[erlang-questions] Unit Testing gen_server callbacks

[Steve Strong]

I would much prefer the latter - i.e., to test the public interface.  Otherwise you will end up with brittle tests that become a maintenance headache.  That said, I have had occasions where some functionality was much easier to test through the internal implementation rather than through the public API, so I think it depends to a degree on the context.

Cheers,

Steve

--------------------------
Steve Strong
Director, id3as
+34 636451137
@srstrong



On Aug 14, 2012, at 9:57 AM, Jan Vincent Liwanag <jvliwanag@REDACTED> wrote:

> Given the following code:
> 
> adder.erl:
> 
> start(B) -> gen_server:start(?MODULE, B, []).
> add(Pid, N) -> gen_server:cast(Pid, {add, N}).
> get_total(Pid, N) -> gen_server:call(Pid, get_total).
> 
> init(Total) -> {ok, Total}.
> 
> handle_call(get_total, _From, Total) -> {reply, Total, Total}.
> handle_cast({add, N}, Total) -> {noreply, N+Total).
> 
> 
> It would be better to have a test such that:
> 
> {ok, P} = adder:start(0),
> adder:add(P, 5),
> adder:add(P, 3),
> adder:add(P, 2),
> ?assertEqual(10, adder:get_running_total()).
> 
> Rather than:
> 
> ?assertEqual({noreply, 12}, handle_cast({add, 5}, 7)).
> ?assertEqual({reply, 100, 100}, handle_call(get_total, somepid, 100)).
> 
> For one thing, if I change the gen_server state from an int to a record and fix up the code - the first set of tests should still succeed while the second won't.
> 
> On Aug 14, 2012, at 2:41 PM, Daniel Eliasson wrote:
> 
>> It should be easy enough to unit test such things, just run a handle_call with the right arguments, and verify that the output and new state is correct?
>> 
>> I don't think there's a need to actually start the gen_server itself and unit test the callbacks by going through gen_server:call, if that's what you mean. In what way do you find it to be fragile?
>> 
>> Best,
>> Daniel
>> 
>> On 14 August 2012 03:48, Jan Vincent Liwanag <jvliwanag@REDACTED> wrote:
>> Hi,
>> 
>> What are your thoughts on unit testing gen_server (or other gen_*) callbacks (handle_call, etc) directly? Is this an ok practice? Or should unit tests test only the public api?
>> 
>> On my end, I find testing gen_server callbacks to be rather fragile. Eager to hear out other thoughts.
>> 
>> Thanks,
>> 
>> Jan Vincent Liwanag
>> jvliwanag@REDACTED
>> +63 (999) 888-0247
>> 
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
>> erlang-questions mailing list
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>> 
>> 
> 
> Jan Vincent Liwanag
> jvliwanag@REDACTED
> +63 (999) 888-0247
> 
> _______________________________________________
> erlang-questions mailing list
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