---
id: testing-strategy
title: Project Testing Strategy
sidebar_label: Testing Strategy
---

# Codomyrmex Project Testing Strategy

This document outlines the comprehensive testing strategy for the Codomyrmex project, ensuring software quality, reliability, and maintainability across all modules.

## 1. Goals of Testing

- **Ensure Correctness**: Verify that each module and the integrated system functions as specified.
- **Prevent Regressions**: Detect defects introduced by new changes or refactoring.
- **Improve Code Quality**: Encourage writing testable, modular, and maintainable code.
- **Facilitate Collaboration**: Provide a safety net for developers working concurrently on different parts of the project.
- **Build Confidence**: Increase confidence in releases and deployments.

## 2. Types of Tests

The Codomyrmex project employs a multi-layered testing approach:

### 2.1. Unit Tests

- **Purpose**: To test individual components (functions, classes, methods) in isolation.
- **Scope**: Focused on the smallest testable parts of the application.
- **Characteristics**:
    - Fast to execute.
    - Independent of each other.
    - Dependencies are mocked or stubbed.
- **Location**: Within each module's `tests/unit/` directory.
- **Tools**:
    - Python: `pytest`, `unittest.mock` (for mocking).
    - JavaScript (for Docusaurus custom components, if any): Jest, React Testing Library.
- **Guidelines**:
    - Aim for high coverage of critical logic.
    - Test edge cases, boundary conditions, and error handling.
    - Keep unit tests small and focused on a single concern.

### 2.2. Integration Tests

- **Purpose**: To test the interaction between different components, modules, or services.
- **Scope**: Verifies that integrated parts work together as expected. This includes interactions with external systems like LLM APIs (using controlled test accounts or mocks), databases (if any), or other Codomyrmex modules.
- **Characteristics**:
    - Slower than unit tests.
    - May require more complex setup (e.g., test databases, Docker containers).
- **Location**: Within each module's `tests/integration/` directory.
- **Tools**:
    - Python: `pytest`.
    - May involve setting up test instances of services or using test doubles.
- **Guidelines**:
    - Focus on the interfaces and communication paths between components.
    - Test common user scenarios that involve multiple components.
    - Ensure proper setup and teardown of test environments.

### 2.3. End-to-End (E2E) Tests (Future Consideration)

- **Purpose**: To test the entire application flow from the user's perspective.
- **Scope**: Simulates real user scenarios and validates the complete system.
- **Characteristics**:
    - Slowest to execute.
    - Most complex to set up and maintain.
    - Provides the highest confidence in overall system functionality.
- **Location**: Potentially a top-level `tests/e2e/` directory or integrated within specific modules like `documentation` (for Docusaurus site testing).
- **Tools**:
    - Web: Selenium, Cypress, Playwright (for Docusaurus or any web UIs).
    - CLI: Custom scripts, `pytest`.
- **Guidelines**:
    - Focus on critical user workflows.
    - E2E tests should be robust and less prone to flakiness.
    - This type of testing will be developed as the project matures and user-facing interfaces solidify.

### 2.4. Static Analysis & Linting

- **Purpose**: To automatically detect potential bugs, code smells, security vulnerabilities, and style issues without executing the code.
- **Scope**: Applied to all code across the project.
- **Tools**:
    - Python: `pylint`, `flake8`, `bandit` (as defined in `static_analysis/pyproject.toml` and configured via `static_analysis` module rules).
    - JavaScript/Markdown: ESLint, Prettier (for Docusaurus).
- **Integration**: Enforced via pre-commit hooks and CI/CD pipelines.
- **Guidelines**: Adhere to the configurations defined in the `static_analysis` module.

## 3. Testing Frameworks and Tools

- **Python**:
    - `pytest`: The primary framework for unit and integration tests due to its flexibility, rich plugin ecosystem, and concise syntax.
    - `pytest-mock`: For easy mocking of objects and functions.
    - `pytest-cov`: For measuring test coverage.
- **JavaScript (Docusaurus)**:
    - `Jest`: For unit testing custom React components.
    - `React Testing Library`: For testing React components in a user-centric way.
- **General**:
    - Specific SDKs for testing integrations (e.g., mocking LLM API responses).

## 4. General Test Writing Guidelines

- **Clarity**: Tests should be easy to read and understand. Use descriptive names for test functions and variables.
- **Independence**: Tests should be independent of each other. The order of execution should not matter.
- **Repeatability**: Tests should produce the same results every time they are run in the same environment.
- **Atomicity**: Each test should verify a single piece of functionality or behavior.
- **Arrange, Act, Assert (AAA)**: Structure tests using this pattern:
    1.  **Arrange**: Set up the necessary preconditions and inputs.
    2.  **Act**: Execute the code being tested.
    3.  **Assert**: Verify that the outcome is as expected.
- **Maintainability**: Write tests that are easy to maintain as the codebase evolves. Avoid brittle tests that break with minor, unrelated changes.
- **Test Coverage**: While aiming for high test coverage is a goal, prioritize testing critical and complex parts of the codebase. Coverage reports (e.g., from `pytest-cov`) should be used as a guide, not a strict target that sacrifices test quality.
- **Documentation**: Complex test setups or non-obvious test logic should be commented.

## 5. Running Tests

- Each module's `tests/README.md` file provides specific instructions on how to run its tests.
- Generally, from the project root, you can run tests for a specific module using `pytest [module_name]/tests/`.
- To run all tests: `pytest`.
- To get coverage reports: `pytest --cov=[module_name_or_project_root]`.

## 6. Test Data Management

- For unit tests, use small, inline test data or mock objects.
- For integration tests, if larger datasets are needed, they can be stored in a `test_data` subdirectory within the respective `tests/integration` folder. Ensure sensitive data is not committed.
- Test data should be representative of real-world scenarios.

## 7. Continuous Integration (CI)

- All tests (unit, integration, linting) will be run automatically as part of the CI/CD pipeline on every commit or pull request.
- The CI pipeline will enforce passing tests and quality gates before code can be merged.
- Test coverage reports will be generated and monitored in the CI environment.

## 8. Review and Maintenance of Testing Strategy

- This testing strategy will be reviewed periodically and updated as the project evolves.
- Feedback from the development team will be incorporated to improve testing practices.

By adhering to this testing strategy, the Codomyrmex project aims to deliver high-quality, robust, and reliable software. 
## Navigation Links

- **Parent**: [Project Overview](../README.md)
- **Module Index**: [All Agents](../../AGENTS.md)
- **Documentation**: [Reference Guides](../../docs/README.md)
- **Home**: [Root README](../../../README.md)
