Testing Bundle Laravel Package

Getting Started

Minimal Setup

1. Installation:

   composer require-dev braincrafted/testing-bundle
   

   Ensure you’re using a version compatible with your Symfony version (e.g., v0.3.* for Symfony 2.4–2.5).

2. Enable the Bundle: Add to app/AppKernel.php:

   $bundles[] = new Braincrafted\TestingBundle\BraincraftedTestingBundle();
   

3. First Use Case: Extend WebTestCase in your test class:

   use Braincrafted\TestingBundle\Tests\WebTestCase;
   
   class MyTest extends WebTestCase
   {
       public function testExample()
       {
           $client = static::createClient();
           $client->request('GET', '/');
           $this->assertTrue($client->getResponse()->isSuccessful());
       }
   }
   

4. Key Features:

   • Automatically drops and recreates the database schema before each test.
   • Loads fixtures from src/Acme/DemoBundle/DataFixtures/ (or configured path).
   • Requires DoctrineFixturesBundle for fixture loading.

Implementation Patterns

Workflow: Isolated Functional Tests

1. Test Class Structure: Extend WebTestCase for all functional tests requiring a fresh database state:

   abstract class FunctionalTestCase extends WebTestCase
   {
       // Shared setup/teardown logic
   }
   

2. Fixture Loading:

   • Place fixtures in src/{Bundle}/DataFixtures/{ORM|MongoDB}/.
   • Fixtures are loaded automatically before each test method (not class).
   • Example fixture (UserFixture.php):

     namespace Acme\DemoBundle\DataFixtures\ORM;
     use Doctrine\Common\DataFixtures\FixtureInterface;
     use Doctrine\Common\Persistence\ObjectManager;
     
     class UserFixture implements FixtureInterface
     {
         public function load(ObjectManager $manager)
         {
             $user = new User();
             $user->setEmail('test@example.com');
             $manager->persist($user);
             $manager->flush();
         }
     }
     

3. Database Isolation:

   • Schema is dropped and recreated before each test method.
   • Useful for tests that modify data (e.g., CRUD operations, migrations).

4. Client Management:

   • Reuse the client across tests in the same class:

     public function testLogin()
     {
         $client = static::createClient();
         $client->request('POST', '/login', ['email' => 'test@example.com']);
         $this->assertTrue($client->getCookieJar()->has('PHPSESSID'));
     }
     
     public function testDashboard()
     {
         $client = static::createClient(); // New client (fresh session)
         $client->request('GET', '/dashboard');
         // ...
     }
     

5. Integration with Other Tools:

   • Combine with PHPUnit’s @depends for test dependencies:

     public function testCreatePost()
     {
         // ...
     }
     
     /**
      * @depends testCreatePost
      */
     public function testListPosts()
     {
         $client = static::createClient();
         $client->request('GET', '/posts');
         // ...
     }
     

Gotchas and Tips

Pitfalls

1. Fixture Loading Order:

   • Fixtures are loaded alphabetically by default. Use OrderedFixtureInterface or @Order annotations to control order:

     use Doctrine\Common\DataFixtures\OrderedFixtureInterface;
     
     class UserFixture implements FixtureInterface, OrderedFixtureInterface
     {
         public function getOrder()
         {
             return 1; // Load before other fixtures
         }
     }
     

2. Performance Overhead:

   • Dropping/recreating the schema before each test is slow. Use sparingly for tests that truly need isolation.
   • For faster tests, extend WebTestCase but override setUp() to skip schema recreation:

     protected function setUp()
     {
         // Skip schema recreation for this test class
         $this->skipSchemaRecreation = true;
         parent::setUp();
     }
     

3. Missing Fixtures Directory:

   • The bundle expects fixtures in src/{Bundle}/DataFixtures/. If missing, tests will fail silently. Ensure the directory exists or configure a custom path in config.yml:

     braincrafted_testing:
         fixtures_dir: '%kernel.root_dir%/../src/Acme/DemoBundle/DataFixtures'
     

4. DoctrineFixturesBundle Dependency:

   • The bundle requires doctrine/doctrine-fixtures-bundle. Add it to composer.json if missing:

     composer require --dev doctrine/doctrine-fixtures-bundle
     

5. Symfony 3/4+ Compatibility:

   • This bundle is not maintained for Symfony 3+. For newer versions, consider alternatives like:
     • liip/functional-test-bundle
     • Symfony’s built-in KernelTestCase with custom setup.

Debugging Tips

1. Schema Recreation Failures:

   • Check for SQL errors in var/log/test.log. Common causes:
     • Missing database credentials in .env.test.
     • Foreign key constraints not dropped (use DOCTRINE_ORM_SCHEMA_FILTER in .env.test to exclude problematic tables).

2. Fixture Loading Issues:

   • Enable verbose fixture loading:

     # config_test.yml
     doctrine:
         orm:
             filters:
                 schema_filter: ~
     

   • Check var/log/test.log for fixture-related errors.

3. Client State Leaks:

   • If tests interfere due to shared client state (e.g., sessions), create a new client per test:

     public function testA()
     {
         $client = static::createClient();
         // ...
     }
     
     public function testB()
     {
         $client = static::createClient(); // Fresh client
         // ...
     }
     

Extension Points

1. Custom Fixture Directories: Override the fixture directory in config_test.yml:

   braincrafted_testing:
       fixtures_dir: ['%kernel.root_dir%/../data/fixtures', '%kernel.root_dir%/../src/Acme/DemoBundle/DataFixtures']
   

2. Skip Schema Recreation: Disable schema recreation for specific test classes:

   class FastTest extends WebTestCase
   {
       protected function setUp()
       {
           $this->skipSchemaRecreation = true;
           parent::setUp();
       }
   }
   

3. Add Custom Services: Override getClientOptions() to inject test-specific services:

   protected function getClientOptions()
   {
       $options = parent::getClientOptions();
       $options['debug'] = true;
       $options['parameters'] = [
           'kernel.test' => true,
           'custom_service' => $this->createTestService(),
       ];
       return $options;
   }