unit-test-generator

Unit Test Generator

Automatically generate comprehensive unit tests for your code.

Core Capabilities

This skill helps you generate high-quality unit tests by:

1. Analyzing source code - Understanding function/class behavior and contracts
2. Identifying test cases - Determining happy paths, edge cases, and error conditions
3. Matching style - Following existing test patterns and conventions in your codebase
4. Generating tests - Creating complete, runnable test code
5. Explaining coverage - Documenting what each test validates

Test Generation Workflow

Step 1: Analyze the Code to Test

Examine the source code to understand:

Function Signature:

• Parameters and their types
• Return type
• Exceptions raised

Function Behavior:

• What the function does
• Preconditions and postconditions
• Side effects (DB writes, API calls, file I/O)
• Dependencies on other code

Example Analysis:

def calculate_discount(price: float, discount_percent: float) -> float:
    """Calculate discounted price.

    Args:
        price: Original price (must be positive)
        discount_percent: Discount percentage (0-100)

    Returns:
        Discounted price

    Raises:
        ValueError: If price is negative or discount is invalid
    """
    if price < 0:
        raise ValueError("Price cannot be negative")
    if not 0 <= discount_percent <= 100:
        raise ValueError("Discount must be between 0 and 100")

    return price * (1 - discount_percent / 100)

Analysis:

• Takes two floats, returns float
• Validates price >= 0
• Validates discount in [0, 100]
• Raises ValueError for invalid inputs
• Pure function (no side effects)

Step 2: Identify Test Cases

Determine all test scenarios using the Comprehensive Coverage approach:

1. Happy Path Tests - Normal, expected usage

• Valid inputs that should succeed
• Typical use cases

2. Edge Case Tests - Boundary conditions

• Zero values
• Maximum/minimum values
• Empty inputs
• Single element inputs

3. Error Condition Tests - Invalid inputs

• Null/None values
• Negative numbers (when positive expected)
• Out-of-range values
• Type mismatches (if applicable)
• Invalid states

4. Special Cases - Domain-specific scenarios

• Floating point precision
• String encoding issues
• Date/time edge cases (leap years, time zones)
• Concurrency issues

Example Test Cases for calculate_discount:

Step 3: Examine Existing Test Patterns

Before generating tests, analyze existing tests in the codebase to match style:

Look for:

• Test file naming convention (test_*.py, *_test.py, *Test.java)
• Test class structure (if used)
• Assertion style (assert, self.assertEqual, assertThat)
• Fixture/setup patterns
• Mocking patterns
• Test organization (Arrange-Act-Assert, Given-When-Then)
• Naming conventions (test_function_does_something, testFunctionDoesSomething)

Python Example - Analyze Existing Tests:

# If existing tests use this pattern:
class TestUserService:
    @pytest.fixture
    def user_service(self):
        return UserService()

    def test_create_user_with_valid_data_succeeds(self, user_service):
        # Arrange
        user_data = {"name": "Alice", "email": "[email protected]"}

        # Act
        user = user_service.create_user(user_data)

        # Assert
        assert user.name == "Alice"
        assert user.email == "[email protected]"

Pattern Identified:

• Class-based test organization
• pytest fixtures
• Descriptive test names with underscores
• Arrange-Act-Assert comments
• Direct assertions using assert

Java Example - Analyze Existing Tests:

// If existing tests use this pattern:
public class UserServiceTest {
    private UserService userService;

    @Before
    public void setUp() {
        userService = new UserService();
    }

    @Test
    public void testCreateUserWithValidData() {
        // given
        UserData data = new UserData("Alice", "[email protected]");

        // when
        User user = userService.createUser(data);

        // then
        assertEquals("Alice", user.getName());
        assertEquals("[email protected]", user.getEmail());
    }
}

Pattern Identified:

• JUnit 4 style with @Before setup
• Given-When-Then comments
• assertEquals assertions
• Test method prefix test

Step 4: Generate Test Code

Create complete, runnable tests following the identified patterns.

Test Structure Template:

1. Test file/class setup
2. Fixtures/setup methods (if needed)
3. Happy path tests
4. Edge case tests
5. Error condition tests
6. Cleanup/teardown (if needed)

Python Example - Generated Tests:

See references/test_patterns.md for full example with 9 comprehensive tests covering happy paths, edge cases, and error conditions.

Java Example - Generated Tests:

See references/test_patterns.md for full JUnit example with comprehensive coverage.

Step 5: Handle Dependencies and Mocking

When the code under test has dependencies (databases, APIs, external services), generate tests with appropriate mocks.

Identify Dependencies:

• External API calls
• Database queries
• File system operations
• Time/date dependencies
• Random number generation
• Other service classes

Python Mocking Pattern:

@pytest.fixture
def mock_dependency():
    return Mock()

def test_with_mock(mock_dependency):
    # Arrange
    mock_dependency.method.return_value = expected_value

    # Act
    result = code_under_test(mock_dependency)

    # Assert
    mock_dependency.method.assert_called_once()
    assert result == expected_value

Java Mocking Pattern (Mockito):

@Mock
private Dependency dependency;

@Test
public void testWithMock() {
    // given
    when(dependency.method()).thenReturn(expectedValue);

    // when
    Result result = codeUnderTest(dependency);

    // then
    verify(dependency).method();
    assertEquals(expectedValue, result);
}

For detailed mocking examples, see references/test_patterns.md.

Step 6: Add Documentation and Coverage Summary

Include comments explaining:

• What each test validates
• Why edge cases are important
• Coverage achieved

Coverage Summary Example:

"""
Test coverage for calculate_discount function:

Happy Path (3 tests):
- Normal discount calculation
- Zero discount (no change)
- Full discount (price becomes 0)

Edge Cases (3 tests):
- Zero price
- Very small discount percentage
- Large price values

Error Conditions (3 tests):
- Negative price
- Discount > 100%
- Negative discount

Total: 9 tests covering all execution paths
"""

Advanced Patterns

Parameterized Tests

For testing multiple similar scenarios efficiently.

Python (pytest):

@pytest.mark.parametrize("price,discount,expected", [
    (100, 20, 80),
    (100, 0, 100),
    (100, 100, 0),
    (50, 10, 45),
    (200, 25, 150),
])
def test_calculate_discount_various_inputs(price, discount, expected):
    result = calculate_discount(price, discount)
    assert result == expected

Java (JUnit 5):

@ParameterizedTest
@CsvSource({
    "100.0, 20.0, 80.0",
    "100.0, 0.0, 100.0",
    "100.0, 100.0, 0.0"
})
void testCalculateDiscountVariousInputs(double price, double discount, double expected) {
    assertEquals(expected, calculator.calculateDiscount(price, discount), 0.001);
}

Testing Classes with State

For classes that maintain state across method calls, see references/test_patterns.md for complete examples of:

• Fixture setup for stateful objects
• Testing state transitions
• Testing side effects
• Cleanup and teardown

Framework-Specific Guidance

Python (pytest)

Key patterns:

• Use @pytest.fixture for setup/teardown
• Use @pytest.mark.parametrize for data-driven tests
• Use pytest.raises() for exception testing
• Use pytest.approx() for floating point comparisons
• Use mocker fixture (pytest-mock) for mocking

Test file naming: test_*.py or *_test.py

Python (unittest)

Key patterns:

• Inherit from unittest.TestCase
• Use setUp() and tearDown() methods
• Use self.assertEqual(), self.assertTrue(), etc.
• Use self.assertRaises() for exceptions
• Use unittest.mock for mocking

Java (JUnit 4)

Key patterns:

• Use @Before and @After for setup/teardown
• Use @Test annotation on test methods
• Use assertEquals(), assertTrue(), etc.
• Use @Test(expected = Exception.class) for exceptions
• Use Mockito for mocking

Java (JUnit 5)

Key patterns:

• Use @BeforeEach and @AfterEach
• Use @Test annotation
• Use assertEquals(), assertThrows(), etc.
• Use @ParameterizedTest for data-driven tests
• Use @ExtendWith(MockitoExtension.class) for Mockito

Best Practices

1. One assertion per test (generally) - Makes failures clear
2. Test behavior, not implementation - Tests should survive refactoring
3. Use descriptive test names - Name should explain what and why
4. Follow AAA pattern - Arrange, Act, Assert (or Given-When-Then)
5. Keep tests independent - Tests shouldn't depend on each other
6. Mock external dependencies - Tests should be fast and reliable
7. Test edge cases - Don't just test the happy path
8. Use fixtures/setup wisely - Share setup but avoid complex fixtures
9. Verify error messages - Not just exception type
10. Keep tests simple - If test is complex, code might be too

Resources

• references/test_patterns.md - Complete examples for common scenarios (mocking, stateful classes, async code, database operations, file I/O)
• references/assertion_guide.md - Framework-specific assertion reference and best practices

Quick Reference