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When do you not need a unit test?
When doing the unit test, you really should try to ignore how the method does its work. Simply provide the 3 inputs and verify that the output is correct. State is evil. The following function does not need a unit test because it has no side effects and it is well understood what it does and what it does not do.
Do you test all branches or all conditions?
For this reason, most people don’t bother with full combinatorial coverage. Usually testing all branches (or all conditions), will be good enough for catching bugs. Adding the extra tests for combinatorial testing won’t usually catch more bugs, but requires a lot of effort to create and maintain.
When to use Otoh to write unit tests?
OTOH time to write unit tests is usually a scarce resource. So strive to find the best way to spend the limited time you have. E.g. if you have another important method with 0% coverage, it may be better to write a couple of unit tests to cover that one, rather than to add extra tests for this method.
So changing another part of the codebase should not affect a unit test case. Simply put, if you have a unit test case that doesn’t run without a proper setup or malfunctions in the presence of one, you haven’t written a unit test case. Now before we dive further, let’s first understand the need for a unit test.
How does a unit test work with a use case?
A unit test case works with something specific about a functionality, it doesn’t cover it entirely. It’s a bad practice to create something called testAllThings and call every method in the namespace. Another important aspect of a unit test is that it works with the use case in isolation.
Which is an important aspect of a unit test?
Another important aspect of a unit test is that it works with the use case in isolation. Which means it should not depend or be bothered by any external entity. So changing another part of the codebase should not affect a unit test case.
When to not change a unit test case?
Which means it should not depend or be bothered by any external entity. So changing another part of the codebase should not affect a unit test case. Simply put, if you have a unit test case that doesn’t run without a proper setup or malfunctions in the presence of one, you haven’t written a unit test case.