Learn Web Development with Python

The anatomy of a test

Before we concentrate on unit tests, let's see what a test is, and what its purpose is.

A test is a piece of code whose purpose is to verify something in our system. It may be that we're calling a function passing two integers, that an object has a property called donald_duck, or that when you place an order on some API, after a minute you can see it dissected into its basic elements, in the database.

A test is typically composed of three sections:

• Preparation: This is where you set up the scene. You prepare all the data, the objects, and the services you need in the places you need them so that they are ready to be used.
• Execution: This is where you execute the bit of logic that you're checking against. You perform ...