Unit Testing

🧪 Unit Testing – A Quick Guide

Unit testing is a software testing technique where individual units or components of a

software are tested in isolation to verify that each part works as expected.

🔍 What Is a "Unit"?

A "unit" is the smallest testable part of an application:

 In Python: a function or method

 In Java: a class or method

 In JS/TS: a module or function

✅ Why Use Unit Testing?

Benefit Explanation

Early bug detection Catches errors before integration or deployment

Easier refactoring Safe to modify code with tests in place

Documentation Tests describe how your functions should behave

Confidence in code changes Ensures new changes don't break existing functionality

🛠️ Common Unit Testing Tools

Language Framework

Python unittest, pytest

Java JUnit, TestNG

JavaScript Jest, Mocha, Jasmine

C# NUnit, MSTest

C++ Google Test

🔍 Best Practices

1. Test one thing per test.

2. Use descriptive test names.

3. Keep tests fast and independent.

4. Mock dependencies (e.g., databases, APIs).

5. Automate test runs (CI/CD pipelines).

✅ What is JUnit?

JUnit is a Java framework used to write and run repeatable unit tests. It helps ensure code
correctness by allowing you to test methods and classes in isolation.

📦 JUnit Versions

Version Description

JUnit 4 Widely used, annotation-based

JUnit 5 Modular, more powerful, includes JUnit Platform + Jupiter + Vintage

We’ll focus on JUnit 5 (a.k.a. Jupiter) as it's the modern version.

🔧 Maven Setup (JUnit 5)

In your pom.xml:

xml

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<dependencies>

<dependency>

<groupId>org.junit.jupiter</groupId>

<artifactId>junit-jupiter</artifactId>

<version>5.10.0</version> <!-- Use latest -->

<scope>test</scope>
 </dependency>

</dependencies>

✍️ Sample Test Case

Java Class to Test

java

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public class Calculator {

public int add(int a, int b) {

return a + b;

public int divide(int a, int b) {

if (b == 0) throw new IllegalArgumentException("Cannot divide by zero");

return a / b;

JUnit Test Class

java

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import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;

import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.*;

public class CalculatorTest {

Calculator calc = new Calculator();

@Test
 void testAddition() {

assertEquals(5, calc.add(2, 3));

assertNotEquals(6, calc.add(2, 3));

@Test

void testDivision() {

assertEquals(2, calc.divide(10, 5));

@Test

void testDivisionByZero() {

assertThrows(IllegalArgumentException.class, () -> calc.divide(5, 0));

✅ Common Annotations in JUnit 5

Annotation Description

@Test Marks a test method

@BeforeEach Runs before each test

@AfterEach Runs after each test

@BeforeAll Runs once before all tests (static)

@AfterAll Runs once after all tests (static)

@Disabled Temporarily disables a test

@DisplayName Custom name for test output

📊 Assertion Methods

Method Purpose

assertEquals(expected, actual) Checks equality

assertTrue(condition) Asserts a condition is true

assertFalse(condition) Asserts a condition is false

assertNotNull(obj) Ensures object is not null

assertThrows() Expects an exception

🚀 Running Tests

If you're using Maven:

bash

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mvn test

Or with an IDE like IntelliJ or Eclipse, right-click the test file > Run 'CalculatorTest'.

✅ What is pytest?

pytest is a testing framework for Python that allows you to write simple, scalable, and
readable unit tests. It's more powerful and user-friendly than Python’s built-in unittest.

🔧 Installation

bash

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pip install pytest

📁 File & Function Naming Rules

 Test files should be named like test_*.py or *_test.py.

 Test functions must start with test_.

✍️ Example: Basic Test

📄 calculator.py (Code to Test)

python

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def add(a, b):

return a + b

def divide(a, b):

if b == 0:

raise ValueError("Cannot divide by zero")

return a / b

📄 test_calculator.py (Test File)

python

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from calculator import add, divide

import pytest

def test_add():

assert add(2, 3) == 5

assert add(-1, 1) == 0

def test_divide():

assert divide(10, 2) == 5

def test_divide_by_zero():

with pytest.raises(ValueError):

divide(5, 0)

🚀 Running Tests
From terminal, just run:

bash

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pytest

To see verbose output:

bash

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pytest -v

🔧 Useful Features in pytest

1. Fixtures (for setup/teardown logic)

python

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import pytest

@pytest.fixture

def sample_data():

return {"a": 5, "b": 3}

def test_add_with_fixture(sample_data):

assert sample_data["a"] + sample_data["b"] == 8

2. Parameterized Tests

python

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import pytest

@pytest.mark.parametrize("a,b,result", [(2, 3, 5), (-1, 1, 0), (0, 0, 0)])

def test_add(a, b, result):

 assert add(a, b) == result

3. Skipping Tests

python

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import pytest

@pytest.mark.skip(reason="Under development")

def test_todo():

assert False

4. Temporary Files (tmp_path fixture)

python

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def test_write_file(tmp_path):

f = tmp_path / "temp.txt"

f.write_text("hello")

assert f.read_text() == "hello"

📊 Assertion Examples

Assertion Example

assert a == b Compare values

assert x in y Check for containment

assert not x Check if value is falsy

with pytest.raises(Error) Expect an exception

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

🔹 1. What is unit testing?

Answer:
Unit testing is a software testing technique where individual components (functions,
methods, or classes) of a program are tested in isolation to verify that they behave as
expected.

🔹 2. Why is unit testing important?

Answer:

 Catches bugs early

 Makes code easier to maintain

 Improves code quality and reliability

 Facilitates safe refactoring

 Acts as living documentation

🔹 3. What are some popular unit testing frameworks?

Answer:

Language Framework

Python pytest, unittest

Java JUnit, TestNG

JavaScript Jest, Mocha

C# NUnit, MSTest

C++ Google Test

🔹 4. What is the difference between unit testing and integration testing?

Answer:

Unit Testing Integration Testing

Tests individual functions Tests interactions between components

 Done in isolation (mocked deps) Requires connected modules or real services

Fast and lightweight Slower due to dependencies

🔹 5. What is mocking in unit testing?

Answer:
Mocking is the process of simulating the behavior of real objects (like databases, APIs,
services) using fake ones. It allows us to test units in isolation without depending on external
systems.

 Python: unittest.mock, pytest-mock

 Java: Mockito

🔹 6. What is a test fixture?

Answer:
A test fixture is a set of preconditions (setup) needed to run one or more tests. It typically
includes creating test data or initializing resources.

 In pytest: use @pytest.fixture

 In JUnit: use @BeforeEach, @BeforeAll

🔹 7. How do you handle exceptions in unit tests?

Answer:

Python:

python

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with pytest.raises(ValueError):

divide(5, 0)

Java (JUnit):

java

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assertThrows(IllegalArgumentException.class, () -> divide(5, 0));

🔹 8. What does test coverage mean?

Answer:
Test coverage measures how much of your code is executed by your test suite. High coverage
(e.g. 80%+) generally means more parts of your code are tested.

 Python: pytest-cov

 Java: JaCoCo

🔹 9. What are assertions in unit testing?

Answer:
Assertions are statements used to check if a condition is true. If the assertion fails, the test
fails.

Examples:

 assert a == b (Python)

 assertEquals(a, b) (JUnit)

🔹 10. How do you organize test cases?

Answer:

 Group related tests in a single file or class

 Use meaningful test names

 Use setup/teardown functions for reusability

 Maintain separate /tests folder

🔹 11. How do you test private methods?

Answer:

 Avoid testing private methods directly. Instead, test public methods that use them.

 If needed, use reflection (Java) or testing conventions (Python).

🔹 12. What is parameterized testing?

Answer:
Running the same test logic with multiple sets of inputs.

Python (pytest):

python

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@pytest.mark.parametrize("a,b,result", [(2, 3, 5), (0, 0, 0)])

def test_add(a, b, result):

assert add(a, b) == result

JUnit:

java

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@ParameterizedTest

@CsvSource({"2, 3, 5", "0, 0, 0"})

void testAdd(int a, int b, int result) {

assertEquals(result, calc.add(a, b));

🔹 13. What is the lifecycle of a unit test in JUnit or pytest?

JUnit (Java):

 @BeforeAll – Run once before all tests (static)

 @BeforeEach – Run before each test

 @Test – Test method

 @AfterEach – Run after each test

 @AfterAll – Run once after all tests (static)

pytest (Python):

 @pytest.fixture(scope="module"/"function") – for setup/teardown

 yield – used inside fixtures to define teardown code

🔹 14. What is test-driven development (TDD)?

Answer:
TDD is a development approach where you:

1. Write a failing test

2. Write the minimum code to pass it

3. Refactor the code

Repeat the cycle.

🔹 15. Can unit tests replace QA testing or manual testing?

Answer:
No. Unit tests cover only low-level correctness. Manual, integration, UI, performance, and
user acceptance tests are still needed for full coverage.