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Asked: 2026-05-10T20:19:44+00:00

We are currently using unit tests to test our project. We have the majority

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We are currently using unit tests to test our project. We have the majority of functionality covered but I think our tests are too brittle.

I was wondering if there are any specific things we can be doing to make the unit tests more flexible so they don’t break for the wrong reasons.

A couple answers have mentioned being careful of mocking too much… So what are legitimate reasons for mocking? I think that may be one of our main problems, but when your application is mostly a dynamic, database-driven site, how do you get away from mocking?

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1 Answer

  1. This is a somewhat simplistic answer, but shows the right mindset:

    • A test should break if the behaviour changes in a way that you care about.
    • A test should continue to work if the behaviour changes in a way that you don’t care about.

    So as far as is possible – without going hugely out of your way – make sure you’re testing the ‘end result’ of the method without caring how it got there. One thing to watch out for is mocking – it’s incredibly useful, but can easily make your tests brittle.

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