Here are a few items I try to respect every time I write unit tests. It’s a solid and good unit test checklist. At least good for most of my code 🙂
Edit: a more extended and detailed list I wrote for DZone.
- My test class is testing one and only one class
- My methods are testing one and only one method at a time
- My variables and methods names are explicit
- My test cases are easy to read by human
- My tests are also testing expected exception with
@Test(expected=MyException.class) - My tests don’t need access to database
- My tests don’t need access to network resources
- My tests respect the usual clean code standards (length of lines, cyclomatic complexity,…)
- My tests control side effects, limit values (max, min) and null variables (even if it throws an exception)
- My tests can be run any time on any place without needing configuration
- My tests are concrete (ex. dates are hardwired, not computed every time, strings too…)
- My tests use mock to simulate/stub complex class structure or methods
Maybe you’ve already done a great deal by appointing a Test Supervisor that checks every aspect of the finished product. That’s terrific. Congratulations.
But there are still bugs ? Your team is telling you that this little change you asked took the all system down ? How comes ?
For more details about unit tests, see my series: Test Culture Episode 1. The 101 Unit Testing Guide For Busy Managers.
I’m pretty sure there are more point to this unit test checklist. Any idea ?
