Testing & modern typing
pytest basics, mocks, type hints, TypedDict, Protocol, and static-checking patterns.
How to Use Literal Type Hints in Python
Use typing.Literal to restrict a function parameter to specific allowed string values and get static type checking.
from typing import Literal
def get_status_message(status: Literal["active", "inactive", "pending"]) -> str:
"""Return a message based on the status value."""
if status == "active":
return "Account is active"
elif status == "inactive":
return "Account is inactive"
else:
return "…How to Use Mock Flip Mutation Testing in Python
Demonstrates how mutation testing tools flip Boolean literals (mock flip) in Python source to verify test suite effectiveness in catching logic changes.
import random
# In mutation testing, a "mock flip" intentionally changes a Boolean
# constant to False (or True) to see if the test suite catches it.
# This is a common "constant mutation" applied to a source file's literals.
def is_even(n: int) -> bool:
"""Return True if n is even. Contains a Boolean literal us…How to Use Python Type Hints for Beginners
Build a data helper module with basic type hints — Union, Optional, List, Dict, Any, and TypeVar — to make your code clearer and safer.
from typing import Any, Union, Optional, List, Dict, Tuple, Callable, TypeVar
T = TypeVar("T")
def describe(value: Any) -> str:
"""Return a human-readable description of the value's type."""
if isinstance(value, list):
return f"list of {len(value)} items"
elif isinstance(value, dict):
ret…How to Use Stubs, Fakes, Spies, and Mocks in Python Testing
Implement four types of test doubles — stubs, fakes, spies, and mocks — as subclasses of a PaymentGateway interface to replace real dependencies during testing.
class PaymentGateway:
def charge(self, amount):
raise NotImplementedError
class StubPaymentGateway(PaymentGateway):
"""Returns a fixed response without any logic."""
def charge(self, amount):
return {"success": True, "transaction_id": "stub-12345"}
class FakePaymentGateway(PaymentGatewa…How to Use TypedDict and Dataclasses in Python
Create typed data structures with TypedDict and dataclasses, then use them as helper functions for describing objects in a type-safe way.
from typing import TypedDict, NotRequired, Optional
from dataclasses import dataclass
class User(TypedDict):
name: str
age: NotRequired[int]
email: Optional[str]
@dataclass
class Product:
id: int
title: str
price: float = 0.0
def describe_user(user: User) -> str:
age = user.get("age",…How to Use TypedDict for Data Validation in Python
Define a TypedDict schema and validate raw dictionary input with type hints for safer, more readable data handling.
from typing import Any, Dict, List, Optional, Union, TypedDict, Literal
class Product(TypedDict):
product_id: int
name: str
price: Union[int, float]
in_stock: bool
tags: Optional[List[str]]
def validate_product(data: Dict[str, Any]) -> Product:
product_id: int = int(data["product_id"])
na…How to Use TypedDict for Structured Dict Typing in Python
Define and use TypedDict to add type hints to dictionaries, improving code clarity and enabling static type checking in your Python projects.
from typing import TypedDict
class User(TypedDict):
name: str
age: int
email: str
def greet(user: User) -> str:
return f"Hello {user['name']}, age {user['age']}, contact {user['email']}"
if __name__ == "__main__":
alice: User = {"name": "Alice", "age": 30, "email": "alice@example.com"}
pr…How to Use Union Type Hints in Python
This code demonstrates how to use Union type hints to specify that a parameter can accept multiple types (int, float, str) and handle them accordingly.
from typing import Union
def process_value(value: Union[int, float, str]) -> str:
if isinstance(value, (int, float)):
return f"Number: {value * 2}"
return f"String: {value.upper()}"
if __name__ == "__main__":
print(process_value(10))
print(process_value(3.14))
print(process_value("hello"))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 Validate Data in Python with Typing Hints
Build a runtime validation helper that checks values against Python type hints like Optional, list, and basic types.
from typing import Any, Optional, Union, TypeVar, get_origin, get_args
T = TypeVar("T")
def validate(value: Any, expected_type: type) -> Optional[str]:
"""Returns an error message if value doesn't match expected_type, else None."""
# Handle Optional[...] types
origin = get_origin(expected_type)
if or…How to Validate Dataclass Fields with Python Type Hints
A beginner-friendly helper that checks if instance attributes match their declared type hints using dataclasses and get_type_hints.
from typing import Any, TypeVar, get_type_hints
from dataclasses import dataclass
T = TypeVar("T")
@dataclass
class User:
name: str
age: int
email: str
def validate_fields(obj: Any) -> dict[str, bool]:
"""Check if object attributes match declared type hints."""
hints = get_type_hints(obj.__class…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 Write a pytest Test Function with assert Equal in Python
Define simple pytest test functions that use assert to verify result equality and run them with pytest.main.
import pytest
def add(a, b):
return a + b
def test_add_positive_numbers():
result = add(2, 3)
assert result == 5
def test_add_negative_numbers():
result = add(-2, -3)
assert result == -5
def test_add_mixed_numbers():
result = add(2, -3)
assert result == -1
if __name__ == "__main__":
…How to Write pytest Test Function Assert Equal in Python
Write three pytest test functions that assert the result of an add() function equals an expected numeric value.
import pytest
def add(a, b):
return a + b
def test_add_positive_numbers():
assert add(2, 3) == 5
def test_add_negative_numbers():
assert add(-1, -2) == -3
def test_add_mixed_numbers():
assert add(5, -3) == 2
if __name__ == "__main__":
pytest.main([__file__, "-v"])How to mark known bugs with pytest xfail in Python
Use @pytest.mark.xfail to mark tests that are expected to fail due to known bugs, with optional strict mode to control pass/fail behavior.
import pytest
def divide(a: int, b: int) -> float:
if b == 0:
raise ZeroDivisionError("Cannot divide by zero")
return a / b
@pytest.mark.xfail(reason="Known bug: division returns int instead of float", strict=False)
def test_divide_integer_division():
result = divide(10, 4)
assert isinstanc…How to use Optional type hint in Python
Use the Optional type hint to indicate a parameter can be a string or None, with an example function that handles both cases.
from typing import Optional
def greet(name: Optional[str]) -> str:
if name is None:
return "Hello, anonymous!"
else:
return f"Hello, {name}!"
if __name__ == "__main__":
print(greet("Alice"))
print(greet(None))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…Interface Segregation with Fake Test Implementations in Python
Defines segregated abstract interfaces (Printer, Scanner) and uses a FakePrinter to record calls for unit testing without real resources.
from abc import ABC, abstractmethod
class Printer(ABC):
@abstractmethod
def print_document(self, doc: str) -> str:
pass
class Scanner(ABC):
@abstractmethod
def scan_document(self) -> str:
pass
class MultiFunctionPrinter(Printer, Scanner):
def print_document(self, doc: str) -> …Use pytest fixture to mock a database connection in Python
This code shows how to use a pytest fixture and unittest.mock to replace a database connection with a Mock, enabling isolated tests without a real database.
import pytest
import sqlite3
from unittest.mock import Mock
class Database:
def __init__(self, connection):
self.connection = connection
def get_user(self, user_id):
cursor = self.connection.cursor()
cursor.execute("SELECT * FROM users WHERE id = ?", (user_id,))
return cursor.…Browse by section
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