What is the most effective way to approach unit testing?

2 Follow the AAA pattern

The AAA pattern is a common structure for writing unit tests that consists of three phases: Arrange, Act, and Assert. In the Arrange phase, you set up the initial conditions and inputs for the test, such as creating objects, initializing variables, or mocking dependencies. In the Act phase, you invoke the unit of code that you want to test and capture its output or behavior. In the Assert phase, you verify that the output or behavior matches your expectations, using methods or statements provided by the framework.

4 Test one thing at a time

A unit test should focus on one aspect or scenario of the unit of code that it is testing, and avoid testing multiple things or dependencies in the same test. This way, you can isolate the cause of any failures, reduce the complexity and length of your tests, and increase their readability and maintainability. You should also use separate tests for different input values, edge cases, and error conditions, and avoid relying on the order or state of other tests.

6 Refactor and review your tests

As your code evolves, so should your unit tests. You should regularly refactor and review your tests to ensure that they are still relevant, correct, and complete. You should also apply the same coding standards and principles to your tests as you do to your production code, such as following naming conventions, avoiding duplication, and commenting your code. Additionally, you should use code coverage tools to measure how well your tests cover your code, and identify any gaps or redundancies.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?