Setting Up a Testing Environment

Oct 13, 2025 by wbrum.org 39 views

Introduction

In the world of automation, testing is a crucial step to ensure that our scripts are working as expected. In this article, we will explore the basics of testing for automation, focusing on unit testing and how to set up a testing environment using Jest.

Why Testing is Important

Testing is essential in automation because it helps us catch bugs and errors early in the development process. By writing tests, we can ensure that our scripts are working correctly and make changes without breaking existing functionality. This saves time and reduces the risk of introducing new bugs.

Setting Up a Testing Environment

To start testing, we need to set up a testing environment. This includes installing a test runner, such as Jest, and creating a test file. Let's create a new folder called testing and add a test file called vote_tracker.test.js.

package.json and package-lock.json

Before we start testing, we need to update our package.json and package-lock.json files to include a test script. We will use Jest as our test runner.

// package.json
{
  "name": "asyncapi-community",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "scripts": {
    "test": "jest"
  },
  "devDependencies": {
    "jest": "^29.0.1"
  }
}

// package-lock.json
{
  "name": "asyncapi-community",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "lockfileVersion": 2,
  "requires": true,
  "devDependencies": {
    "jest": "^29.0.1"
  }
}

Refactoring the Vote Tracker Script

Before we can test the vote tracker script, we need to refactor it to make it easier to test. We will extract the isVotingWithinLastThreeMonths function into a separate file called vote_tracker.js.

// vote_tracker.js
export function isVotingWithinLastThreeMonths(voteInfo) {
  const threeMonthsAgo = new Date(Date.now() - 3 * 30 * 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000);
  return voteInfo.lastParticipatedVoteTime > threeMonthsAgo;
}

Writing Unit Tests

Now that we have refactored the vote tracker script, we can write unit tests for it. We will use Jest to write our tests.

// testing/vote_tracker.test.js
import { isVotingWithinLastThreeMonths } from '../vote_tracker';

describe('isVotingWithinLastThreeMonths', () => {
  it('should return true when vote is within last three months', () => {
    const voteInfo = {
      lastParticipatedVoteTime: new Date('2025-02-20'),
    };
    expect(isVotingWithinLastThreeMonths(voteInfo)).toBe(true);
  });

  it('should return false when vote is not within last three months', () => {
    const voteInfo = {
      lastParticipatedVoteTime: new Date('2024-02-20'),
    };
    expect(isVotingWithinLastThreeMonths(voteInfo)).toBe(false);
  });
});

Mock Data

To write our unit tests, we need mock data. We can use the data from the GitHub Actions run to create our mock data.

// testing/vote_tracker.test.js
import { isVotingWithinLastThreeMonths } from '../vote_tracker';

describe('isVotingWithinLastThreeMonths', () => {
  const voteInfo = {
    name: 'derberg',
    'Budget 2025$$1681': 'In favor',
    '2024 budget refresh and request for urgent pre-approval of some 2025 costs$$1598': 'In favor',
    'Should AsyncAPI Initiative endorse United Nations Global Digital Compact?$$1577': 'In favor',
    'Donate kotlin-asyncapi$$1313': 'In favor',
    'Proposal for Admin Rights for CoC Main Committee on Slack$$[1227](https://github.com/asyncapi/community/actions/runs/13783797336/job/38547070311#step:4:1228)': 'In favor',
    'chore: add Marketing WORKING_GROUP$$1130': 'In favor',
    'docs: add instruction how voting automation works$$1155': 'In favor',
    lastParticipatedVoteTime: '2025-02-20',
    isVotedInLast3Months: true,
    lastVoteClosedTime: '2025-03-11',
    firstVoteClosedTime: '2024-04-12',
    agreeCount: 7,
    disagreeCount: 0,
    abstainCount: 0,
    notParticipatingCount: 0,
  };

  it('should return true when vote is within last three months', () => {
    expect(isVotingWithinLastThreeMonths(voteInfo)).toBe(true);
  });

  it('should return false when vote is not within last three months', () => {
    voteInfo.lastParticipatedVoteTime = '2024-02-20';
    expect(isVotingWithinLastThreeMonths(voteInfo)).toBe(false);
  });
});

Conclusion

In this article, we explored the basics of testing for automation using Jest. We refactored the vote tracker script to make it easier to test and wrote unit tests for it. We also created mock data to use in our tests. By following these steps, we can ensure that our automation scripts are working correctly and catch bugs early in the development process.

Development

In the community repo, there are many automation scripts that need proper testing. This section explains how to run tests and how to add new tests.

To run tests, simply navigate to the testing folder and run the following command:

npm run test

To add new tests, simply create a new test file in the testing folder and follow the example of the existing tests.

Commit Message

feat: add basic testing for automation

README.md

# AsyncAPI Community

This repository contains the community scripts for the AsyncAPI initiative.

## Development

In the community repo, there are many automation scripts that need proper testing. This section explains how to run tests and how to add new tests.

To run tests, simply navigate to the `testing` folder and run the following command:

```bash
npm run test

To add new tests, simply create a new test file in the testing folder and follow the example of the existing tests.

Testing

The testing environment is set up using Jest. To run tests, simply navigate to the testing folder and run the following command:

npm run test

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please see the contributing guide for more information.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License.

**Q&A: Basic Testing for Automation**
=====================================

**Q: What is testing in automation?**
-----------------------------------

A: Testing in automation is the process of verifying that our scripts are working as expected. It helps us catch bugs and errors early in the development process, saving time and reducing the risk of introducing new bugs.

**Q: Why is testing important in automation?**
--------------------------------------------

A: Testing is essential in automation because it ensures that our scripts are working correctly and make changes without breaking existing functionality. This saves time and reduces the risk of introducing new bugs.

**Q: What is unit testing?**
---------------------------

A: Unit testing is a type of testing that involves testing individual units of code, such as functions or methods. It helps us ensure that each unit of code is working correctly and makes it easier to identify and fix bugs.

**Q: What is Jest?**
-------------------

A: Jest is a popular testing framework for JavaScript that makes it easy to write and run unit tests. It provides a lot of features out of the box, such as code coverage and mocking, that make it easy to write and run tests.

**Q: How do I set up Jest in my project?**
-----------------------------------------

A: To set up Jest in your project, you need to install it as a dev dependency using npm or yarn. You can do this by running the following command:

```bash
npm install --save-dev jest

Q: How do I write unit tests using Jest?

A: To write unit tests using Jest, you need to create a test file that imports the code you want to test and uses Jest's API to write assertions. For example, if you have a function called add that adds two numbers together, you can write a test for it like this:

import { add } from './add';

describe('add', () => {
  it('should return the sum of two numbers', () => {
    expect(add(2, 3)).toBe(5);
  });
});

Q: How do I run unit tests using Jest?

A: To run unit tests using Jest, you need to navigate to the root of your project and run the following command:

npm run test

Q: What is mock data?

A: Mock data is fake data that is used to test code. It is used to simulate real data and make it easier to test code in isolation.

Q: How do I use mock data in my tests?

A: To use mock data in your tests, you need to create a mock object that simulates the real data. You can do this by using Jest's jest.mock function to create a mock object and then use it in your test.

Q: What is code coverage?

A: Code coverage is a measure of how much of your code is being tested. It is used to ensure that your code is being tested thoroughly and that there are no areas of code that are not being tested.

Q: How do I measure code coverage using Jest?

A: To measure code coverage using Jest, you need to run the following command:

npm run test -- --coverage

This will generate a code coverage report that shows how much of your code is being tested.

Q: What is a test suite?

A: A test suite is a collection of tests that are related to each other. It is used to group tests together and make it easier to run and manage them.

Q: How do I create a test suite using Jest?

A: To create a test suite using Jest, you need to create a test file that imports the code you want to test and uses Jest's API to write assertions. You can then use Jest's describe function to group the tests together and create a test suite.

Q: What is a test runner?

A: A test runner is a tool that runs tests and reports the results. It is used to automate the testing process and make it easier to run and manage tests.

Q: How do I choose a test runner?

A: To choose a test runner, you need to consider the following factors:

Ease of use: How easy is it to use the test runner?
Features: What features does the test runner provide?
Performance: How fast does the test runner run tests?
Integration: How well does the test runner integrate with your development environment?

By considering these factors, you can choose a test runner that meets your needs and makes it easier to write and run tests.