Company
Date Published
Author
Bob Belderbos
Word count
1142
Language
English
Hacker News points
None

Summary

The article shares practical insights and tips from the author's experience with writing pytest code, focusing on common pitfalls and effective strategies for testing in Python. Key points include the importance of proper package structure, such as including an `__init__.py` file to avoid import errors, and the utility of the `pytest-pythonpath` plugin for managing PYTHONPATH. It emphasizes organizing fixtures using `conftest.py` for efficient test module management and demonstrates how to filter tests with the `-k` option or mark them for selective execution. The article also explores handling floats with `pytest.approx`, creating and cleaning up temporary files, testing exceptions with `pytest.raises`, and enhancing parameterized tests using `pytest.param`. Debugging features like `--pdb` for breakpoint debugging and the `caplog` fixture for testing logging are highlighted, along with techniques for capturing standard output using `capsys` or `capfd`. The article encourages readers to apply these tips and share additional pytest tips in the comments, promoting a culture of robust and efficient testing practices.