Testing Mastery: JUnit, Mockito & Integration Tests · Lesson

Spying on Real Objects

Discover how to use Mockito spies to partially mock real objects, invoking real methods while still verifying interactions.

Spying on Real Objects is a free Testing Mastery: JUnit, Mockito & Integration Tests 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 Testing Mastery: JUnit, Mockito & Integration Tests learning path, one of 4 lessons in the course, and your progress syncs across the web and the CoddyKit app.

What are Mockito Spies?

In Mockito, you've learned to create mocks to fully control object behavior. But what if you only want to change a few methods while keeping the original behavior for others?

That's where spies come in! A spy wraps a real object, allowing you to:

Call the object's actual methods by default.
Override (stub) specific methods to return predefined values.
Verify interactions with the real object.

Think of it as 'partial mocking' – using the real thing, but with a few tweaks.

Creating Your First Spy

Creating a spy is straightforward. Instead of Mockito.mock(), you use Mockito.spy() and pass in an instance of the real object you want to spy on.

Let's define a simple DataService class we'll use for our examples. This service will perform some operations.

import org.mockito.Mockito;

public class DataService {
    public String fetchData(String id) {
        return "Real data for " + id;
    }

    public int processData(String data) {
        return data.length();
    }
}

public class Main {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        DataService realService = new DataService();
        DataService spyService = Mockito.spy(realService);

        System.out.println("Spy created successfully!");
    }
}

Spies Call Real Methods

The key characteristic of a spy is that, by default, it will call the actual methods of the object it's wrapping. This is different from a mock, which has no real implementation and returns default values.

Let's see our spyService call a real method:

import org.mockito.Mockito;

public class DataService {
    public String fetchData(String id) {
        System.out.println("--- Calling REAL fetchData for ID: " + id + " ---");
        return "Real data for " + id;
    }

    public int processData(String data) {
        return data.length();
    }
}

public class Main {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        DataService realService = new DataService();
        DataService spyService = Mockito.spy(realService);

        String result = spyService.fetchData("123");
        System.out.println("Result from spy: " + result);

        int processed = spyService.processData("Hello");
        System.out.println("Processed data length: " + processed);
    }
}

Stubbing a Spy: Overriding Behavior

While spies call real methods by default, you can still stub them to return specific values or throw exceptions, just like with mocks. This lets you control parts of the object's behavior.

However, when stubbing a spy, it's often safer to use doReturn().when() syntax:

Mockito.when(spy.method()).thenReturn(value) might execute the real method first if it's called during the when() part.
Mockito.doReturn(value).when(spy).method() avoids calling the real method during stubbing, which is crucial if the real method has side effects or throws exceptions.

Stubbing a Spy in Action

Let's stub our spyService's fetchData method to return a custom value for a specific ID, while other calls still go to the real method:

import org.mockito.Mockito;

public class DataService {
    public String fetchData(String id) {
        System.out.println("--- Calling REAL fetchData for ID: " + id + " ---");
        return "Real data for " + id;
    }

    public int processData(String data) {
        return data.length();
    }
}

public class Main {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        DataService realService = new DataService();
        DataService spyService = Mockito.spy(realService);

        // Stubbing the spy for a specific input
        Mockito.doReturn("Mocked data for specific ID")
               .when(spyService)
               .fetchData("specialId");

        // This call will return the mocked data
        String result1 = spyService.fetchData("specialId");
        System.out.println("Result for specialId: " + result1);

        // This call will go to the real method
        String result2 = spyService.fetchData("regularId");
        System.out.println("Result for regularId: " + result2);
    }
}

Verifying Spy Interactions

Just like with mocks, you can use Mockito.verify() to ensure that certain methods were called on your spy. This is powerful for confirming that your code interacts with the real object as expected.

verify() works exactly the same for spies as it does for mocks. You can check:

If a method was called.
How many times it was called.
With what arguments it was called.

Verifying Spy Calls Example

Let's verify that our fetchData method was called on the spy, even when it executed its real implementation:

import org.mockito.Mockito;

public class DataService {
    public String fetchData(String id) {
        System.out.println("--- Calling REAL fetchData for ID: " + id + " ---");
        return "Real data for " + id;
    }

    public int processData(String data) {
        return data.length();
    }
}

public class Main {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        DataService realService = new DataService();
        DataService spyService = Mockito.spy(realService);

        // Call a method on the spy (it will execute the real method)
        spyService.fetchData("user1");
        spyService.processData("data1");
        spyService.fetchData("user2");

        // Verify interactions
        Mockito.verify(spyService).fetchData("user1");
        Mockito.verify(spyService, Mockito.times(2)).fetchData(Mockito.anyString());
        Mockito.verify(spyService).processData("data1");

        System.out.println("Verification successful!");
    }
}

Spies vs. Mocks: The Key Difference

It's crucial to understand when to use a spy versus a traditional mock:

Mocks: Create a completely fake object. All methods are 'empty' and return default values unless you explicitly stub them. Ideal for isolating the unit under test.
Spies: Wrap a real object. All methods execute their actual implementation unless you explicitly stub them. Useful when you want to use most of the real object's behavior but control a few specific interactions.

Prefer mocks for true unit isolation. Use spies when dealing with complex objects where only a few methods need to be controlled, or for legacy code.

When to Use Spies

Spies are particularly useful in scenarios where:

You're testing a class that interacts with a complex dependency, and you only need to override a small part of that dependency's behavior.
You have a legacy class with many methods, and creating a full mock would be tedious, but you need to ensure some methods are called or return specific values.
You want to test partial behavior of a real object without fully replacing it.

However, use them sparingly. Over-reliance on spies can lead to less isolated tests that are harder to maintain.

Quick Check: Spy Behavior

Consider a Logger class with a log(String message) method that prints to console. If you spy on a new Logger() object, what happens when you call spyLogger.log("Test") without any stubbing?

Recap: Spying on Real Objects

You've successfully learned about Mockito spies!

Spies wrap real objects, allowing you to use their actual methods by default.
You create them with Mockito.spy(realObject).
You can stub specific methods using doReturn().when(spy).method() to override their behavior.
You can verify interactions on spies using Mockito.verify(), just like with mocks.
Use spies carefully, primarily when partial control over a real object is needed, rather than full isolation.

This flexibility helps you write more targeted tests for complex scenarios.

Frequently asked questions

Is the “Spying on Real Objects” lesson free?

Yes — the full text of “Spying on Real Objects” is free to read here on the web, and the Testing Mastery: JUnit, Mockito & Integration Tests 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 Testing Mastery: JUnit, Mockito & Integration Tests course, upgrade to CoddyKit PRO.

What will I learn in “Spying on Real Objects”?

Discover how to use Mockito spies to partially mock real objects, invoking real methods while still verifying interactions. You practise Testing Mastery: JUnit, Mockito & Integration Tests 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 Testing Mastery: JUnit, Mockito & Integration Tests?

No prior experience is required. Testing Mastery: JUnit, Mockito & Integration Tests 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 “Spying on Real Objects” 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 Testing Mastery: JUnit, Mockito & Integration Tests lesson?

Yes. Every Testing Mastery: JUnit, Mockito & Integration Tests 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

Stubbing Return Values
Mockito Argument Matchers
Spying on Real Objects
Throwing Exceptions and Consecutive Calls

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