Question

I have two tests they are exactly the same… barring two things, they call two separate service calls.. hence when im using mockito i have two seperate expectation and verify lines…

this is what i have done:

@test
TestA {
   baseTest("player");
}

@test
TestB {
  baseTest("member");

}

BaseTest(type type) {
  ....
  .....
  if type(player) {
    Mockito.when(player service call)
  }
  else {
    Mockito.when(member service call)
  }

  // make the call in code

  //verify

  if(player) {
     verify player specific service call...
  }
  else {

  }
}

I think the above is a test smell… just doesnt feel right…

Is there a better way then placing an If statement in my baste test?

Answer 1

You should develope your test code independenly and join things when they have sense.

By example. One rule of thumb for initialization code (the first A of Arrange/Act/Assert) is that:

1. you should write all the Arrange part of a test method in the test.
2. if your method shares initialization with all the other methods, then put it in a @Setup method
3. if some test method doesn’t share that initialization it’s probably because it doesn’t fit in that test case.

So my conclusion is:

1. write independent tests
2. if they share things you can refactor
3. but not too much (or in a weird thing like “if”s)!!! Adds complexity, not reuse.

In fact @artbristol answer makes sense: if you are using if’s for alternate behaviour consider polymorphism. It’s just I’m not sure until which point it’s complex for test or not (probable it makes sense if the code is testing a similar class hierarchy).