Mocking Techniques in Unittest: Simulating Dependencies

Testing code that depends on external services, configurations, or has side effects can be challenging. Mocking is a powerful technique that simulates the behavior of complex real-world interactions within tests without their complexity and unpredictability.

For instance, if you need to test a money exchange service, one option could involve using your own funds to simulate transactions and observe the outcomes. However, this method can be risky and costly. A more efficient and risk-free alternative is to use mocking to emulate the process of sending money.

Testing a Money Transfer Service

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class MoneyTransferService:
    def transfer(self, source_account, destination_account, amount):
        if source_account.balance < amount:
            raise ValueError("Insufficient funds")
        source_account.balance -= amount
        destination_account.balance += amount
        return True

The Testing Approach:

1. Mock the Account Balances: use mocking to simulate different account states, such as insufficient funds or ample funds, to test how the transfer method responds;

2. Verify Transactions: confirm that the appropriate amounts are debited and credited from the respective accounts during a transfer;

3. Handle Exceptions: ensure that the method correctly handles scenarios where the transfer cannot be completed.

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import unittest
from unittest.mock import MagicMock

class TestMoneyTransferService(unittest.junit.TestCase):
    def setUp(self):
        self.transfer_service = MoneyTransferService()
        self.source_account = MagicMock()
        self.destination_account = MagicMock()

    def test_successful_transfer(self):
        # Set up the account balances
        self.source_account.balance = 1000
        self.destination_account.balance = 500

        # Perform the transfer
        successful = self.transfer_service.transfer(self.source_account, self.destination_account, 200)
        
        # Check balances
        self.assertTrue(successful)
        self.assertEqual(self.source_account.balance, 800)
        self.assertEqual(self.destination_account.balance, 700)

    def test_failed_transfer_due_to_insufficient_funds(self):
        # Set up the account balances
        self.source_account.balance = 100
        self.destination_account.balance = 500

        # Attempt to transfer more than the source balance
        with self.assertRaises(ValueError):
            self.transfer_service.transfer(self.source_account, self.destination_account, 200)
        
        # Verify that balances remain unchanged
        self.assertEqual(self.source_account.balance, 100)
        self.assertEqual(self.destination_account.balance, 500)