JavaScript Testing Patterns

Comprehensive guide for implementing robust testing strategies in JavaScript/TypeScript applications using modern testing frameworks and best practices.

When to Use This Skill

• Setting up test infrastructure for new projects
• Writing unit tests for functions and classes
• Creating integration tests for APIs and services
• Implementing end-to-end tests for user flows
• Mocking external dependencies and APIs
• Testing React, Vue, or other frontend components
• Implementing test-driven development (TDD)
• Setting up continuous testing in CI/CD pipelines

Testing Frameworks

Jest - Full-Featured Testing Framework

Setup:

// jest.config.ts
import type { Config } from "jest";

const config: Config = {
  preset: "ts-jest",
  testEnvironment: "node",
  roots: ["<rootDir>/src"],
  testMatch: ["**/__tests__/**/*.ts", "**/?(*.)+(spec|test).ts"],
  collectCoverageFrom: [
    "src/**/*.ts",
    "!src/**/*.d.ts",
    "!src/**/*.interface.ts",
  ],
  coverageThreshold: {
    global: {
      branches: 80,
      functions: 80,
      lines: 80,
      statements: 80,
    },
  },
  setupFilesAfterEnv: ["<rootDir>/src/test/setup.ts"],
};

export default config;

Vitest - Fast, Vite-Native Testing

Setup:

// vitest.config.ts
import { defineConfig } from "vitest/config";

export default defineConfig({
  test: {
    globals: true,
    environment: "node",
    coverage: {
      provider: "v8",
      reporter: ["text", "json", "html"],
      exclude: ["**/*.d.ts", "**/*.config.ts", "**/dist/**"],
    },
    setupFiles: ["./src/test/setup.ts"],
  },
});

Unit Testing Patterns

Pattern 1: Testing Pure Functions

// utils/calculator.ts
export function add(a: number, b: number): number {
  return a + b;
}

export function divide(a: number, b: number): number {
  if (b === 0) {
    throw new Error("Division by zero");
  }
  return a / b;
}

// utils/calculator.test.ts
import { describe, it, expect } from "vitest";
import { add, divide } from "./calculator";

describe("Calculator", () => {
  describe("add", () => {
    it("should add two positive numbers", () => {
      expect(add(2, 3)).toBe(5);
    });

    it("should add negative numbers", () => {
      expect(add(-2, -3)).toBe(-5);
    });

    it("should handle zero", () => {
      expect(add(0, 5)).toBe(5);
      expect(add(5, 0)).toBe(5);
    });
  });

  describe("divide", () => {
    it("should divide two numbers", () => {
      expect(divide(10, 2)).toBe(5);
    });

    it("should handle decimal results", () => {
      expect(divide(5, 2)).toBe(2.5);
    });

    it("should throw error when dividing by zero", () => {
      expect(() => divide(10, 0)).toThrow("Division by zero");
    });
  });
});

Pattern 2: Testing Classes

// services/user.service.ts
export class UserService {
  private users: Map<string, User> = new Map();

  create(user: User): User {
    if (this.users.has(user.id)) {
      throw new Error("User already exists");
    }
    this.users.set(user.id, user);
    return user;
  }

  findById(id: string): User | undefined {
    return this.users.get(id);
  }

  update(id: string, updates: Partial<User>): User {
    const user = this.users.get(id);
    if (!user) {
      throw new Error("User not found");
    }
    const updated = { ...user, ...updates };
    this.users.set(id, updated);
    return updated;
  }

  delete(id: string): boolean {
    return this.users.delete(id);
  }
}

// services/user.service.test.ts
import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach } from "vitest";
import { UserService } from "./user.service";

describe("UserService", () => {
  let service: UserService;

  beforeEach(() => {
    service = new UserService();
  });

  describe("create", () => {
    it("should create a new user", () => {
      const user = { id: "1", name: "John", email: "john@example.com" };
      const created = service.create(user);

      expect(created).toEqual(user);
      expect(service.findById("1")).toEqual(user);
    });

    it("should throw error if user already exists", () => {
      const user = { id: "1", name: "John", email: "john@example.com" };
      service.create(user);

      expect(() => service.create(user)).toThrow("User already exists");
    });
  });

  describe("update", () => {
    it("should update existing user", () => {
      const user = { id: "1", name: "John", email: "john@example.com" };

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