hexagonal-architecture

Integration testing with real databases involves setting up service containers like PostgreSQL via process-compose, implementing concrete adapters for your ports, and executing tests against the live service rather than mock objects. This approach validates actual IO contracts and eliminates fragility from mock-heavy suites.

Hexagonal architecture isolates domain logic at the center with typed port interfaces and adapter implementations at the edges. This separation enables reliable testing by allowing you to swap real infrastructure adapters (PostgreSQL, MinIO, Redis) into your domain layer without mocking, ensuring tests exercise actual service interactions.

Yes. A no-mock testing strategy uses real service containers—PostgreSQL, MinIO, Redis—configured via process-compose locally and GitHub Actions services in CI/CD. You implement lightweight adapters for your ports and test your domain logic against actual infrastructure, eliminating mock-related fragility.

Use process-compose to configure real PostgreSQL and MinIO containers for your local development environment. Define your port interfaces, implement concrete adapters that connect to these services, and write integration tests that exercise actual storage and database interactions without mocking.

Dependency injection supplies real service adapters at the composition root, while mocking replaces them with fake implementations. This Skill mandates dependency injection with real containers to validate actual IO contracts and domain logic behavior against live infrastructure, not simulated behavior.

Yes. Define clear port interfaces for your infrastructure concerns (database, storage, APIs), then implement concrete adapters for real services like PostgreSQL and MinIO. This refactoring enables true integration testing with real containers and eliminates the need for mocking frameworks entirely.