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Adam Cuppy
Ahmed Omran
Alan Ridlehoover
Amit Zur
Andrew Mason
Andrew Nesbitt
Andy Andrea
Andy Croll
Asia Hoe
Avdi Grimm
Ben Greenberg
Brandon Carlson
Brittany Martin
Caleb Thompson
Caren Chang
Chiu-Ki Chan
Christine Seeman
Cody Norman
Devon Estes
Eileen Uchitelle
Emily Giurleo
Emily Samp
Enrico Grillo
Espartaco Palma
Fito von Zastrow
Frances Coronel
Hilary Stohs-Krause
Jalem Raj Rohit
Jemma Issroff
Jenny Shih
Joel Chippindale
Justin Searls
Katrina Owen
Kevin Murphy
Kudakwashe Paradzayi
Kylie Stradley
Maeve Revels
Matt Bee
Mayra Lucia Navarro
Molly Struve
Nadia Odunayo
Nickolas Means
Noah Gibbs
Olivier Lacan
Ramón Huidobro
Richard Schneeman
Rizky Ariestiyansyah
Saron Yitbarek
Sean Moran-Richards
Shem Magnezi
Stefanni Brasil
Sweta Sanghavi
Syed Faraaz Ahmad
Tekin Suleyman
Thomas Carr
Tom Stuart
Ufuk Kayserilioglu
Valentino Stoll
Victoria Gonda
Vladimir Dementyev
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## Abstract To mock or not mock is an important question, but let's leave it apart and admit that we, Rubyists, use mocks in our tests. Mocking is a powerful technique, but even when used responsibly, it could lead to false positives in our tests (thus, bugs leaking to production): fake objects could diverge from their real counterparts. In this talk, I'd like to discuss various approaches to keeping mocks in line with the actual implementation and present a brand new idea based on mock fixtures and contracts. ## Details This talk is an attempt to sway the ever-hot discussion on whether to use mocks or not in a different direction: **how to mock with confidence**? I see this talk structured as follows. - **Intro** (5-7mins). A bit of theory, terminology, and examples (to ensure everyone is on the same page). A false positive demonstration (a real-life one, which caused a downtime 🙃). - **A perfect (but theoretical) solution** (5-7mins). Sociable and solitary tests, their _test graphs_, and what the problem under consideration has in common with minimum spanning trees. (For me, an ability to add some Math to a Ruby presentation is like adding bacon to a PB&J sandwich—a perfect addition) - **Existing solutions overview** (~10min). We're taking a closer look at RSpec **verified doubles** and their weak parts (they only verify syntax, not constraints). Then, we can talk a bit about Ruby types (RBS or Sorbet) and how they could increase the mocking confidence. Finally, I want to share some gems providing contract-based mocking capacities (e.g., `compact`). - **Introducing yet another solution** (~10min). Here I'd like to share my attempt to turn the theoretical solution into reality. The keywords: YAML fixtures for mocks/stubs, automatic verification via Ruby metaprogramming tools. - **Conclusion** (2-3min). Cycling back to the importance of understanding the trade-offs of mocking and a discussion on non-runtime/non-code solutions (like linters and core review rules). This talk is for all Rubyists writing tests, i.e., for all Rubyists. It could help newcomers better understand the potential pitfalls of using the mockist style and brings some new ideas for seasoned developers. ## Pitch Like many other Rubyists, I wrote about twice more test code than production code. And I've seen dozens of test suites of different code styles, but all of them used at least a bit of mocking. Mocking in Ruby is simple; major testing frameworks provide outstanding support for "fake it 'till you make it (green)". So, we tend to use mocking for good; but sometimes it could lead to a situation when your test suite is all green, but the production server is down—some of your fake objects went out of sync, and no _real_ test has covered you. That happened to almost every project I worked on. Years ago, I started researching this problem, analyzing the existing solutions and their limitation, searching for a perfect one. I can't say I found one, but I've definitely reached the point when I'm ready to share my finding with the community—that's why I'm trying to do this by proposing this talk.
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