home-information/docs/dev/testing/testing-guidelines.md

Testing Guidelines

Running Tests

Run all the tests with:

cd $PROJ_DIR
make test

Run individual tests using Django with:

cd $PROJ_DIR
make test <hi.test.module.goes.here>

The make targets use the Django testing framework.

Overall Guidelines

YOU MUST NOT use mocking unless absolutely necessary. You use real system components and create test data for all our tests (using synthetic-data.py pattern). We need to know how our internal components integrate and the test are the best way to know if something has changed in an incompatible way. We rarely want "pure" unit testing since mocking internal app boundaries masks issues.

We only want to mock as external system boundaries. Anything that interacts with systems outside the code base, or that would leave remaining artifacts (e.g., API services, MEDIA_ROOT and other filesystem writes).

YOU NEVER write test that depend on log messages, human readable strings or other hard-coded strings. You test outcomes, not implementation details and artifacts.

High-Value vs Low-Value Testing Criteria

HIGH-VALUE Tests (Focus Here)

• Database constraints and cascade deletion behavior - Critical for data integrity
• Complex business logic and algorithms - Custom calculations, aggregation, processing
• Singleton pattern behavior - Manager classes, initialization, thread safety
• Enum property conversions with custom logic - from_name_safe(), business rules
• File handling and storage operations - Upload, deletion, cleanup, error handling
• Integration key parsing and external system interfaces - API boundaries
• Complex calculations - Geometric (SVG positioning), ordering, aggregation logic
• Caching and performance optimizations - TTL caches, database indexing
• Auto-discovery and Django startup integration - Module loading, initialization sequences
• Thread safety and concurrent operations - Locks, shared state, race conditions
• Background process coordination - Async/sync dual access, event loop management

LOW-VALUE Tests (Avoid These)

• Simple property getters/setters that just return field values
• Django ORM internals verification (Django already tests this)
• Trivial enum label checking without business logic
• Basic field access and obvious default values
• Simple string formatting without complex logic

Critical Testing Anti-Patterns (Never Do These)

NEVER Test Behavior Based on Log Messages

Problem: Log message assertions (self.assertLogs(), checking log output) are fragile and break easily when logging changes

Issue: Many existing tests deliberately disable logging for performance and clarity

Solution: Test actual behavior changes - state modifications, return values, method calls, side effects

# BAD - Testing based on log messages
with self.assertLogs('weather.manager', level='WARNING') as log_context:
    manager.process_data(invalid_data)
    self.assertTrue(any("Error processing" in msg for msg in log_context.output))

# GOOD - Testing actual behavior
mock_fallback = Mock()
with patch.object(manager, 'fallback_handler', mock_fallback):
    result = manager.process_data(invalid_data)
    mock_fallback.assert_called_once()
    self.assertIsNone(result)  # Verify expected failure behavior

NEVER Use a mock of a class when the real class is available

Mock-Centric Testing Instead of Behavior Testing

Problem: Tests focus on verifying mock calls rather than testing actual behavior and return values.

# BAD - Testing mock calls instead of behavior
@patch('module.external_service')
def test_process_data(self, mock_service):
    mock_service.return_value = {'status': 'success'}
    result = processor.process_data(input_data)
    mock_service.assert_called_once_with(expected_params)
    # Missing: What did process_data actually return?

# GOOD - Testing actual behavior and return values
@patch('module.external_service')
def test_process_data_returns_transformed_result(self, mock_service):
    mock_service.return_value = {'status': 'success', 'data': 'raw_value'}
    result = processor.process_data(input_data)
    # Test the actual behavior and return value
    self.assertEqual(result['transformed_data'], 'processed_raw_value')
    self.assertEqual(result['status'], 'completed')
    self.assertIn('timestamp', result)

Over-Mocking Internal Components

Problem: Mocking too many internal components breaks the integration between parts of the system.

# BAD - Mocking both HTTP layer AND internal converter
@patch('module.http_client.get')
@patch('module.DataConverter.parse')
def test_fetch_and_parse(self, mock_parse, mock_get):
    mock_get.return_value = mock_response
    mock_parse.return_value = mock_parsed_data
    result = service.fetch_and_parse()
    # This tests nothing about actual data flow

# GOOD - Mock only at system boundaries
@patch('module.http_client.get')
def test_fetch_and_parse_integration(self, mock_get):
    mock_get.return_value = Mock(text='{"real": "json", "data": "here"}')
    result = service.fetch_and_parse()
    # Test that real data flows through real converter
    self.assertIsInstance(result, ExpectedDataType)
    self.assertEqual(result.parsed_field, "expected_value")

Additional Testing Anti-Patterns

Testing Implementation Details Instead of Interface Contracts

Problem: Tests verify internal implementation details rather than public interface behavior.

# BAD - Testing exact HTTP parameters instead of behavior
def test_api_call_constructs_correct_url(self):
    client.make_request('entity_123')
    expected_url = 'https://api.service.com/v1/entities/entity_123'
    expected_headers = {'Authorization': 'Bearer token', 'Content-Type': 'application/json'}
    mock_post.assert_called_once_with(expected_url, headers=expected_headers)

# GOOD - Testing the interface contract
def test_api_call_returns_entity_data(self):
    mock_response_data = {'id': 'entity_123', 'name': 'Test Entity'}
    mock_post.return_value = Mock(json=lambda: mock_response_data)
    result = client.make_request('entity_123')
    # Test the contract: what the method promises to return
    self.assertEqual(result['id'], 'entity_123')
    self.assertEqual(result['name'], 'Test Entity')

Testing Best Practices Summary

1. Mock at system boundaries only (HTTP calls, database, external services)
2. Test return values and state changes, not mock call parameters
3. Use real data through real code paths when possible
4. Test error messages provide useful context for debugging
5. Focus on interface contracts, not implementation details
6. Create focused tests that test one behavior well
7. Test meaningful edge cases that affect business logic
8. Verify data transformations work correctly end-to-end
9. Use real database operations over ORM mocking when testing business logic
10. Test database state changes rather than mocking ORM calls to verify actual behavior

Database vs Mock Testing Strategy

Prefer Real Database Operations:

• Database state verification tests actual business logic and relationships
• Cascade deletion, constraints, and indexing are critical system behaviors
• TransactionTestCase provides proper isolation for database-dependent tests
• Real data flows through real code paths reveal integration issues

When to Mock vs Real Database:

• Mock external APIs (HTTP calls, third-party services)
• Use real database for business logic, relationships, and data transformations
• Mock at system boundaries, not internal ORM operations

Django-Specific Testing Patterns

See Testing Patterns for detailed Django testing patterns including:

• Abstract Model Testing
• Integration Key Pattern Testing
• Singleton Manager Testing
• Background Process and Threading Testing
• Manager Class Async/Sync Testing

Development Data Injection

The development data injection system provides a runtime mechanism to modify application behavior without code changes or Django restarts. This is useful for testing scenarios that would otherwise require complex backend state setup.

Example use case: Injecting pre-formatted status responses for UI testing - you can override the /api/status endpoint to return specific transient view suggestions, allowing you to test auto-view switching behavior without manipulating the actual backend systems.

For complete usage details, see: hi.testing.dev_injection.DevInjectionManager

Related Documentation

• Django-specific patterns: Testing Patterns
• Test data management: Test Data Management
• Simulator testing: Test Simulator
• JavaScript testing: JavaScript Testing
• Coding standards: Coding Standards
• View testing: Frontend Guidelines
• Examples: Test Case Examples