Testing Knowledge Base

Quick reference for PHP testing patterns, principles, and best practices.

Testing Pyramid

        /\
       /  \     Functional (10%)
      /────\    - E2E, browser tests
     /      \   - Slow, fragile
    /────────\  Integration (20%)
   /          \ - DB, HTTP, queues
  /────────────\Unit (70%)
 /              \- Fast, isolated
/________________\- Business logic

Rule: 70% unit, 20% integration, 10% functional. Invert the pyramid = slow, brittle test suite.

AAA Pattern (Arrange-Act-Assert)

php

public function test_order_calculates_total_with_discount(): void
{
    // Arrange — set up test data
    $order = new Order(OrderId::generate());
    $order->addItem(new Product('Book', Money::EUR(100)));
    $discount = new PercentageDiscount(10);

    // Act — execute the behavior
    $total = $order->calculateTotal($discount);

    // Assert — verify the outcome
    self::assertEquals(Money::EUR(90), $total);
}

Rules:

One blank line between sections
Single Act per test
Assert behavior, not implementation

Naming Conventions

PHPUnit Style

test_{method}_{scenario}_{expected}

Example	Method	Scenario	Expected
`test_calculate_total_with_discount_returns_reduced_amount`	calculateTotal	with discount	returns reduced amount
`test_confirm_when_already_shipped_throws_exception`	confirm	when already shipped	throws exception
`test_email_with_invalid_format_fails_validation`	Email (VO)	with invalid format	fails validation

Pest Style

php

it('calculates total with discount applied')
it('throws exception when confirming shipped order')
it('fails validation for invalid email format')

Test Isolation Principles

DO

Fresh fixtures per test
Independent test execution (any order)
Teardown cleans all state
Use in-memory implementations

DON'T

Shared mutable state between tests
Tests depending on execution order
Global variables or singletons
Real external services in unit tests

Quick Quality Checklist

Rule	Check
One test = one behavior	Single assertion group
Test is documentation	Name reads as specification
No logic in tests	No if/for/while
Fast execution	<100ms per unit test
Mock interfaces only	Never mock VO, Entity, final
≤3 mocks per test	More = design smell
Behavior over implementation	Test WHAT, not HOW

DDD Component Testing

Component	Test Focus	Mocks Allowed
Value Object	Validation, equality, immutability	None
Entity	State transitions, business rules	None
Aggregate	Invariants, consistency, events	None
Domain Service	Business logic spanning aggregates	Repository (Fake)
Application Service	Orchestration, transactions	Repository, EventDispatcher
Repository	CRUD operations	Database (SQLite)

PHP 8.5 Test Patterns

Unit Test Template

php

<?php

declare(strict_types=1);

namespace Tests\Unit\Domain;

use PHPUnit\Framework\Attributes\CoversClass;
use PHPUnit\Framework\Attributes\Group;
use PHPUnit\Framework\TestCase;

#[Group('unit')]
#[CoversClass(Email::class)]
final class EmailTest extends TestCase
{
    public function test_creates_valid_email(): void
    {
        $email = new Email('user@example.com');

        self::assertSame('user@example.com', $email->value);
    }

    public function test_throws_for_invalid_format(): void
    {
        $this->expectException(InvalidArgumentException::class);

        new Email('invalid');
    }
}

Integration Test Template

php

<?php

declare(strict_types=1);

namespace Tests\Integration\Infrastructure;

use PHPUnit\Framework\Attributes\Group;
use Tests\DatabaseTestCase;

#[Group('integration')]
final class DoctrineOrderRepositoryTest extends DatabaseTestCase
{
    private OrderRepositoryInterface $repository;

    protected function setUp(): void
    {
        parent::setUp();
        $this->repository = $this->getContainer()->get(OrderRepositoryInterface::class);
    }

    public function test_saves_and_retrieves_order(): void
    {
        // Arrange
        $order = OrderMother::pending();

        // Act
        $this->repository->save($order);
        $found = $this->repository->findById($order->id());

        // Assert
        self::assertNotNull($found);
        self::assertTrue($order->id()->equals($found->id()));
    }
}

Test Doubles Quick Reference

Type	Purpose	When to Use
Stub	Returns canned answers	External API responses
Mock	Verifies interactions	Event publishing
Fake	Working implementation	InMemory repository
Spy	Records calls	Logging, notifications

Decision Matrix

Need to verify a call was made?
├── Yes → Mock or Spy
└── No → Need real behavior?
    ├── Yes → Fake
    └── No → Stub

Common Test Smells

Smell	Detection	Fix
Logic in Test	`if`, `for`, `while` in test	Extract to helper or parameterize
Mock Overuse	>3 mocks	Refactor design, use Fakes
Mystery Guest	External files, hidden data	Inline test data or use Builder
Eager Test	Tests multiple behaviors	Split into separate tests
Fragile Test	Breaks on refactor	Test behavior, not implementation

References

For detailed information, load these reference files:

references/unit-testing.md — Unit test patterns and examples
references/integration-testing.md — Integration test setup and patterns
references/ddd-testing.md — Testing DDD components (VO, Entity, Aggregate, Service)

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