typescript-testing-backend

TypeScript Testing Rules (Backend)

Test Framework

• Vitest: Primary test runner
• Supertest: For HTTP endpoint testing
• fast-check: For property-based testing
• Test imports: import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, vi } from 'vitest'
• Mock creation: Use vi.mock()

Basic Testing Policy

Quality Requirements

• Coverage: Unit test coverage must be 70% or higher (backend standard)
• Independence: Each test can run independently without depending on other tests
• Reproducibility: Tests are environment-independent and always return the same results
• Readability: Test code maintains the same quality as production code

Coverage Requirements

Mandatory: Unit test coverage must be 70% or higher

Layer-specific targets:

• Services (Business Logic): 80% or higher
• Controllers (API Layer): 70% or higher
• Repositories (Data Access): 60% or higher — focus on custom query methods
• Utils/Helpers: 80% or higher
• Guards/Interceptors/Pipes: 70% or higher

Metrics: Statements, Branches, Functions, Lines

Test Types and Scope

1. Unit Tests

   • Verify behavior of individual services, functions, or classes
   • Mock all external dependencies (DB, APIs, message queues)
   • Most numerous, implemented with fine granularity
   • Focus on business logic correctness

2. Integration Tests

   • Verify coordination between layers (Controller → Service → Repository)
   • Use real database (test instance) or in-memory database
   • Use real HTTP through Supertest
   • Test API contracts end-to-end within the service

3. Property-Based Tests (fast-check)

   • Verify invariants hold across random inputs
   • Use for: parsers, validators, serializers, mathematical operations
   • Complement example-based tests — do not replace them

Red-Green-Refactor Process (Test-First Development)

Recommended Principle: Always start code changes with tests

Development Steps:

1. Red: Write test for expected behavior (it fails)
2. Green: Pass test with minimal implementation
3. Refactor: Improve code while maintaining passing tests

NG Cases (Test-first not required):

• Pure configuration file changes (nest-cli.json, ormconfig.ts, etc.)
• Documentation-only updates
• Emergency production incident response (post-incident tests mandatory)

Test Design Principles

Test Case Structure

• Tests consist of three stages: "Arrange," "Act," "Assert"
• Clear naming that shows purpose of each test
• One test case verifies only one behavior

Test Data Management

• Manage test data in __tests__/ directories or co-located with source
• Use factory functions or builder patterns for test data creation
• Always mock sensitive information (API keys, credentials)
• Keep test data minimal — only data directly related to test verification
• Use database fixtures or seeding for integration tests

Mock and Stub Usage Policy

Recommended: Mock external dependencies in unit tests

• Mock database connections, external API clients, message queues
• Mock at the boundary — not internal functions

For integration tests: Use real dependencies

• Real database (test instance or in-memory like SQLite)
• Real HTTP stack through Supertest
• Mock only truly external services (third-party APIs)

Test Failure Response Decision Criteria

Fix tests: Wrong expected values, implementation detail coupling, flaky assertions Fix implementation: Valid business rules, edge cases, contract violations When in doubt: Confirm with user

Test Implementation Conventions

Directory Structure

src/
├── users/
│   ├── users.service.ts
│   ├── users.controller.ts
│   ├── __tests__/
│   │   ├── users.service.test.ts
│   │   ├── users.controller.test.ts
│   │   └── users.integration.test.ts
│   └── index.ts

Rationale:

• __tests__/ directory convention for backend projects
• Clear separation between unit and integration tests
• Easy to find and maintain tests alongside implementation

Naming Conventions

• Test files: {module}.{layer}.test.ts (e.g., users.service.test.ts)
• Integration test files: {feature}.integration.test.ts
• Test suites: Names describing target module or feature
• Test cases: Names describing expected behavior from caller perspective

Test Code Quality Rules

Recommended: Keep all tests always active

• Fix problematic tests and activate them

Avoid: test.skip() or commenting out

• Creates test gaps and incomplete quality checks
• Solution: Completely delete unnecessary tests

Service Testing Patterns

Unit Testing Services

import { describe, it, expect, vi, beforeEach } from 'vitest'
import { UserService } from '../users.service'

describe('UserService', () => {
  let service: UserService
  let mockRepository: { findOne: ReturnType<typeof vi.fn>; save: ReturnType<typeof vi.fn> }

  beforeEach(() => {
    mockRepository = {
      findOne: vi.fn(),
      save: vi.fn(),
    }
    service = new UserService(mockRepository as any)
  })

  it('should return user when found', async () => {
    const expectedUser = { id: '1', name: 'John', email: 'john@example.com' }
    mockRepository.findOne.mockResolvedValue(expectedUser)

    const result = await service.findById('1')

    expect(result).toEqual(expectedUser)
    expect(mockRepository.findOne).toHaveBeenCalledWith({ where: { id: '1' } })
  })

  it('should throw NotFoundError when user not found', async () => {
    mockRepository.findOne.mockResolvedValue(null)

    await expect(service.findById('999')).rejects.toThrow(NotFoundError)
  })
})

Integration Testing with Supertest

import { describe, it, expect, beforeAll, afterAll } from 'vitest'
import request from 'supertest'
import { createApp } from '../app'

describe('POST /api/users', () => {
  let app: Express

  beforeAll(async () => {
    app = await createApp({ database: 'test' })
  })

  afterAll(async () => {
    await app.close()
  })

  it('should create user and return 201', async () => {
    const response = await request(app)
      .post('/api/users')
      .send({ name: 'Jane', email: 'jane@example.com' })
      .expect(201)

    expect(response.body).toMatchObject({
      name: 'Jane',
      email: 'jane@example.com',
    })
    expect(response.body.id).toBeDefined()
  })

  it('should return 400 for invalid email', async () => {
    await request(app)
      .post('/api/users')
      .send({ name: 'Jane', email: 'not-an-email' })
      .expect(400)
  })
})

Property-Based Testing with fast-check

import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest'
import fc from 'fast-check'
import { parseUserId } from '../utils/parse-user-id'

describe('parseUserId', () => {
  it('should round-trip: format(parse(id)) === id for valid UUIDs', () => {
    fc.assert(
      fc.property(fc.uuid(), (uuid) => {
        const parsed = parseUserId(uuid)
        expect(parsed.toString()).toBe(uuid)
      })
    )
  })

  it('should reject non-UUID strings', () => {
    fc.assert(
      fc.property(
        fc.string().filter((s) => !isValidUuid(s)),
        (invalidId) => {
          expect(() => parseUserId(invalidId)).toThrow()
        }
      )
    )
  })
})

Test Quality Criteria

Literal Expected Values

Use hardcoded literal values for assertions:

expect(calculatePrice(100, 0.1)).toBe(110)
expect(formatDate(new Date('2025-01-15'))).toBe('2025-01-15')
expect(user.role).toBe('admin')

Result-Based Verification

Verify final results and outcomes:

expect(mockRepository.save).toHaveBeenCalledWith({ name: 'test', email: 'test@example.com' })
expect(result).toEqual({ id: '1', status: 'created' })
expect(response.statusCode).toBe(201)

Meaningful Assertions

Every test must include at least one expect() that validates observable behavior.

Appropriate Mock Scope

Mock only direct external I/O dependencies. Internal utilities use real implementations:

vi.mock('../repositories/user.repository') // External I/O — mock
vi.mock('../clients/email.client')          // External API — mock
// Internal validators, formatters, mappers — use real implementations

Database Testing Patterns

Test Database Setup

• Use separate test database instance or in-memory alternative
• Run migrations before test suite
• Clean data between tests (truncate or transaction rollback)
• Seed with minimal required data per test

Transaction Rollback Pattern

beforeEach(async () => {
  await dataSource.query('BEGIN')
})

afterEach(async () => {
  await dataSource.query('ROLLBACK')
})

Avoid Shared State

• Each test creates its own data
• Never depend on data created by another test
• Use unique identifiers to prevent collision in parallel runs