Testing Best Practices

This document outlines testing patterns and practices used in the Eidetica codebase, focusing on integration testing, test organization, and comprehensive validation strategies.

Testing Architecture

1. Integration-First Testing Strategy

Eidetica uses a single integration test binary approach rather than unit tests, organized in tests/it/ with modules mirroring the main codebase structure.

Key principle: Test through public interfaces to validate real-world usage patterns.

2. Test Module Organization

Each test module mirrors the main codebase structure, with mod.rs for declarations, helpers.rs for utilities, and separate files for different features.

3. Comprehensive Test Helpers

The codebase provides helper functions in tests/it/helpers.rs for common setup scenarios and module-specific helpers for specialized testing needs.

Authentication Testing Patterns

The auth module provides specialized helpers for testing authentication scenarios, including key creation macros, permission setup utilities, and operation validation helpers.

Permission Testing

Test authentication and authorization systematically using the auth module helpers to verify different permission levels and access control scenarios.

CRDT Testing

Test CRDT properties including merge semantics, conflict resolution, and deterministic behavior. The crdt module provides specialized helpers for testing commutativity, associativity, and idempotency of CRDT operations.

Performance Testing

Performance testing can be done using criterion benchmarks alongside integration tests. Consider memory allocation patterns and operation timing in critical paths.

Error Testing

Comprehensive error testing ensures robust error handling throughout the system. Test both error conditions and recovery scenarios to validate system resilience.

Test Data Management

Create realistic test data using builder patterns for complex scenarios. Consider property-based testing for CRDT operations to validate mathematical properties like commutativity, associativity, and idempotency.

Test Organization

Organize tests by functionality and use environment variables for test configuration. Use #[ignore] for expensive tests that should only run on demand.

Testing Anti-Patterns to Avoid

• Overly complex test setup - Keep setup minimal and use helpers
• Testing implementation details - Test behavior through public interfaces
• Flaky tests with timing dependencies - Avoid sleep() and timing assumptions
• Buried assertions - Make test intent clear with obvious assertions

Summary

Effective testing in Eidetica provides:

• Integration-focused approach that tests real-world usage patterns
• Comprehensive helpers that reduce test boilerplate and improve maintainability
• Authentication testing that validates security and permission systems
• CRDT testing that ensures merge semantics and conflict resolution work correctly
• Performance testing that validates system behavior under load
• Error condition testing that ensures robust error handling and recovery

Following these patterns ensures the codebase maintains high quality and reliability as it evolves.