Question

I have an abstract base class, which I use as a base for my unit tests (TestNG 5.10). In this class, I initialize the whole environment for my tests, setting up database mappings, etc. This abstract class has a method with a @BeforeClass annotation which does the initialization.

Next, I extend that class with specific classes in which I have @Test methods and also @BeforeClass methods. These methods do class-specific initialization of the environment (e.g. put some records into the database).

How I can enforce a specific order of the @BeforeClass annotated methods? I need the ones from the abstract base class to be executed before the ones of the extending class.

Example:

abstract class A {
    @BeforeClass
    doInitialization() {...}
}

class B extends A {
    @BeforeClass
    doSpecificInitialization() {...}

    @Test
    doTests() {...}
}

Expected order:

A.doInitialization
B.doSpecificInitialization
B.doTests

Actual order:

B.doSpecificInitialization // <- crashes, as the base init is missing
(A.doInitialization        // <---not executed
 B.doTests)                // <-/

Answer 1

Don’t put the @BeforeClass on the abstract class. Call it from each subclass.

abstract class A {
    void doInitialization() {}
}

class B extends A {
    @BeforeClass
    void doSpecificInitialization() {
        super.doInitialization();
    }

    @Test
    void doTests() {}
}

Seems like TestNG has @BeforeClass(dependsOnMethods={"doInitialization"}) – give it a try.