describe_it 2.2.2

A nose plugin that supports writing describe/it style unit tests with nested contexts

Describe-it is a nose plugin that allows you to write unit tests that are more like executable examples of how a component should work than just being tests.

The other benefit is the ability to describe how a component behaves in certain contexts, where one context may build on a previously defined context by using nesting.

Installing

$ pip install describe-it

Writing

Any module that ends with ‘spec’ is considered to contain specifications/tests for describe_it.

$ vim myfirst_spec.py

…and the content:

from game import Game
from describe_it import describe, it, before_each, Fixture

@describe                                               # This declares a test context.
def a_game():
    f = Fixture()                                       # Fixture is a hack to get around
                                                        # Python's implementation of closures.
                                                        # You can use other methods, such as
                                                        # nonlocal if you like.

    @before_each                                        # Will be called before each 'it'
    def setup():
        f.game = Game()

    @after_each                                         # Will be called after each 'it'
    def teardown():
        perform_post_test_cleanup_if_needed()           # This should rarely be needed!

    @it                                                 # This marks a test method.
    def is_player_ones_turn():
        assert f.game.current_player == 1               # describe_it doesn't come with an
                                                        # assertion lib. Pick any one you like.

    @describe                                           # This is a nested context that
    def in_second_round():                              # augments the context above.

        @before_each                                    # Before each 'it' method, any
        def setup():                                    # before_each in outer contexts will
            f.game.play_round()                         # be called first. Then this method
                                                        # will be called.

        @it
        def is_player_twos_turn():
            assert f.game.current_player == 2

        @xit                                            # You can skip individual test methods
        def skips_tests():                              # by using '@xit' or '@it_skip'
            assert True

        @with_data([1, 2, 3],                           # You can parameterize tests with
                   [3, 4, 7])                           # different combinations of inputs
        def adds_numbers(term_1, term_2, expected):
            assert term_1 + term_2 == expected

 @xdescribe                                             # You can skip whole contexts by
 def this_context_is_marked_as_skipped():               # using '@xdescribe' or '@describe_skip'

    @it
    def this_test_will_be_skipped():
        assert True

Running

$ nosetests --with-describe-it