Setting up your Node.js App

• Avoid initializing anything outside of functions.
• Wrap your whole application in a single boot entry point.

Setting up your Node.js App

const postgreService = require('./services/postgre.service');
const webService = require('./services/web.service');

const app = module.exports = {};

app.init = Promise.method(function () {
    return Promise.all([
        postgreService.init(),
        // ... any other low-level / datastore service
    ])
        .then(function () {
            return Promise.all([
                webService.init(),
                // ... other high-level services
            ]);
        });
});

// Determine if module was the execution entry point
const isStandAlone = require.main === module;

if (isStandAlone) {
  app.init();
}

index.js

Application Boot

Standalone Test

Ignition

Tests Directory Structure

- /test/
|-- asserts/
|-- e2e/
|-- fixtures/
|-- lib/
|-- unit/

test/asserts/

Perform standardized tests on your models

Tests Directory Structure

• Test expected properties of Object
• Test expected types of Object
• Test expected values of Object

test/asserts/

Tests Directory Structure

const chai = require('chai');
const expect = chai.expect;

const itemTests = module.exports = {};

itemTests.runAll = function (item) {
  itemTests.testProperties(item);
  itemTests.testTypes(item);
  itemTests.testValues(item);
};

Part 1/2

test/asserts/

Tests Directory Structure

itemTests.testProperties = function (item) {
  expect(item).to.be.an('object');

  expect(item).to.have.keys([
    'id',
    'name',
  ]);
};

itemTests.testTypes = function (item) {
  expect(item.id).to.be.a('string');
  expect(item.name).to.be.a('string');
};

itemTests.testValues = function (item) {
  expect(item.id.length).to.equal(12);
  expect(item.name).to.match(/^[\w]{3,8}$/);
};

Part 2/2

test/fixtures/

Tests Directory Structure

• Easy creation of input data.
• Use faker for randomizing data.
• Definitely not idempotent functions.

test/fixtures/

Tests Directory Structure

test/fixtures/account.fix.js

const faker = require('faker');

const phoneFix = require('./phone-numbers.fix');

const accountFix = module.exports = {};

accountFix.minFields = () => ({
  name: faker.name.firstName(),
  phone_number: phoneFix.getUS(),
});

test/lib/

Tests Directory Structure

• Contains master test boot "test.lib.js" (more next).

• Libraries to perform all e2e requests per model.
  • As stand-alone methods.
  • As Mocha Setup Cases.

test/lib/test.lib.js

Tests Directory Structure

• Is included by all tests.
• Has two master methods to boot for e2e and unit.
  • e2e practically boots up your Node.js App.
  • Unit boot prepares anything you need to have ready.
• Contains any commonly used helpers.

test/lib/account.lib.js

Tests Directory Structure

• Provide methods to create account[s] of all types (?).
• Provide methods to setup mocha with new accounts.

test/lib/account.lib.js

Tests Directory Structure

const axios = require('axios');

const accountFix = require('../fixtures/account.fix');

const accountLib = module.exports = {};

accountLib.setupOne = function() {
    beforeEach(function () {
        const accountData = accountFix.one();
        return accountLib.create(accountData)
            .then((accountRecord) => {
                this.accountOne = accountRecord;
            });
    });    
};

accountLib.create = function (accountData) {
    return axios.post('/account/', accountData)
        .then(function (res) {
            return res.data;
        });
}

Putting it all together

Test Account Creation

Putting it all together

const expect = require('chai').expect;

const testLib = require('../lib/test.lib');
const accountFix = require('../fixtures/account.fix');
const accountLib = require('../lib/account.lib');
const accountAssert = require('../asserts/account.assert');

describe('Account Create', function () {
  testLib.init();

  describe('Nominal behaviors', function() {
    it('Should create an account and get expected outcome', function () {
      const accountData = accountFix.one();
      return accountLib.create(accountData)  
        .then((accountRecord) => {
            accountAssert.runAll(accountRecord);
        });
    });
  });
});

Test Account Creation

Putting it all together

Important points:

• Wrap all your test cases in a single "describe" statement, so you can easily skip the whole suite.
• Wrap your tests in double "describe" statements, you will need it to better setup your cases (more on that later).

Test Account Creation

Putting it all together

const expect = require('chai').expect;

const testLib = require('../lib/test.lib');
const accountLib = require('../lib/account.lib');
const eventsFix = require('../fix/events.fix');
const eventsLib = require('../lib/events.lib');
const eventsAssert = require('../asserts/events.assert');

describe('Create Event', function () {
  testLib.init();

  describe('Nominal behaviors', function() {
    accountLib.setupOne();

    it.only('Should create an account and get expected outcome', function () {
      const eventData = eventFix.one();
      return eventLib.create(this.accountOne.id, eventData)  
        .then((eventRecord) => {
            eventAssert.runAll(eventRecord);
        });
    });
  });
});

Test Account Creation

Putting it all together

More points:

• Avoid inlining actual XHR calls in tests.
  • Make your helper methods flexible.
  • Reserve that only for very edge cases.
• Beware of context.