testing-anti-patterns

Unit testing anti-patterns are detected by flagging assertions that depend on mock elements, such as test IDs ending in "-mock", and suggesting that tests assert on real components or roles instead to prevent validating mock existence rather than actual system behavior.

Test-only methods in production code cause maintainability issues by polluting the production API with logic used solely by tests. Identifying these methods and moving them to dedicated test utilities keeps production code clean and prevents unnecessary public surface area expansion.

The best way to handle complex mocks omitting required fields is to evaluate mock completeness against real data structures and recommend integration tests. Applying gates during test reviews ensures mocks accurately reflect dependencies or are replaced by appropriate integration tests.

You should prefer integration tests over complex unit test mocks when mocks become overly complex or omit required fields from real API responses. Recommending integration tests in these scenarios ensures that tests validate actual side effects and dependency interactions accurately and safely.

You can use TDD workflows to prevent unsafe mock usage by applying gates that check mock completeness, evaluate side effects, and suggest moving test-only logic to test utilities. This applies during test authoring, mocking decisions, and test modifications to maintain meaningful test suites.