From: Vincent Foley <vfoley@...>
Date: 2005-05-10T14:49:22+09:00
Subject: Testing a user application

Hi everyone,

I recently wrote a small user application called RJournal[1], and for
the next release I would love to have much more unit tests than I
currently do.  However, my problem is that most methods I would like to
test have side effects.  For example, I have a method called
LiveJournalClient#post which, as its name says, posts a new message to
LiveJournal.  How can I test that this worked without filling up a
journal?  Similarily, when the application starts, it checks to see if
the config file exists; if it does not, it should create it and add the
parameters to it: how can I test this if the file already exists?  And
without nuking everything I already have.

Ryan Levengood suggested in another thread that I use mock objects for
my testing purposes, but I don't understand clearly how they work.

If anyone could actually write a test or two for my application, so
that I can see how to do it, I would be very grateful.

Vincent.

[1] RJournal: http://ljrb.rubyforge.org