Double builds on-the-fly injectable dependencies for your tests. It does NOT override behavior of existing modules or functions. Double uses Elixir's built-in language features such as pattern matching and message passing to give you everything you would normally need a complex mocking tool for.
The package can be installed as:
- Add
double
to your list of dependencies inmix.exs
:
def deps do
[{:double, "~> 0.8.2", only: :test}]
end
Start Double in your test/test_helper.exs
file:
ExUnit.start
Application.ensure_all_started(:double)
Double creates a fake module based off of a behaviour or module. You can use this module like any other module that you call functions on. Each stub you define will verify that the function name and arity are defined in the target module or behaviour.
defmodule Example do
def process(io \\ IO) do # allow an alternative dependency to be passed
io.puts("It works without mocking libraries!")
end
end
defmodule ExampleTest do
use ExUnit.Case
import Double
test "example outputs to console" do
io_stub = stub(IO,:puts, fn(_msg) -> :ok end)
Example.process(io_stub) # inject the stub module
# use built-in ExUnit assert_receive/refute_receive to verify things
assert_receive({IO, :puts, ["It works without mocking libraries!"]})
end
end
# Stub a function
dbl = stub(ExampleModule, :add, fn(x, y) -> x + y end)
dbl.add(2, 2) # 4
# Pattern match arguments
dbl = stub(Application, :ensure_all_started, fn(:logger) -> nil end)
dbl.ensure_all_started(:logger) # nil
dbl.ensure_all_started(:something) # raises FunctionClauseError
# Stub as many functions as you want
dbl = ExampleModule
|> stub(:add, fn(x, y) -> x + y end)
|> stub(:subtract, fn(x, y) -> x - y end)
dbl = ExampleModule
|> stub(:example, fn("one") -> 1 end)
|> stub(:example, fn("two") -> 2 end)
|> stub(:example, fn("three") -> 3 end)
dbl.example("one") # 1
dbl.example("two") # 2
dbl.example("three") # 3
dbl = ExampleModule
|> stub(:example, fn("count") -> 1 end)
|> stub(:example, fn("count") -> 2 end)
dbl.example("count") # 1
dbl.example("count") # 2
dbl.example("count") # 2
dbl = ExampleModule
|> stub(:example_with_error_type, fn -> raise RuntimeError, "kaboom!" end)
|> stub(:example_with_error_type, fn -> raise "kaboom!" end)
If you want to verify that a particular stubbed function was actually executed,
Double ensures that a message is receivable to your test process so you can just use the built-in ExUnit assert_receive/assert_received
.
The message is a 3-tuple {module, :function, [arg1, arg2]}
and .
dbl = ExampleModule
|> stub(:example, fn("count") -> 1 end)
dbl.example("count")
assert_receive({ExampleModule, :example, ["count"]})
Remember that pattern matching is your friend so you can do all kinds of neat tricks on these messages.
assert_receive({ExampleModule, :example, ["c" <> _rest]}) # verify starts with "c"
assert_receive({ExampleModule, :example, [%{test: 1}]}) # pattern match map arguments
assert_receive({ExampleModule, :example, [x]}) # assign an argument to x to verify another way
assert x == "count"
By default your setups will check the source module to ensure the function exists with the correct arity.
stub(IO, :non_existent_function, fn(x) -> x end) # raises VerifyingDoubleError
Occasionally it's useful to clear the stubs for an existing double. This is useful when you have a shared setup and a test needs to change the way a double is stubbed without recreating the whole thing.
dbl = IO
|> stub(:puts, fn(_) -> :ok end)
|> stub(:inspect, fn(_) -> :ok end)
# later
dbl |> clear(:puts) # clear an individual function
dbl |> clear([:puts, :inspect]) # clear a list of functions
dbl |> clear() # clear all functions
Everything that works on stubs should pretty much work on spies, but the spy just automatically defaults to using the implementation of the module you're spying.
Say you have already written a stub of some kind for the IO
module:
defmodule IOStub do
def write(filename, content) do
"really bad example of writing a file"
end
end
Now in your tests you can utilize this stub and "attach" spying behavior like so:
test "spying on modules works" do
# use spy/1 instead of stub
spy = spy(IOStub)
# The spy works just like the stub you defined.
assert spy.write("anything", "anything") == "really bad example of writing a file"
# But it also gives you this!
assert_receive {IOStub, :write, ["anything", "anything"]}
# The spy can also be stubbed if you want to override a specific function while leaving others
stub(spy, :write, fn(_, _) -> :stubbed end)
assert spy.write("anything", "anything") == :ok
end