tududi/backend/tests/README.md

Backend Test Suite

This directory contains the test suite for the tududi backend Express application.

Structure

tests/
├── unit/              # Unit tests for individual components
│   ├── models/        # Model tests
│   ├── middleware/    # Middleware tests
│   └── services/      # Service tests
├── integration/       # Integration tests for API endpoints
├── fixtures/          # Test data fixtures
└── helpers/           # Test utilities and helpers

Running Tests

All Tests

npm test

Unit Tests Only

npm run test:unit

Integration Tests Only

npm run test:integration

Watch Mode (for development)

npm run test:watch

Coverage Report

npm run test:coverage

Test Environment

Tests run in a separate test environment with:

• In-memory SQLite database (isolated from development data)
• Test-specific configuration from .env.test
• Automatic database cleanup between tests

Writing Tests

Unit Tests

• Test individual functions, models, or middleware in isolation
• Mock external dependencies
• Focus on business logic and edge cases

Integration Tests

• Test complete API endpoints
• Use authenticated requests where needed
• Test real database interactions
• Verify response formats and status codes

Test Utilities

• tests/helpers/testUtils.js provides utilities for creating test data
• tests/helpers/setup.js handles database setup and cleanup
• Use createTestUser() for creating authenticated test users

Best Practices

1. Isolation: Each test should be independent and not rely on other tests
2. Cleanup: Database is automatically cleaned between tests
3. Authentication: Use test utilities for creating authenticated requests
4. Descriptive Names: Test names should clearly describe what is being tested
5. Coverage: Aim for high test coverage of critical business logic

Dependencies

• Jest: Test framework
• Supertest: HTTP testing library for integration tests
• cross-env: Cross-platform environment variable setting