Unit Testing, Mockito, Android, Electro4u

Unit Testing Using Mockito in Android

Unit testing is an essential part of the development process. It helps verify that code is working as expected without deploying it to a production environment. Mockito is a powerful mocking framework used for unit tests written in Java and Android. In this article, we will explore how you can use Mockito for your Android app.

What is Mockito?

Mockito is an open-source testing framework for Java and Android. It provides simple API to write and execute tests. It allows developers to create mocks (simulated objects) which help simulate real objects and methods without the complexity of setting up a full-fledged environment. It also makes it possible to set up and verify expectations as well. Mockito simplifies the job of setting up complex data structures when writing test cases.

Why Use Mockito?

Mockito is helpful for unit testing Android apps because it allows developers to mock objects and methods which might be difficult or time consuming to set up. This saves time and allows for more rapid development. Additionally, Mockito helps to keep code coverage high since it makes it easy to test a larger range of possible scenarios.

Using Mockito in Android

Using Mockito in Android has several advantages. The first is that it helps reduce the complexity of setting up complicated data structures for unit tests, avoiding the need to write tedious setup code. Additionally, Mockito simplifies the process of writing expectations and verifying results. Finally, it helps to keep code coverage high, allowing developers to test a greater number of possible scenarios and conditions.

In order to use Mockito, you will need to add it to your project's build.gradle file. Start by adding the jcenter repository:

repositories {
    jcenter()
}

Then, add the Mockito dependency:

dependencies {
    implementation 'org.mockito:mockito-core:2.27.0'
}

Now that you have Mockito added to your project, you can start using it. Let's look at an example of how to write a simple mock.

// Create a mock object
MyObject myObjectMock = Mockito.mock(MyObject.class);

// Set up expectations
when(myObjectMock.getName()).thenReturn("John");

// Verify results
assertEquals("John", myObjectMock.getName());

The above example creates a mock object of type MyObject and sets up an expectation that when the getName() method is called, it should return "John". Then, it verifies that the result is indeed "John". This is just a simple example; you can use Mockito for a wide range of scenarios when testing Android apps.

Conclusion

Mockito is a powerful library for unit testing Android applications. It simplifies the process of setting up complex data structures and expectations and helps to maintain high code coverage. With Mockito, you can quickly and easily create mocks and verify that your code is working as expected.