Unit Testing Skill
Unit testing validates individual functions, methods, and classes in isolation by mocking all external dependencies.
Workflows
For guided, step-by-step execution of unit testing tasks, use the appropriate workflow:
Workflow Purpose When to Use Setup Initialize test infrastructure New project or missing test setup Writing Write new unit tests Creating tests for components Reviewing Review existing tests Code review, quality audit Running Execute tests Running tests, analyzing results Debugging Fix failing tests Tests failing, need diagnosis Optimizing Improve test performance Slow tests, maintainability Workflow Selection Guide
IMPORTANT: Before starting any testing task, identify the user's intent and load the appropriate workflow.
Detect User Intent → Select Workflow User Says / Wants Workflow to Load File "Set up tests", "configure Jest", "add testing to project", "install test dependencies" Setup workflows/setup-unit-test.md "Write tests", "add tests", "create tests", "test this service/controller" Writing workflows/writing-unit-test.md "Review tests", "check test quality", "audit tests", "are these tests good?" Reviewing workflows/reviewing-unit-test.md "Run tests", "execute tests", "check if tests pass", "show test results" Running workflows/running-unit-test.md "Fix tests", "debug tests", "tests are failing", "why is this test broken?" Debugging workflows/debugging-unit-test.md "Speed up tests", "optimize tests", "tests are slow", "fix open handles" Optimizing workflows/optimizing-unit-test.md Workflow Execution Protocol ALWAYS load the workflow file first - Read the full workflow before taking action Follow each step in order - Complete checkpoints before proceeding Load knowledge files as directed - Each workflow specifies which references/ files to read Verify compliance after completion - Re-read relevant reference files to ensure quality Knowledge Base Structure references/ ├── common/ # Core testing fundamentals │ ├── knowledge.md # Testing philosophy and test pyramid │ ├── rules.md # Mandatory testing rules (AAA, naming, coverage) │ ├── assertions.md # Assertion patterns and matchers │ ├── examples.md # Comprehensive examples by category │ ├── detect-open-handles.md # Open handle detection and cleanup │ └── performance-optimization.md # Jest runtime optimization │ ├── nestjs/ # NestJS component testing │ ├── services.md # Service/usecase testing patterns │ ├── controllers.md # Controller testing patterns │ ├── guards.md # Guard testing patterns │ ├── interceptors.md # Interceptor testing patterns │ └── pipes-filters.md # Pipe and filter testing │ ├── mocking/ # Mock patterns and strategies │ ├── deep-mocked.md # @golevelup/ts-jest patterns │ ├── jest-native.md # Jest.fn, spyOn, mock patterns │ └── factories.md # Test data factory patterns │ ├── repository/ # Repository testing │ ├── mongodb.md # mongodb-memory-server patterns │ └── postgres.md # pg-mem patterns │ ├── kafka/ # NestJS Kafka microservices testing │ └── kafka.md # ClientKafka, @MessagePattern, @EventPattern handlers │ └── redis/ # Redis cache testing └── redis.md # Cache operations, health checks, graceful degradation
Quick Reference by Task Write Unit Tests MANDATORY: Read references/common/rules.md - AAA pattern, naming, coverage Read references/common/assertions.md - Assertion best practices Read component-specific files: Services: references/nestjs/services.md Controllers: references/nestjs/controllers.md Guards: references/nestjs/guards.md Interceptors: references/nestjs/interceptors.md Pipes/Filters: references/nestjs/pipes-filters.md Setup Mocking Read references/mocking/deep-mocked.md - DeepMocked patterns Read references/mocking/jest-native.md - Native Jest patterns Read references/mocking/factories.md - Test data factories Test Repositories MongoDB: references/repository/mongodb.md PostgreSQL: references/repository/postgres.md Test Kafka (NestJS Microservices) Read references/kafka/kafka.md - ClientKafka mocking, @MessagePattern/@EventPattern handlers, emit/send testing Test Redis Read references/redis/redis.md - Cache operations, health checks, graceful degradation Examples Read references/common/examples.md for comprehensive patterns Optimize Test Performance Read references/common/performance-optimization.md - Worker config, caching, CI optimization Read references/common/detect-open-handles.md - Fix open handles preventing clean exit Debug Open Handles Read references/common/detect-open-handles.md - Detection commands, common handle types, cleanup patterns Core Principles 0. Context Efficiency (Temp File Output)
ALWAYS redirect unit test output to temp files, NOT console. Test output can be verbose and bloats agent context.
IMPORTANT: Use unique session ID in filenames to prevent conflicts when multiple agents run.
Initialize session (once at start of testing session)
export UT_SESSION=$(date +%s)-$$
Standard pattern - redirect output to temp file (NO console output)
npm test > /tmp/ut-${UT_SESSION}-output.log 2>&1
Read summary only (last 50 lines)
tail -50 /tmp/ut-${UT_SESSION}-output.log
Get failure details
grep -B 2 -A 15 "FAIL|✕" /tmp/ut-${UT_SESSION}-output.log
Cleanup when done
rm -f /tmp/ut-${UT_SESSION}-.log /tmp/ut-${UT_SESSION}-.md
Temp Files (with ${UT_SESSION} unique per agent):
/tmp/ut-${UT_SESSION}-output.log - Full test output /tmp/ut-${UT_SESSION}-failures.md - Tracking file for one-by-one fixing /tmp/ut-${UT_SESSION}-debug.log - Debug runs /tmp/ut-${UT_SESSION}-verify.log - Verification runs /tmp/ut-${UT_SESSION}-coverage.log - Coverage output 1. AAA Pattern (Mandatory)
ALL unit tests MUST follow Arrange-Act-Assert:
it('should return user when found', async () => { // Arrange const userId = 'user-123'; mockRepository.findById.mockResolvedValue({ id: userId, email: 'test@example.com', name: 'Test User', });
// Act const result = await target.getUser(userId);
// Assert expect(result).toEqual({ id: userId, email: 'test@example.com', name: 'Test User', }); expect(mockRepository.findById).toHaveBeenCalledWith(userId); });
- Use target for SUT
Always name the system under test as target:
let target: UserService;
let mockRepository: DeepMocked
- DeepMocked Pattern
Use @golevelup/ts-jest for type-safe mocks:
import { createMock, DeepMocked } from '@golevelup/ts-jest';
let mockService: DeepMocked
beforeEach(() => {
mockService = createMock
- Specific Assertions
Assert exact values, not just existence:
// WRONG expect(result).toBeDefined(); expect(result.id).toBeDefined();
// CORRECT expect(result).toEqual({ id: 'user-123', email: 'test@example.com', name: 'Test User', });
- Mock All Dependencies
Mock external services, never real databases for unit tests:
// Unit Test: Mock repository
// Repository Test: Use in-memory database const mongoServer = await createMongoMemoryServer();
Standard Test Template import { Test, TestingModule } from '@nestjs/testing'; import { createMock, DeepMocked } from '@golevelup/ts-jest'; import { MockLoggerService } from 'src/shared/logger/services/mock-logger.service';
describe('UserService', () => {
let target: UserService;
let mockRepository: DeepMocked
beforeEach(async () => {
// Arrange: Create mocks
mockRepository = createMock
const module: TestingModule = await Test.createTestingModule({
providers: [
UserService,
{ provide: UserRepository, useValue: mockRepository },
],
})
.setLogger(new MockLoggerService())
.compile();
target = module.get<UserService>(UserService);
});
afterEach(() => { jest.clearAllMocks(); });
describe('getUser', () => { it('should return user when found', async () => { // Arrange mockRepository.findById.mockResolvedValue({ id: 'user-123', email: 'test@example.com', });
// Act
const result = await target.getUser('user-123');
// Assert
expect(result).toEqual({ id: 'user-123', email: 'test@example.com' });
});
it('should throw NotFoundException when user not found', async () => {
// Arrange
mockRepository.findById.mockResolvedValue(null);
// Act & Assert
await expect(target.getUser('invalid')).rejects.toThrow(NotFoundException);
});
}); });
Test Coverage Requirements Category Priority Description Happy path MANDATORY Valid inputs producing expected outputs Edge cases MANDATORY Empty arrays, null values, boundaries Error cases MANDATORY Not found, validation failures Exception behavior MANDATORY Correct type, error code, message Business rules MANDATORY Domain logic, calculations Input validation MANDATORY Invalid inputs, type mismatches
Coverage Target: 80%+ for new code
Failure Resolution Protocol
CRITICAL: Fix ONE test at a time. NEVER run full suite repeatedly while fixing.
When unit tests fail:
Initialize session (once at start): export UT_SESSION=$(date +%s)-$$
Create tracking file: /tmp/ut-${UT_SESSION}-failures.md with all failing tests Select ONE failing test - work on only this test Run ONLY that test (never full suite): npm test -- -t "test name" > /tmp/ut-${UT_SESSION}-debug.log 2>&1 tail -50 /tmp/ut-${UT_SESSION}-debug.log
Fix the issue - analyze error, make targeted fix Verify fix - run same test 3-5 times: for i in {1..5}; do npm test -- -t "test name" > /tmp/ut-${UT_SESSION}-run$i.log 2>&1 && echo "Run $i: PASS" || echo "Run $i: FAIL"; done
Mark as FIXED in tracking file Move to next failing test - repeat steps 3-7 Run full suite ONLY ONCE after ALL individual tests pass Cleanup: rm -f /tmp/ut-${UT_SESSION}-.log /tmp/ut-${UT_SESSION}-.md
WHY: Running full suite wastes time and context. Each failing test pollutes output, making debugging harder.
Naming Conventions Test Files Pattern: *.spec.ts Location: Co-located with source file Test Structure describe('ClassName', () => { describe('methodName', () => { it('should [expected behavior] when [condition]', () => {}); }); });
Variable Names
Variable Convention
SUT target
Mocks mock prefix (mockRepository, mockService)
Mock Type DeepMocked
Do NOT create unit tests for:
Interfaces - Type definitions only, no runtime behavior Enums - Static value mappings, no logic to test Constants - Static values, no behavior Type aliases - Type definitions only Plain DTOs - Data structures without logic
Only test files containing executable logic (classes with methods, functions with behavior).
Anti-Patterns to Avoid Don't Why Do Instead Assert only existence Doesn't catch wrong values Assert specific values Conditional assertions Non-deterministic Separate test cases Test private methods Couples to implementation Test via public interface Share state between tests Causes flaky tests Fresh setup in beforeEach Mock repositories in services Tests implementation Mock interfaces Skip mock verification Doesn't validate behavior Verify mock calls Test interfaces/enums/constants No behavior to test Skip these files Checklist
Setup:
Use target for system under test
Use mock prefix for all mocks
Use DeepMocked
Coverage:
Happy path tests for all public methods Edge case tests (empty, null, boundaries) Error case tests (not found, validation failures) Exception type and error code verification Mock call verification (parameters + count)
Quality:
80%+ coverage on new code No assertions on log calls No test interdependence Tests fail when any field differs