testing-anti-patterns

To identify mock misuse, review whether tests validate real application behavior instead of artificial mock setups, check for incomplete mock structures, and ensure dependency boundaries are respected. This prevents unreliable tests caused by mocking without understanding dependencies.

Common testing anti-patterns include testing mocks instead of behavior, adding test-only production code, and using mocks without understanding dependencies. These flawed practices lead to unreliable test suites that fail to validate actual application behavior.

Review pull requests by validating test behavior, checking for test-only methods, ensuring complete mock structures, and verifying separation of production and test utilities. This confirms new tests validate real application behavior rather than artificial setups.

Avoid using mocks when they hide real behavior problems or when dependencies are not fully understood. Mocks are misused if tests validate the mock setups themselves rather than verifying meaningful application behavior and integration concerns.

Test-driven development requires separating production and test utilities to prevent test-only production code. Adding methods solely for testing invalidates testing practices by polluting production code boundaries and obscuring real application behavior.