).toBe('john@example.com');
  expect(user.id).toBeDefined();
});

Test Independence

Each test should be independent and isolated:

describe('UserService', () => {
  let userService: UserService;

  beforeEach(() => {
    // Fresh instance for each test
    userService = new UserService();
  });

  it('should create user', () => {
    const user = userService.create('John');
    expect(user.name).toBe('John');
  });

  it('should delete user', () => {
    const user = userService.create('John');
    userService.delete(user.id);
    expect(userService.find(user.id)).toBeUndefined();
  });
});

Mocking Best Practices

Mock external dependencies, not the code under test:

// Good: Mock external API
it('should fetch user data from API', async () => {
  const mockFetch = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue({
    json: () => Promise.resolve({ id: 1, name: 'John' })
  });
  global.fetch = mockFetch;

  const user = await userService.getUser(1);

  expect(mockFetch).toHaveBeenCalledWith('/api/users/1');
  expect(user.name).toBe('John');
});

// Bad: Over-mocking makes test meaningless
it('should calculate total', () => {
  const mockCalculate = vi.fn().mockReturnValue(100);
  calculator.calculate = mockCalculate;

  expect(calculator.calculate()).toBe(100); // Testing the mock, not the code
});

Test Edge Cases

Cover boundary conditions and error scenarios:

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

  it('should handle division by zero', () => {
    expect(() => divide(10, 0)).toThrow('Division by zero');
  });

  it('should handle negative numbers', () => {
    expect(divide(-10, 2)).toBe(-5);
  });

  it('should handle decimal results', () => {
    expect(divide(10, 3)).toBeCloseTo(3.333, 2);
  });
});

Integration Testing

Test how components work together:

describe('Order Processing Integration', () => {
  let orderService: OrderService;
  let paymentService: PaymentService;
  let inventoryService: InventoryService;

  beforeEach(() => {
    // Use real instances, not mocks
    orderService = new OrderService(paymentService, inventoryService);
  });

  it('should complete order when payment succeeds and inventory available', async () => {
    const order = await orderService.createOrder({
      items: [{ productId: 1, quantity: 2 }],
      paymentMethod: 'credit_card'
    });

    expect(order.status).toBe('completed');
    expect(order.payment.status).toBe('paid');
    expect(inventoryService.getStock(1)).toBe(8); // Was 10, reduced by 2
  });
});

Async Testing

Handle promises and async code properly:

// Using async/await (preferred)
it('should fetch data asynchronously', async () => {
  const data = await fetchData();
  expect(data).toBeDefined();
});

// Using done callback (when needed)
it('should handle callback', (done) => {
  fetchDataWithCallback((data) => {
    expect(data).toBeDefined();
    done();
  });
});

// Testing errors
it('should reject with error on failure', async () => {
  await expect(fetchData()).rejects.toThrow('Network error');
});

Test Coverage Goals

Not all code needs 100% coverage. Prioritize:

• Critical business logic: 90-100%
• Public APIs: 80-90%
• Error handling: 80-90%
• Complex algorithms: 90-100%
• Simple getters/setters: Lower priority
• UI rendering: E2E tests often better

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

1. Testing Implementation Details

Bad: Testing private methods or internal state Good: Testing public behavior and observable outcomes

2. Flaky Tests

Avoid:

• Timing dependencies (setTimeout in tests)
• Random data (use fixed seeds)
• Shared mutable state between tests
• External service dependencies without mocks

3. Slow Tests

Speed up by:

• Using in-memory databases for integration tests
• Mocking expensive operations
• Running tests in parallel
• Avoiding unnecessary setup

4. Brittle Tests

Make tests resilient by:

• Testing behavior, not implementation
• Using flexible matchers (toContain vs exact equality)
• Avoiding hard-coded values when possible
• Not coupling to internal structure

Test Organization

src/
  services/
    userService.ts
    userService.spec.ts  ← Co-located with source

tests/
  integration/           ← Integration tests separate
    userFlow.spec.ts
  e2e/
    checkout.e2e.ts

Writing Testable Code

Dependency Injection

// Testable: Dependencies injected
class OrderService {
  constructor(
    private paymentService: PaymentService,
    private emailService: EmailService
  ) {}
}

// Not testable: Hard-coded dependencies
class OrderService {
  private paymentService = new PaymentService();
  private emailService = new EmailService();
}

Pure Functions

// Testable: Pure function
function calculateDiscount(price: number, discountPercent: number): number {
  return price * (1 - discountPercent / 100);
}

// Harder to test: Side effects
function applyDiscount(order: Order) {
  order.total = order.total * 0.9;
  saveToDatabase(order);
  sendEmail(order.customerEmail);
}

Quick Reference

Vitest/Jest Matchers:

• expect(value).toBe(expected) - Strict equality
• expect(value).toEqual(expected) - Deep equality
• expect(value).toBeTruthy() / .toBeFalsy()
• expect(array).toContain(item)
• expect(fn).toThrow(error)
• expect(value).toBeCloseTo(number, decimals)

Mocking:

• vi.fn() - Create mock function
• vi.spyOn(object, 'method') - Spy on existing method
• mockFn.mockReturnValue(value) - Set return value
• mockFn.mockResolvedValue(value) - Set async return
• expect(mockFn).toHaveBeenCalledWith(args) - Verify calls

Remember: Good tests are fast, isolated, deterministic, and focus on behavior over implementation.