Data fixture annotation

A data fixture is a PHP script that sets data you want to reuse in your test. The script can be defined in a separate file or as a local test case method.

Use data fixtures to prepare a database for tests. The Integration Testing Framework (ITF) reverts the database to its initial state automatically. To set up a date fixture, use the @magentoDataFixture annotation.

Format

@magentoDataFixture takes an argument that points to the data fixture as a filename or local method.

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/**
 * @magentoDataFixture <script_filename>|<method_name>
 */
  • <script_filename> is a filename of the PHP script.
  • <method_name> is a name of the method declared in the current class.

Principles

  1. Do not use a direct database connection in fixtures to avoid dependencies on the database structure and vendor.
  2. Use an application API to implement your data fixtures.
  3. A method that implements a data fixture must be declared as public and static.
  4. Fixtures declared at a test level have a higher priority then fixtures declared at a test case level.
  5. Test case fixtures are applied to each test in the test case, unless a test has its own fixtures declared.
  6. Annotation declaration at a test case level doesn’t affect tests that have their own annotation declarations.

Usage

As mentioned above, there are two ways to declare fixtures:

  • as a PHP script file that is used by other tests and test cases.
  • as a local method that is used by other tests in the test cases.

Fixture as a separate file

Define the fixture in a separate file when you want to reuse it in different test cases. To declare the fixture, use the following conventions for a path

  • Relative to dev/tests/integration/<test suite directory>
  • With forward slashes /
  • No leading slash

    Example: Magento/Cms/_files/pages.php

The ITF includes the declared PHP script to your test and executes it during test run.

The following example demonstrates a simple implementation of a Cms module page test from the Magento codebase.

Data fixture to test a Cms module page: dev/tests/integration/testsuite/Magento/Cms/_files/pages.php.

Test case that uses the above data fixture: dev/tests/integration/testsuite/Magento/Cms/Block/PageTest.php.

Fixture as a method

dev/tests/integration/testsuite/Magento/Cms/Controller/PageTest.php demonstrates an example of the testCreatePageWithSameModuleName() test method that uses data from the cmsPageWithSystemRouteFixture() data fixture.

Test case and test method scopes

The @magentoDataFixture can be specified for a particular test or for an entire test case. The basic rules for fixture annotation at different levels are:

  • @magentoDataFixture at a test case level makes the framework to apply the declared fixtures to each test in the test case. When the final test is complete, all class-level fixtures are reverted.
  • @magentoDataFixture for a particular test signals the framework to revert the fixtures declared on a test case level and applies the fixtures declared at a test method level instead. When the test is complete, the ITF reverts the applied fixtures.

The integration testing framework interacts with a database to revert the applied fixtures.

Fixture rollback

A fixture that contains database transactions only are reverted automatically. Otherwise, when a fixture creates files or performs any actions other than database transaction, provide the corresponding rollback logic. Rollbacks are run after reverting all the fixtures related to database transactions.

A fixture rollback must be of the same format as the corresponding fixture: a script or a method:

  • A rollback script must be named according to the corresponding fixture suffixed with _rollback and stored in the same directory.
  • Rollback methods must be of the same class as the corresponding fixture and suffixed with Rollback.

Examples:

Fixture/Rollback Fixture name Rollback name
Script Magento/Catalog/_files/categories.php Magento/Catalog/_files/categories_rollback.php
Method \Magento\Catalog\Model\ProductTest::prepareProduct \Magento\Catalog\Model\ProductTest::prepareProductRollback

Restrictions

Do not rely on and do not modify an application state from within a fixture, because application isolation annotation can reset the application state at any moment.