I am experienced at TDD for compiled languages like Java,C# but new to JS TDD. Generally if you need to test a private method there is a sign that this method should be public in somewhere maybe you should introduce an other class, module, and move this method. If this method must be private you should test this method via public interfaces of this module.
On Mon, Dec 20, 2010 at 4:28 PM, Michael Allan < [email protected]> wrote: > Hi All, > > We're trying to improve our processes and overall code quality at work by > using TDD for all new Javascript code, while simultaneously retrofitting > tests to our existing js codebase. We use a single global variable as a > namespace within which multiple sub-modules are defined, mostly following > the Revealing Module Pattern. > > The problem we've struck is that the private helper functions within each > module can't be accessed from outside the closure for unit testing. We could > of course rely solely on our end-to-end tests to ensure correct behaviour, > but we're striving for more comprehensive coverage than that. Alternatively > we could expose all of these helper methods so that they can be properly > tested, however that defeats one of the primary benefits the pattern, namely > encapsulation. I'm loathe to do sacrifice one benefit for the other, and > ideally want both. > > The only other alternative I can think of is to modify the files at build > time, perhaps exposing the private methods via a temporary test API object > or by removing the outer containing function which constrains their scope. > Of course, that would mean that we'd then be releasing a version of our code > different from the one we'd tested ... which sort of defeats the purpose. > > Any thoughts or experiences you have to share would be greatly appreciated. > I'm a relative novice at TDD, so don't hesitate to mention anything you > think seems obvious. Likewise, I'm only a third of the way through Christain > Johansen's excellent book ... so feel free to tell me to at least finish > that before asking such things, if appropriate ;-) > > Cheers, > Mike > > -- > To view archived discussions from the original JSMentors Mailman list: > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > > To search via a non-Google archive, visit here: > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]<jsmentors%[email protected]> > -- To view archived discussions from the original JSMentors Mailman list: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ To search via a non-Google archive, visit here: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]
