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How to Mock subprocess Calls in Python with unittest.mock
A Python script that wraps Vagrant up/destroy commands using subprocess, with tests that mock the subprocess call to simulate outputs and errors.
import subprocess
from unittest.mock import patch, Mock
def run_vagrant(action: str) -> str:
result = subprocess.run(
["vagrant", action],
capture_output=True,
text=True,
check=False,
)
return result.stdout.strip()
def vagrant_wrapper(action: str) -> str:
if action n…
Mock a Helm Upgrade Install Command in Python
Use unittest mock to simulate a Helm upgrade --install call for testing automation scripts without a real cluster.
from unittest.mock import MagicMock, patch
class HelmClient:
def upgrade_install(self, release, chart, namespace="default"):
# Simulates the helm upgrade --install command
return f"Release {release} upgraded/installed in {namespace} using chart {chart}"
@patch("helm_client.HelmClient.upgrade_in…
How to Mock subprocess.run in Python Tests
Mock subprocess.run to test a Git submodule update command without executing it in your test suite.
import subprocess
from unittest.mock import Mock, patch
def update_submodules():
subprocess.run(["git", "submodule", "update", "--init", "--recursive"], check=True)
with patch("subprocess.run") as mock_run:
mock_run.return_value = Mock(returncode=0)
update_submodules()
mock_run.assert_called_once_wit…
How to Mock BugSnag Notify in Python
Use unittest.mock to simulate BugSnag notifications, verify calls, and test error handling without external dependencies.
import mock
bugsnag = mock.MagicMock()
def notify_error(message, severity="error"):
bugsnag.notify(message, severity=severity)
if __name__ == "__main__":
notify_error("Test error", severity="warning")
bugsnag.notify.assert_called_once_with("Test error", severity="warning")
print("Mocked BugSnag noti…
How to Mock isort Output to Test Import Sorting in Python
Uses isort with check mode and a unittest mock to verify whether a Python source string has correctly sorted imports.
import isort
from unittest.mock import patch
code = """
import os
import sys
import json
import pathlib
"""
def check_imports_sorted(code_str):
with patch("isort.api.output") as mock_output:
isort.code(code_str, check=True, show_diff=True)
return mock_output.called
if __name__ == "__main__":
…
How to Mock setuptools_scm get_version in Python
This code demonstrates how to mock setuptools_scm.get_version in Python using unittest.mock.patch to test version retrieval logic without installing or relying on the actual package.
```python
from unittest.mock import patch
def get_version_from_scm():
try:
import setuptools_scm
return setuptools_scm.get_version()
except (ImportError, LookupError):
return None
if __name__ == "__main__":
with patch("setuptools_scm.get_version", return_value="1.2.3"):
pr…
How to Run Coverage Report and Generate HTML in Python
Use the coverage module to measure test coverage, save the report, and generate an HTML report in Python.
import coverage
import unittest
def add(a, b):
return a + b
class TestAdd(unittest.TestCase):
def test_add_positive(self):
self.assertEqual(add(2, 3), 5)
if __name__ == "__main__":
cov = coverage.Coverage(source=["__main__"])
cov.start()
suite = unittest.defaultTestLoader.loadTestsFro…
Mock pdm build and publish in Python
Simulate pdm build and publish commands with unittest.mock to test packaging workflows without triggering real builds or uploads.
from unittest.mock import Mock, patch
import pdm
def build_package() -> str:
"""Simulate building a package with pdm."""
build_mock = Mock(return_value="dist/mypackage-0.1.0-py3-none-any.whl")
with patch.object(pdm, "build", build_mock):
result = pdm.build()
return result
def publish_packa…
How to Mock open() in Python for Reading File Data
This example shows how to mock Python's built-in open() function using unittest.mock to simulate file reading without touching the disk.
import builtins
from unittest.mock import patch
def read_file_data(filename):
with open(filename, 'r') as f:
return f.read()
def mock_read_data():
fake_data = "This is mocked file content"
class FakeFile:
def __enter__(self):
return self
def __exit__(self, *args):…
How to Mock requests.get in Python
Mock requests.get with unittest.mock to test code that makes HTTP calls without hitting the network.
import requests
from unittest.mock import Mock, patch
def fetch_user_data(user_id):
response = requests.get(f"https://api.example.com/users/{user_id}")
return response.json()
def process_user(user_id):
mock_response = Mock()
mock_response.json.return_value = {"id": user_id, "name": "Alice", "age": 30…
How to Mock return_value with MagicMock in Python unittest
Use unittest.mock.MagicMock to replace a dependency and set return_value to control what a mocked method returns during unit tests.
import unittest
from unittest.mock import MagicMock
class PaymentGateway:
def charge(self, amount):
raise NotImplementedError
class OrderService:
def __init__(self, gateway):
self.gateway = gateway
def process_order(self, amount):
return self.gateway.charge(amount)
class Test…
How to Mock subprocess.run returncode in Python
Simulate subprocess.run return codes in tests with unittest.mock.patch and CompletedProcess.
import subprocess
from unittest.mock import patch
def run_command(cmd):
result = subprocess.run(cmd, capture_output=True, text=True)
return result.returncode
if __name__ == "__main__":
with patch("subprocess.run") as mock_run:
# Simulate a successful command (returncode 0)
mock_run.retu…
How to Use mock.assert_called_with in Python
Verify that a MagicMock received a call with specific positional and keyword arguments using assert_called_with in unittest.
import unittest
from unittest.mock import MagicMock
class TestMockAssertions(unittest.TestCase):
def test_assert_called_with(self):
# Create a mock object
mock = MagicMock()
# Call the mock with specific arguments
mock.send_email("alice@example.com", subject="Greetings", body="Hel…
How to Use setUp and tearDown in Python unittest TestCase
Demonstrates how to structure unit tests with setUp and tearDown methods in Python's unittest framework for reusable test fixtures.
import unittest
class ExampleTest(unittest.TestCase):
def setUp(self):
self.data = [1, 2, 3]
def tearDown(self):
self.data = None
def test_length(self):
self.assertEqual(len(self.data), 3)
def test_contains(self):
self.assertIn(2, self.data)
if __name__ == "__main…
How to Verify Formatted Output with an Approval Test in Python
Write a small Python approval test that verifies a function's exact formatted output using unittest.
import sys
from io import StringIO
import unittest
def generate_output(name, score):
return f"Player: {name} | Score: {score:03d}"
class TestFormattedOutput(unittest.TestCase):
def test_output_format(self):
expected = "Player: Alice | Score: 042"
result = generate_output("Alice", 42)
…
How to Write a Contract Test with Mock in Python
Use unittest.mock to verify a consumer's expectations match the provider's response shape in a Python contract test.
from unittest.mock import Mock
# Contract test: verify consumer expects data shape that provider delivers.
# We mock the provider and assert the consumer's calls match the agreed contract.
def fetch_user(provider_client, user_id):
"""Consumer code: expects provider to return {'id', 'name', 'email'}."""
respo…
How to use unittest mock side_effect with a sequence in Python
Demonstrates using Mock.side_effect with a list to return different values per call and raise an exception at a specific call in unittest.
import unittest
from unittest.mock import Mock
class TestMockSideEffectSequence(unittest.TestCase):
def test_side_effect_sequence(self):
mock = Mock()
mock.side_effect = [1, 2, 3, Exception("boom")]
self.assertEqual(mock(), 1)
self.assertEqual(mock(), 2)
self.asser…
Mock datetime.now to freeze time in Python
Use unittest.mock.patch to replace datetime.now with a fixed value so your code always sees the same time during tests.
from datetime import datetime
from unittest.mock import patch
def current_message():
now = datetime.now()
return f"Current time: {now:%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S}"
if __name__ == "__main__":
with patch("__main__.datetime") as mock_dt:
mock_dt.now.return_value = datetime(2024, 3, 15, 10, 30, 0)
prin…
Table-Driven Tests in Python (unittest)
Run a single unittest test against many input cases using a list of tuples and subTest.
import unittest
def add(a, b):
return a + b
class TestAddFunction(unittest.TestCase):
def test_add_with_table(self):
cases = [
(1, 2, 3),
(-1, 1, 0),
(0, 0, 0),
(2, -3, -1),
]
for x, y, expected in cases:
with self.subTest(x…
How to Mock Hexagonal Architecture Ports and Adapters in Python
Mock an email adapter in a hexagonal architecture with unittest.mock to test business logic in isolation.
from unittest.mock import Mock
class EmailService:
def send(self, recipient, message):
raise NotImplementedError
class OrderProcessor:
def __init__(self, email_service):
self.email_service = email_service
def process_order(self, order_id, customer_email):
# Business logic
…
How to Mock a Metrics Decorator in Python with unittest.mock
This code demonstrates a timing decorator that wraps a function to measure execution time and prints the duration, with a unit test using unittest.mock to patch the print function and assert it was called.
import time
from functools import wraps
from unittest.mock import patch
def add_metrics(func):
@wraps(func)
def wrapper(*args, **kwargs):
start = time.perf_counter()
result = func(*args, **kwargs)
elapsed = time.perf_counter() - start
print(f"{func.__name__} took {elapsed:.6f}s…
How to Implement Namespaced Cache Keys for Tenant Isolation in Python
Build a tenant-aware cache wrapper that prefixes keys with tenant and namespace, and test it with mocks.
from keyvaluestore import SimpleCache
from unittest.mock import patch
class TenantCache(SimpleCache):
def __init__(self, tenant_id, namespace="default"):
super().__init__()
self.tenant_id = tenant_id
self.namespace = namespace
def _key(self, key):
return f"tenant:{self.tenant_…
How to Mock a Cache Key Schema Version Bump in Python
Show how to test a cache key schema bump by mocking the class-level version attribute with unittest.mock.
from unittest import mock
class VersionCache:
SCHEMA_VERSION = 1
def __init__(self, key_prefix="cache"):
self.key_prefix = key_prefix
def build_key(self, resource_id):
return f"{self.key_prefix}:schema-v{self.SCHEMA_VERSION}:{resource_id}"
def bump_schema(self):
# Simulated …
How to Mock a Timeout per HTTP Request in Python
Simulate a per-request HTTP timeout using unittest.mock to test timeout handling without network access.
import time
from unittest.mock import Mock, patch
# Simulate an HTTP client that might time out
def fetch_data(url, timeout=5):
time.sleep(0.5) # Simulate network delay
return f"Response from {url}"
# Mock to test timeout behavior without real network
def test_timeout():
mock_response = Mock(side_effect…
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