testing-anti-patterns

Unit tests passing in production often rely on mocks that verify internal interactions rather than observable behavior. Stop testing mock behavior and verify actual system outputs through public APIs to catch real failures.

Use mocks carefully in integration testing to isolate external boundaries, not internal components. Apply careful mocking by testing through public APIs and ensuring mandatory integration tests verify actual cross-component behavior.

Common testing anti-patterns include testing mock behavior, relying on test-only methods, and using brittle isolation. Eliminate these patterns by focusing on observable behavior and enforcing explicit error-path coverage.

Refactor tests by removing test-only methods and stopping mock behavior verification. Audit your suite against the Five Iron Laws, test through public APIs, and add explicit error-path coverage to verify real behavior.

Yes, mandatory integration tests are required even with full mock coverage. Mocks provide fake success signals by testing internal interactions, whereas integration tests verify actual system behavior across components through public interfaces.

Ensure error path coverage by explicitly testing failure scenarios through public APIs rather than mocking exceptions. Apply the Five Iron Laws to mandate explicit error-path coverage and verify actual system error handling behavior.