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Unit testing

Definition​

A unit test in MTA is a test that executes a single microflow, and creates the necessary data in order to do so.

Menditect advises to start with building Unit tests when introducing Menditect Test Automation, given it's characteristics.

Characteristics​

  • A unit test is executed on a single Mendix App, in a single session by a single user.
  • A unit test is quick to build into MTA and thus a good way to get to know MTA.
  • A unit test is a direct prove that your code works.
  • A unit test provides immediate time savings.
  • If defects are found with unit tests, this is a signal that defects will also exist at the process level, and these defects can be solved faster than if they were found with a process test.
  • A unit test generally does not leave traces in the Mendix app being tested, which means the result cannot be visually inspected there.

Structure​

Maintaining unit tests will have a different frequency than maintaining process tests. Therefore it is recommended to use below structure in MTA:

  • One test configuration per Mendix application, for all unit tests, and only for unit tests.
  • One test suite per Mendix model module.

The unit test structure

  • One test case per microflow to be tested.
  • Data variation on the test case level to reach higher test coverage for each microflow to be tested.

The unit test suite structure

Tips and tricks​

  • Have unit tests created, executed and maintained by the same Mendix developer that created the microflow.
  • Start building unit tests of validation flows, rules and calculation microflows.
  • Build a unit test for every defect found.
  • During product refinement, determine whether a feature is unit testable.
  • Test without security on the Test Case.
  • Test using rollback on the Test Case.
  • Use MTA's test generation by microflow feature as a starting point.
  • Prevent reliance on the database. Do not retrieve objects from database, and do not commit objects to database.
  • Include asserts to have MTA check the results automatically instead of manually inspecting them.
  • Use datavariation on relevant attributes, to achieve higher test coverage.

Feedback?​

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Last updated 1 March 2024