testing-best-practices

Testing Best Practices

Widget Testing

• Always use flutter test (not dart test) for widget tests
• Use mock implementations for abstract classes and platform interfaces
• For WebView tests, inject a mock platform and use a test controller wrapper
• Use findsWidgets instead of findsOneWidget for components that may have multiple instances
• Use ancestor finders for specific widget hierarchy checks
• For context menu and right-click, verify structure rather than simulating clicks
• Always provide bounded constraints (e.g., wrap in SizedBox) to avoid RenderBox layout errors
• Clean up unused imports and test helpers after refactors

Parser Testing

• Use barrel files to export related types, especially for AST nodes
• For error reporting, always use the appropriate method (e.g., reportStandardError vs reportError)
• Create mock implementations that match interfaces exactly
• Update assertions to use flexible matchers when appropriate
• Test parser components independently before integration testing

General Testing

• Follow the test categories in specs/testing_plan.md
• Use the appropriate test runner script from the scripts/ directory
• Generate necessary code before running tests (scripts/generate_code.sh)
• For import conflicts, use explicit import prefixes or hide directives
• Ensure test mocks match the interface exactly (return types, parameters, etc.)
• For golden tests, always specify the platform to ensure consistency