Python Testing

Core Principles

• Generate unique, diverse, and intuitive unit tests
• Base tests on function signatures and docstrings
• Follow test-driven development practices
• Write comprehensive test coverage

Test Structure

• Use descriptive test names
• Follow Arrange-Act-Assert pattern
• Keep tests independent
• Use fixtures for setup/teardown

pytest Best Practices

• Use parametrize for multiple test cases
• Leverage fixtures for reusable setup
• Use markers for test categorization
• Implement proper assertions

Test Types

Unit Tests

• Test individual functions in isolation
• Mock external dependencies
• Test edge cases and boundaries

Integration Tests

• Test component interactions
• Use test databases
• Test API endpoints

Property-Based Testing

• Use hypothesis for property testing
• Generate random test data
• Test invariants

Mocking

• Use unittest.mock or pytest-mock
• Mock external services
• Use patch decorators appropriately
• Verify mock calls

Coverage

• Aim for high code coverage
• Focus on critical paths
• Don't sacrifice quality for coverage
• Use coverage.py for reporting