0Pricing
Elixir & Phoenix: Scalable Backend Development · Lesson

Mocking, Stubs, and Test Data

Learn techniques for isolating code dependencies, using mocks and stubs, and efficiently managing test data.

Mocking, Stubs, and Test Data is a free Elixir & Phoenix: Scalable Backend Development lesson on CoddyKit — lesson 3 of 4. You can read the complete lesson below for free — then practise it hands-on in the browser with a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor. It is part of the Elixir & Phoenix: Scalable Backend Development learning path, one of 4 lessons in the course, and your progress syncs across the web and the CoddyKit app.

Why Isolate Dependencies?

In real-world applications, your code often relies on other components or external services. These are called dependencies.

Imagine your application needs to:

  • Save data to a database.
  • Send emails via an email service.
  • Fetch data from a third-party API.

Testing these directly can be slow, unreliable (what if the API is down?), or costly. We need a way to test our code in isolation.

Understanding Test Doubles

When testing code that interacts with external services or complex components, we often use test doubles. These are generic objects that stand in for real dependencies during a test.

Common types include:

  • Stubs: Provide predefined answers to method calls.
  • Mocks: Verify that certain actions (method calls) occurred.
  • Fakes: Lightweight working implementations (e.g., an in-memory database).

In this lesson, we'll focus on Stubs and Mocks, primarily using the Mox library.

What's a Stub?

A stub is a stand-in for a real dependency that provides pre-programmed responses to method calls. It's like a script for a supporting actor: when your code 'asks' the stub something, the stub simply gives a canned answer.

Stubs help you control the environment your code is tested in, ensuring consistent results without external side effects.

Try this example to see the concept:

defmodule Notifier do
  @callback send_notification(message :: String.t) :: :ok
end

defmodule RealNotifier do
  @behaviour Notifier
  def send_notification(message) do
    IO.puts("Real Notifier sent: #{message}")
    :ok
  end
end

defmodule StubNotifier do
  @behaviour Notifier
  def send_notification(_message) do
    IO.puts("Stub Notifier received message (but didn't send for real).")
    :ok
  end
end

defmodule Client do
  def trigger_notification(message, notifier_module) do
    notifier_module.send_notification(message)
  end
end

IO.puts("--- Using Real Notifier ---")
Client.trigger_notification("Hello World!", RealNotifier)

IO.puts("\n--- Using Stub Notifier in a test-like scenario ---")
Client.trigger_notification("Test Message", StubNotifier)

Introducing Mox for Stubbing

In Elixir, the Mox library is a popular choice for creating mocks and stubs. It integrates well with ExUnit and helps ensure your test doubles conform to defined behaviours.

First, you define a mock module using Mox.defmock/2, specifying the behaviour it should implement. This acts as a proxy for your real module.

# In test/support/mocks.ex
defmodule MyApp.NotifierMock do
  use Mox

  # This mock will implement the MyApp.Notifier behaviour
  # (Assuming MyApp.Notifier defines @callback notify/1)
  @behaviour MyApp.Notifier
end

# In test_helper.exs, you'd typically define:
# Mox.defmock(MyApp.NotifierMock, for: MyApp.Notifier)

Stubbing Responses with Mox

Once your mock module is defined, you can use Mox.stub/3 or Mox.expect/3 (which also stubs) within your tests to define what functions should return. This allows you to simulate success or failure scenarios from your dependencies.

Mox.stub/3 takes the mock module, the function name, and a function that defines the return value based on arguments.

# Assume MyApp.NotifierMock is defined and MyApp.Client uses it.
# In an ExUnit test case:
# use Mox
# setup :verify_on_exit!

# Stub the :notify function to always return :ok
Mox.stub(MyApp.NotifierMock, :notify, fn _message ->
  IO.puts("Mox stub received message, returning :ok.")
  :ok
end)

# If MyApp.Client.send_message("Hello", MyApp.NotifierMock) is called,
# it will receive :ok as the result, without calling the real notifier.

What's a Mock?

A mock is a test double that not only provides predefined responses (like a stub) but also verifies that specific interactions occurred. It answers the question: 'Was this function called, with these arguments, and how many times?'

Mocks are useful when you want to ensure your code correctly interacts with its dependencies, for example, making sure an email was indeed sent or a specific log entry was created.

Verifying Interactions with Mox

Mox.expect/3 is used for both stubbing responses and setting expectations for function calls. If an expected call isn't made, or is made with different arguments, the test will fail.

This helps you assert the 'side effects' of your code, ensuring it communicates correctly with its dependencies.

# Assume MyApp.NotifierMock is defined and MyApp.Client uses it.
# In an ExUnit test case:
# use Mox
# setup :verify_on_exit!

# Expect :notify to be called exactly once with "Urgent Message"
Mox.expect(MyApp.NotifierMock, :notify, fn "Urgent Message" ->
  IO.puts("Mox mock received expected message: Urgent Message")
  :ok
end)

# If MyApp.Client.send_message("Urgent Message", MyApp.NotifierMock) is called,
# the expectation is met. If not, the test fails at the end.

Managing Test Data

Beyond isolating dependencies, managing test data is crucial. Hardcoding data directly in tests can lead to:

  • Brittleness: Changing a schema or constraint breaks many tests.
  • Repetition: Copy-pasting complex data structures.
  • Inconsistency: Tests relying on different, potentially invalid, data.

We need a better way to generate realistic and valid data for our tests.

Test Data Factories

Test data factories are functions or modules designed to generate valid, customizable data for your tests. Instead of manually creating maps or structs, you call a factory function.

This approach makes your tests:

  • Robust: Factories handle defaults and ensure validity.
  • Flexible: You can override specific attributes as needed.
  • Concise: Less boilerplate for data creation in tests.

Here's a simple factory example:

defmodule UserFactory do
  def build_user(attrs \\ %{}) do
    defaults = %{
      id: "user-#{:rand.uniform(100000)}",
      name: "User Name #{:rand.uniform(100)}",
      email: "user#{:rand.uniform(100)}@example.com",
      age: :rand.uniform(50) + 18
    }
    Map.merge(defaults, attrs)
  end
end

user1 = UserFactory.build_user()
IO.puts("Generated User 1:")
IO.inspect(user1)

user2 = UserFactory.build_user(%{name: "Alice", email: "alice@example.com"})
IO.puts("\nGenerated User 2 (customized):")
IO.inspect(user2)

Quick Check

You've learned about stubs, mocks, and how to manage test data. Let's test your understanding of the core concepts.

Recap & Next Steps

In this lesson, we explored crucial techniques for writing more effective and isolated tests:

  • We learned about test doubles, specifically stubs (for predefined responses) and mocks (for verifying interactions).
  • We saw how the Mox library helps implement these concepts in Elixir, especially when working with behaviours.
  • Finally, we discussed strategies for managing test data using factories to create robust and flexible test environments.

These tools are essential for building reliable Elixir and Phoenix applications. Keep practicing to master them!

Frequently asked questions

Is the “Mocking, Stubs, and Test Data” lesson free?

Yes — the full text of “Mocking, Stubs, and Test Data” is free to read here on the web, and the Elixir & Phoenix: Scalable Backend Development course includes 4 lessons in total. To practise it interactively (a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor) and unlock the rest of the Elixir & Phoenix: Scalable Backend Development course, upgrade to CoddyKit PRO.

What will I learn in “Mocking, Stubs, and Test Data”?

Learn techniques for isolating code dependencies, using mocks and stubs, and efficiently managing test data. You practise Elixir & Phoenix: Scalable Backend Development with hands-on code you run directly in the browser, and a 24/7 AI tutor answers your questions as you work through the lesson.

Do I need any experience to start Elixir & Phoenix: Scalable Backend Development?

No prior experience is required. Elixir & Phoenix: Scalable Backend Development on CoddyKit is structured for beginners through advanced learners; this is — lesson 3 of 4, so you can start here or from the beginning and move at your own pace.

How long does the “Mocking, Stubs, and Test Data” lesson take?

Most CoddyKit lessons take about 5–10 minutes. Each one is bite-sized and interactive, so you make steady progress and pick up exactly where you left off across the web and the app.

Can I write and run code in this Elixir & Phoenix: Scalable Backend Development lesson?

Yes. Every Elixir & Phoenix: Scalable Backend Development lesson includes a built-in code editor, so you write and run real code right in your browser and get instant AI feedback — no local setup required.

All lessons in this course

  1. Unit Testing with ExUnit
  2. Integration Testing Phoenix Applications
  3. Mocking, Stubs, and Test Data
  4. Property-Based Testing with StreamData
← Back to Elixir & Phoenix: Scalable Backend Development