Software Testing Vocabulary
Unit Test: The smallest amount of testable code. Often a single method/function,
sans the use of other methods or classes. Fast! Thousands of unit tests can run in ten seconds or less!
A unit test NEVER uses:
- a database
- an app server (or server of any kind)
- file/network I/O or file system;
- another application;
- the console (System.out, System.err, etc.)
- logging
- most other classes (exceptions include DTO's, String, Integer, mocks and maybe a few others).
Unit tests are almost always part of a regression suite.
Regression Suite: A collection of tests that can be run all at once. An example would
be that all tests put in a certain directory would all be run by JUnit. A developer could run a unit test
regression suite 20 times per day. Or, they might run a functional test regression suite twice a month.
Functional Test: Bigger than a unit and smaller than a full component test.
Usually exercising several methods/functions/classes working together. Permitted to take its sweet time:
hundreds of tests could take hours to run. Most functional tests are part of a functional test regression suite.
Usually run from JUnit.
Integration Test: Testing two or more components working together.
Sometimes part of a regression suite.
Component Test: Running one component by itself. Frequently done by QA, managers,
XP customers, etc. This sort of test is not part of a regression suite and it is not run by JUnit.
Component Acceptance Test (C.A.T.): A component test run in front of a crowd of people
as part of a formal process. The people in the room collectively decide if the component has met required criteria.
System Test: All components being run together.
System Acceptance Test (S.A.T.): A system test run in front of a crowd of people
as part of a formal process. The people in the room collectively decide if the system has met required criteria.
Stress Tests: Another program loads a component, some components, or possibly the entire
system. I have seen some small stress tests worked into some regression functional tests - a pretty smart way to test
some concurrency code!
Mock: A brain dead piece of code used in unit and functional tests to make sure that
a piece of code you are attempting to test does not use some other bit of production code. A Mock class typically
overrides all of the public methods in a production class and is inserted somewhere that might try to use the
production class. Sometimes a Mock class implements an interface and replaces production code that implements the same
interface.
Shunt: Kinda like a mock class that extends production code, only the purpose is NOT to
override ALL of the methods, but just enough so you can exercise some production methods, while mocking the rest of the
production methods. Especially useful if you want to test a class that might try to use I/O. Your shunt can override
the I/O methods while testing the non I/O methods.
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