diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'python/mock-1.0.0/docs/getting-started.txt')
-rw-r--r-- | python/mock-1.0.0/docs/getting-started.txt | 479 |
1 files changed, 479 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/python/mock-1.0.0/docs/getting-started.txt b/python/mock-1.0.0/docs/getting-started.txt new file mode 100644 index 000000000..1b5d289eb --- /dev/null +++ b/python/mock-1.0.0/docs/getting-started.txt @@ -0,0 +1,479 @@ +=========================== + Getting Started with Mock +=========================== + +.. _getting-started: + +.. index:: Getting Started + +.. testsetup:: + + class SomeClass(object): + static_method = None + class_method = None + attribute = None + + sys.modules['package'] = package = Mock(name='package') + sys.modules['package.module'] = module = package.module + sys.modules['module'] = package.module + + +Using Mock +========== + +Mock Patching Methods +--------------------- + +Common uses for :class:`Mock` objects include: + +* Patching methods +* Recording method calls on objects + +You might want to replace a method on an object to check that +it is called with the correct arguments by another part of the system: + +.. doctest:: + + >>> real = SomeClass() + >>> real.method = MagicMock(name='method') + >>> real.method(3, 4, 5, key='value') + <MagicMock name='method()' id='...'> + +Once our mock has been used (`real.method` in this example) it has methods +and attributes that allow you to make assertions about how it has been used. + +.. note:: + + In most of these examples the :class:`Mock` and :class:`MagicMock` classes + are interchangeable. As the `MagicMock` is the more capable class it makes + a sensible one to use by default. + +Once the mock has been called its :attr:`~Mock.called` attribute is set to +`True`. More importantly we can use the :meth:`~Mock.assert_called_with` or +:meth:`~Mock.assert_called_once_with` method to check that it was called with +the correct arguments. + +This example tests that calling `ProductionClass().method` results in a call to +the `something` method: + +.. doctest:: + + >>> from mock import MagicMock + >>> class ProductionClass(object): + ... def method(self): + ... self.something(1, 2, 3) + ... def something(self, a, b, c): + ... pass + ... + >>> real = ProductionClass() + >>> real.something = MagicMock() + >>> real.method() + >>> real.something.assert_called_once_with(1, 2, 3) + + + +Mock for Method Calls on an Object +---------------------------------- + +In the last example we patched a method directly on an object to check that it +was called correctly. Another common use case is to pass an object into a +method (or some part of the system under test) and then check that it is used +in the correct way. + +The simple `ProductionClass` below has a `closer` method. If it is called with +an object then it calls `close` on it. + +.. doctest:: + + >>> class ProductionClass(object): + ... def closer(self, something): + ... something.close() + ... + +So to test it we need to pass in an object with a `close` method and check +that it was called correctly. + +.. doctest:: + + >>> real = ProductionClass() + >>> mock = Mock() + >>> real.closer(mock) + >>> mock.close.assert_called_with() + +We don't have to do any work to provide the 'close' method on our mock. +Accessing close creates it. So, if 'close' hasn't already been called then +accessing it in the test will create it, but :meth:`~Mock.assert_called_with` +will raise a failure exception. + + +Mocking Classes +--------------- + +A common use case is to mock out classes instantiated by your code under test. +When you patch a class, then that class is replaced with a mock. Instances +are created by *calling the class*. This means you access the "mock instance" +by looking at the return value of the mocked class. + +In the example below we have a function `some_function` that instantiates `Foo` +and calls a method on it. The call to `patch` replaces the class `Foo` with a +mock. The `Foo` instance is the result of calling the mock, so it is configured +by modifying the mock :attr:`~Mock.return_value`. + +.. doctest:: + + >>> def some_function(): + ... instance = module.Foo() + ... return instance.method() + ... + >>> with patch('module.Foo') as mock: + ... instance = mock.return_value + ... instance.method.return_value = 'the result' + ... result = some_function() + ... assert result == 'the result' + + +Naming your mocks +----------------- + +It can be useful to give your mocks a name. The name is shown in the repr of +the mock and can be helpful when the mock appears in test failure messages. The +name is also propagated to attributes or methods of the mock: + +.. doctest:: + + >>> mock = MagicMock(name='foo') + >>> mock + <MagicMock name='foo' id='...'> + >>> mock.method + <MagicMock name='foo.method' id='...'> + + +Tracking all Calls +------------------ + +Often you want to track more than a single call to a method. The +:attr:`~Mock.mock_calls` attribute records all calls +to child attributes of the mock - and also to their children. + +.. doctest:: + + >>> mock = MagicMock() + >>> mock.method() + <MagicMock name='mock.method()' id='...'> + >>> mock.attribute.method(10, x=53) + <MagicMock name='mock.attribute.method()' id='...'> + >>> mock.mock_calls + [call.method(), call.attribute.method(10, x=53)] + +If you make an assertion about `mock_calls` and any unexpected methods +have been called, then the assertion will fail. This is useful because as well +as asserting that the calls you expected have been made, you are also checking +that they were made in the right order and with no additional calls: + +You use the :data:`call` object to construct lists for comparing with +`mock_calls`: + +.. doctest:: + + >>> expected = [call.method(), call.attribute.method(10, x=53)] + >>> mock.mock_calls == expected + True + + +Setting Return Values and Attributes +------------------------------------ + +Setting the return values on a mock object is trivially easy: + +.. doctest:: + + >>> mock = Mock() + >>> mock.return_value = 3 + >>> mock() + 3 + +Of course you can do the same for methods on the mock: + +.. doctest:: + + >>> mock = Mock() + >>> mock.method.return_value = 3 + >>> mock.method() + 3 + +The return value can also be set in the constructor: + +.. doctest:: + + >>> mock = Mock(return_value=3) + >>> mock() + 3 + +If you need an attribute setting on your mock, just do it: + +.. doctest:: + + >>> mock = Mock() + >>> mock.x = 3 + >>> mock.x + 3 + +Sometimes you want to mock up a more complex situation, like for example +`mock.connection.cursor().execute("SELECT 1")`. If we wanted this call to +return a list, then we have to configure the result of the nested call. + +We can use :data:`call` to construct the set of calls in a "chained call" like +this for easy assertion afterwards: + + +.. doctest:: + + >>> mock = Mock() + >>> cursor = mock.connection.cursor.return_value + >>> cursor.execute.return_value = ['foo'] + >>> mock.connection.cursor().execute("SELECT 1") + ['foo'] + >>> expected = call.connection.cursor().execute("SELECT 1").call_list() + >>> mock.mock_calls + [call.connection.cursor(), call.connection.cursor().execute('SELECT 1')] + >>> mock.mock_calls == expected + True + +It is the call to `.call_list()` that turns our call object into a list of +calls representing the chained calls. + + + +Raising exceptions with mocks +----------------------------- + +A useful attribute is :attr:`~Mock.side_effect`. If you set this to an +exception class or instance then the exception will be raised when the mock +is called. + +.. doctest:: + + >>> mock = Mock(side_effect=Exception('Boom!')) + >>> mock() + Traceback (most recent call last): + ... + Exception: Boom! + + +Side effect functions and iterables +----------------------------------- + +`side_effect` can also be set to a function or an iterable. The use case for +`side_effect` as an iterable is where your mock is going to be called several +times, and you want each call to return a different value. When you set +`side_effect` to an iterable every call to the mock returns the next value +from the iterable: + +.. doctest:: + + >>> mock = MagicMock(side_effect=[4, 5, 6]) + >>> mock() + 4 + >>> mock() + 5 + >>> mock() + 6 + + +For more advanced use cases, like dynamically varying the return values +depending on what the mock is called with, `side_effect` can be a function. +The function will be called with the same arguments as the mock. Whatever the +function returns is what the call returns: + +.. doctest:: + + >>> vals = {(1, 2): 1, (2, 3): 2} + >>> def side_effect(*args): + ... return vals[args] + ... + >>> mock = MagicMock(side_effect=side_effect) + >>> mock(1, 2) + 1 + >>> mock(2, 3) + 2 + + +Creating a Mock from an Existing Object +--------------------------------------- + +One problem with over use of mocking is that it couples your tests to the +implementation of your mocks rather than your real code. Suppose you have a +class that implements `some_method`. In a test for another class, you +provide a mock of this object that *also* provides `some_method`. If later +you refactor the first class, so that it no longer has `some_method` - then +your tests will continue to pass even though your code is now broken! + +`Mock` allows you to provide an object as a specification for the mock, +using the `spec` keyword argument. Accessing methods / attributes on the +mock that don't exist on your specification object will immediately raise an +attribute error. If you change the implementation of your specification, then +tests that use that class will start failing immediately without you having to +instantiate the class in those tests. + +.. doctest:: + + >>> mock = Mock(spec=SomeClass) + >>> mock.old_method() + Traceback (most recent call last): + ... + AttributeError: object has no attribute 'old_method' + +If you want a stronger form of specification that prevents the setting +of arbitrary attributes as well as the getting of them then you can use +`spec_set` instead of `spec`. + + + +Patch Decorators +================ + +.. note:: + + With `patch` it matters that you patch objects in the namespace where they + are looked up. This is normally straightforward, but for a quick guide + read :ref:`where to patch <where-to-patch>`. + + +A common need in tests is to patch a class attribute or a module attribute, +for example patching a builtin or patching a class in a module to test that it +is instantiated. Modules and classes are effectively global, so patching on +them has to be undone after the test or the patch will persist into other +tests and cause hard to diagnose problems. + +mock provides three convenient decorators for this: `patch`, `patch.object` and +`patch.dict`. `patch` takes a single string, of the form +`package.module.Class.attribute` to specify the attribute you are patching. It +also optionally takes a value that you want the attribute (or class or +whatever) to be replaced with. 'patch.object' takes an object and the name of +the attribute you would like patched, plus optionally the value to patch it +with. + +`patch.object`: + +.. doctest:: + + >>> original = SomeClass.attribute + >>> @patch.object(SomeClass, 'attribute', sentinel.attribute) + ... def test(): + ... assert SomeClass.attribute == sentinel.attribute + ... + >>> test() + >>> assert SomeClass.attribute == original + + >>> @patch('package.module.attribute', sentinel.attribute) + ... def test(): + ... from package.module import attribute + ... assert attribute is sentinel.attribute + ... + >>> test() + +If you are patching a module (including `__builtin__`) then use `patch` +instead of `patch.object`: + +.. doctest:: + + >>> mock = MagicMock(return_value = sentinel.file_handle) + >>> with patch('__builtin__.open', mock): + ... handle = open('filename', 'r') + ... + >>> mock.assert_called_with('filename', 'r') + >>> assert handle == sentinel.file_handle, "incorrect file handle returned" + +The module name can be 'dotted', in the form `package.module` if needed: + +.. doctest:: + + >>> @patch('package.module.ClassName.attribute', sentinel.attribute) + ... def test(): + ... from package.module import ClassName + ... assert ClassName.attribute == sentinel.attribute + ... + >>> test() + +A nice pattern is to actually decorate test methods themselves: + +.. doctest:: + + >>> class MyTest(unittest2.TestCase): + ... @patch.object(SomeClass, 'attribute', sentinel.attribute) + ... def test_something(self): + ... self.assertEqual(SomeClass.attribute, sentinel.attribute) + ... + >>> original = SomeClass.attribute + >>> MyTest('test_something').test_something() + >>> assert SomeClass.attribute == original + +If you want to patch with a Mock, you can use `patch` with only one argument +(or `patch.object` with two arguments). The mock will be created for you and +passed into the test function / method: + +.. doctest:: + + >>> class MyTest(unittest2.TestCase): + ... @patch.object(SomeClass, 'static_method') + ... def test_something(self, mock_method): + ... SomeClass.static_method() + ... mock_method.assert_called_with() + ... + >>> MyTest('test_something').test_something() + +You can stack up multiple patch decorators using this pattern: + +.. doctest:: + + >>> class MyTest(unittest2.TestCase): + ... @patch('package.module.ClassName1') + ... @patch('package.module.ClassName2') + ... def test_something(self, MockClass2, MockClass1): + ... self.assertTrue(package.module.ClassName1 is MockClass1) + ... self.assertTrue(package.module.ClassName2 is MockClass2) + ... + >>> MyTest('test_something').test_something() + +When you nest patch decorators the mocks are passed in to the decorated +function in the same order they applied (the normal *python* order that +decorators are applied). This means from the bottom up, so in the example +above the mock for `test_module.ClassName2` is passed in first. + +There is also :func:`patch.dict` for setting values in a dictionary just +during a scope and restoring the dictionary to its original state when the test +ends: + +.. doctest:: + + >>> foo = {'key': 'value'} + >>> original = foo.copy() + >>> with patch.dict(foo, {'newkey': 'newvalue'}, clear=True): + ... assert foo == {'newkey': 'newvalue'} + ... + >>> assert foo == original + +`patch`, `patch.object` and `patch.dict` can all be used as context managers. + +Where you use `patch` to create a mock for you, you can get a reference to the +mock using the "as" form of the with statement: + +.. doctest:: + + >>> class ProductionClass(object): + ... def method(self): + ... pass + ... + >>> with patch.object(ProductionClass, 'method') as mock_method: + ... mock_method.return_value = None + ... real = ProductionClass() + ... real.method(1, 2, 3) + ... + >>> mock_method.assert_called_with(1, 2, 3) + + +As an alternative `patch`, `patch.object` and `patch.dict` can be used as +class decorators. When used in this way it is the same as applying the +decorator indvidually to every method whose name starts with "test". + +For some more advanced examples, see the :ref:`further-examples` page. |