I like the more helpful message output by assertEquals, but prefer using plain assert mostly because it's a keyword and stands out. So for a few cases I use helpers like the following (this is simplified, pretend assertEquals is unittest's):
You say it's simplified. Fine. If you didn't simplify wouldn't that then become:
def equals(self, a, b): self.assertEquals(a, b) return True def test_foo(self): assert self.equals(x.foo, "bar")
That looks pretty verbose to me. It doesn't make it any neater or simpler.
We have to recognize a benefit with using standard self.assertEquals() that it's kind of a "standard" in that every programmer uses the same. If you then have to debug someone elses code and that uses the non-standard equals() it becomes harder to read.
No, equals is a global test helper, not a method. The tests don't need to be unittest.TestCase instances; it merely reuses unittest's assertEquals because it already exists.
assertEquals is only "standard" if you're using unittest; beyond that, you're going to have to become familiar with the codebase's test helpers anyway -- try navigating through Django's or SQLAlchemy's tests. :)
Comment
I like the more helpful message output by assertEquals, but prefer using plain assert mostly because it's a keyword and stands out. So for a few cases I use helpers like the following (this is simplified, pretend assertEquals is unittest's):
def equals(a, b):
assertEquals(a, b)
return True
def test_foo():
assert equals(x.foo, "bar")
Replies
You say it's simplified. Fine. If you didn't simplify wouldn't that then become:
def equals(self, a, b):
self.assertEquals(a, b)
return True
def test_foo(self):
assert self.equals(x.foo, "bar")
That looks pretty verbose to me. It doesn't make it any neater or simpler.
We have to recognize a benefit with using standard self.assertEquals() that it's kind of a "standard" in that every programmer uses the same. If you then have to debug someone elses code and that uses the non-standard equals() it becomes harder to read.
No, equals is a global test helper, not a method. The tests don't need to be unittest.TestCase instances; it merely reuses unittest's assertEquals because it already exists.
assertEquals is only "standard" if you're using unittest; beyond that, you're going to have to become familiar with the codebase's test helpers anyway -- try navigating through Django's or SQLAlchemy's tests. :)