Getting started with test-driven Laravel

Where do I start when writing a new project? Do I define my models up front, my controllers, start designing views?

Let your tests guide the design of your application.

These slides accompany my talk at PHP London, August 2016.

The code written in the live demo part of this talk is available via:

https://github.com/amochohan/test-driven-laravel

Transcript

1. Getting started with test-driven Laravel @amo_chohan
2. About me • Lead developer, Energy Aspects • PHP developer for over 10 years • A frequent flyer • Level 18 Pokemon trainer @amo_chohan
3. Assumptions • Good grasp of object-oriented PHP • Some exposure to frameworks • Basic familiarity with automated testing @amo_chohan
4. What we won’t cover @amo_chohan • Setting up your development environment • Composer • Installing Laravel • Homestead / Valet • Laravel documentation
5. About Laravel @amo_chohan • 5 years old • A very powerful ORM (Eloquent) • Great support tools (Homestead, Forge, Envoyer) • A huge community • “The PHP framework for web artisans”
6. Genuinely beautiful @amo_chohan
7. What is TDD? @amo_chohan • Writing tests before writing any of our application code • Drives our code, as well as verifying its suitability • A design activity • Clarify our ideas about what we want the code to do • Writing a test first gives us rapid feedback about the quality of our design ideas
8. @amo_chohan The Golden Rule of Test-Driven Development Never write new functionality without a failing test. Growing Object-Oriented Software, Guided By Tests. Steve Freeman and Nat Pryce, 2010
9. @amo_chohan TDD means we only ever write code as a consequence of our tests Every single line has a purpose, and every single line is needed Me, just now
10. @amo_chohan “We don’t have time to write tests” Do you have time to design the application?
11. @amo_chohan A simple e-store • Users can sign up for an account • Users can browse a catalogue of products • Users can see the details of a product • Users can add products to their cart • Users can see the total of their cart • Users can remove items that they no longer want from their cart
12. @amo_chohan Where to begin? • Routes • Controllers • Views • Models • Database migrations
13. @amo_chohan Types of test • Acceptance • Integration • Unit
14. @amo_chohan Acceptance tests • End to end documentation of a behaviour • Don’t directly call code from our api • Written from the perspective of the end user • Often describe an entire feature • Slow
15. @amo_chohan “Can you give me an example?” Konstantin Kudryashov – BDD legend
16. @amo_chohan Integration tests • Verify that objects behave as we expect • Do objects interact with each other as we expect • Can make calls to external services, or hit a database • Speed depends on the component
17. @amo_chohan Unit tests • Test the a single part of a class in complete isolation • Aim for 100% code coverage • Fast!
18. @amo_chohan Testing jargon It just doesn’t matter!
19. @amo_chohan The process, outside-in TDD Write a failing acceptance test
20. @amo_chohan Our first test Arrange - Given Act - When Assert - Then
21. @amo_chohan Live coding time (Wish me luck!)
22. @amo_chohan Test writing tips • Write your code using English (or your native language) • Write the code you wish you had • KISS • Be specific when arranging • Tell the full story, holes in the story mean gaps in your code / missing features
23. Thank you @amo_chohan github.com/drawmyattention