[wp-trac] [WordPress Trac] #53119: Tests: introduce naming conventions for data providers and use named test cases

[WordPress Trac]

#53119: Tests: introduce naming conventions for data providers and use named test
cases
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 Reporter:  jrf               |       Owner:  (none)
     Type:  task (blessed)    |      Status:  new
 Priority:  normal            |   Milestone:  Awaiting Review
Component:  Build/Test Tools  |     Version:
 Severity:  normal            |  Resolution:
 Keywords:                    |     Focuses:  docs
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Comment (by jrf):

 @pbiron I see your point. Having the data providers always at the bottom
 of the class makes it very ''predictable''.

 However, good test functions are short, a few lines at most, so even when
 the data provider would be for three tests, in most cases, having the data
 provider follow the tests it applies to, would still mean that both the
 tests as well as the (start of) the data provider function would fit onto
 one screen, making it easy to understand what the data sets mean as the
 parameter descriptions for the test functions are on that same screen.

 This would rarely be the case when the data providers are at the bottom of
 the file, which implies that you'd ''always'' have to jump around the file
 to figure out what the various parts of each data set means, raising the
 cognitive complexity.

 Now, you might say: "hang on, but there are a lot of test functions which
 aren't short"....
 In that case, you would be correct, but I did say I was talking about
 ''good'' test functions.

 As soon as a test function needs more than a few lines, it generally is a
 sign that the function under test is too complex and should be split up or
 even be a class instead of a function. So, complex tests in more a symptom
 of an underlying architectural problem and should not be guiding us in
 this.

 > Both the proposal and your way provide consistency when applied
 consistently. Both can aid in making the test suite more consistent.
 Consistency can help contributors to know how to structure tests. That's a
 win.

 And on this I have to agree with @hellofromTonya: anything is better than
 the messy inconsistency we currently have... 🥴


 Another thing which comes to my mind while reading though this discussion,
 is: what about test helper functions ? Should we set a convention for the
 placement of those ?

 In my ''opinion'', test ''helper'' functions should always be at the
 bottom of a test class (or in an abstract test case). What do you think ?

-- 
Ticket URL: <https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/53119#comment:7>
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