3 Tips to Succeed with Contract Testing

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This Week's Expert Guide - Marie Cruz and Lewis P.

Hey automation enthusiasts!

In the latest Test Guild Automation Podcast episode, host Joe Colantonio sat down with Lewis Prescott and Marie Cruz to talk all about their new book Contract Testing in Action.

Here's a snapshot of the top three takeaways from their insightful discussion:

1. Challenges and Solutions in Contract Testing

Marie and Lewis delve into the complexities of implementing contract testing for public and third-party APIs where control is limited. They introduce the provider-driven and bidirectional contract testing approach, which allows for reusing existing tests with tools like PactFlow. This method verifies contracts from consumer and provider perspectives, ensuring expectations are aligned.

2. Integrating Contract Testing into CI Pipelines

One of the critical discussions revolved around integrating contract testing into Continuous Integration (CI) pipelines. The hosts emphasize the need for automatic provider verification when contract changes occur. They share experiences with CI tools like GitHub Actions and CircleCI, highlighting the challenges and benefits. Additionally, they touch upon storing contracts and the debate between hosting your contract store versus using a service like PactFlow.

3. Early Detection through Contract Testing

Marie and Lewis stress that contract testing is essential for early issue detection, particularly in microservices architecture. By converting integration tests into contract tests, teams can obtain earlier feedback and ensure more stable and reliable deployment processes. They share practical examples and step-by-step guidance on implementing contract testing using tools like Pact, making it easier for teams to adopt.

But That's Not All!

Marie and Lewis also discuss their forthcoming book, "Contract Testing in Action," offering readers a detailed roadmap for mastering contract testing. Take advantage of exclusive insights and practical advice that can transform your testing strategies!

Question for YOU

What are your biggest challenges when integrating contract testing into your CI pipeline, and how did you overcome them? Share your stories in the comments below—we'd love to hear from you!

Stay tuned for more episodes, and join the conversation!

Test Everything and Keep the Good

For more insightful conversations with testing and automation experts, subscribe to the Test Guild Automation Podcast.

As always, test everything and keep the good!

Cheers

Joe Colantonio

Host, Test Guild Automation Podcast

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