100+ Tips for Effective Unit Testing in Python

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Effective unit testing is the practice of creating tests for individual units of code (such as functions or methods) with the goal of ensuring that each unit functions correctly in isolation. The primary purpose of unit testing is to validate that each part of the software works as intended and to catch errors early in the development process. Here are some key aspects that define effective unit testing:

1. Start Early:

• The “Start Early” principle encourages an iterative development approach where code is written in small increments, and corresponding tests are created concurrently. This helps in building a test suite gradually.

# Start writing tests as you develop features
def test_addition():
    assert add(2, 3) == 5

• This test serves as an initial validation that the add function can correctly add two numbers. By starting early with such tests, developers can confirm that the fundamental functionality is working as expected.
• As new features or changes are introduced, developers can run this and other tests to ensure that existing functionality remains intact. This process helps catch regressions early.
• Identifying and fixing issues early in the development process helps prevent the accumulation of bugs, making the overall…