Testing Anti-Patterns

Common testing anti-patterns include testing mock behavior instead of real code, polluting production code with test-specific logic, using incomplete mocks, and writing tests as an afterthought. These issues undermine test suite reliability and lead to missed bugs.

To stop polluting production code, keep test-specific code entirely out of your production logic. This Skill helps identify and correct anti-patterns where test-specific code has leaked into production, ensuring tests validate real behavior without compromising the production codebase.

Testing mock behavior instead of real code undermines reliability because it only verifies that mocks are called as expected, not that the actual logic works. This Skill explains how to test real behavior and improve test robustness to accurately reflect expected outcomes.

You can review a pull request for testing anti-patterns by using this Skill to quickly spot and correct mistakes in new test code. It identifies issues like incomplete mocks and testing afterthoughts, helping developers improve testing practices before code is merged.

You should avoid using mocks when they fail to accurately reflect expected outcomes or when they require polluting production code. This Skill helps identify incomplete mocks and explains when testing real behavior is a better approach for improving test suite reliability.