greedychipmunk__agent-skills/angularjs-unit-test/resources/best-practices-checklist.md

Best Practices Checklist for AngularJS Testing

Pre-Test Planning

• Requirements Clear: Understand what component should do
• Edge Cases Identified: List boundary conditions and error scenarios
• Dependencies Mapped: Know all external dependencies
• Data Models Defined: Understand data structures
• API Contracts Known: Know HTTP endpoints and data format
• Error Scenarios Listed: Identify all error cases
• Performance Targets Set: Define acceptable test execution time

Test Organization

• One Test File Per Component: Named component.spec.js
• Logical Grouping: Use describe() blocks for organization
• Clear Test Names: Names describe expected behavior
• DRY Setup: Common setup in beforeEach()
• Clean Teardown: Resources cleaned up in afterEach()
• Independence: Each test runs independently
• No Global State: Tests don't share state

Test Structure

• AAA Pattern: Arrange-Act-Assert clearly visible
• Single Responsibility: One concept per test
• Readable: Easy to understand intent
• No Comments: Code is self-explanatory
• Meaningful Assertions: Verify intended behavior
• Consistent Naming: Same conventions throughout
• Proper Indentation: Code is properly formatted

Mocking & Dependency Injection

• External Dependencies Mocked: HTTP, external services
• Realistic Mocks: Mocks behave like real services
• Dependencies Injected: Using AngularJS injection
• $provide Used Correctly: For overriding services
• Spy Verification: Verify service interactions
• Mock Data Consistent: Same data structures as real services
• Spies Reset: Clear mocks between tests

HTTP Testing

• $httpBackend Setup: Properly configured
• HTTP Expectations Set: Before making requests
• Requests Flushed: $httpBackend.flush() called
• Verification Done: verifyNoOutstandingExpectation()
• Error Responses Tested: 404, 500, timeout scenarios
• Response Data Correct: Actual data format verified
• Multiple Requests Handled: Sequential requests tested

Async Operations

• Promises Resolved: $rootScope.$apply() or flush()
• Timeouts Handled: $timeout.flush() called
• Callbacks Executed: Async code runs before assertions
• Error Handling: Promise rejections tested
• Race Conditions: Timing issues caught
• Async Completeness: All async operations finished

Scope & Events

• $scope Created: Fresh scope per test
• Watchers Tested: $scope.$watch() behavior verified
• Events Emitted: $scope.$emit() called
• Events Broadcast: $scope.$broadcast() verified
• Digest Cycles: $rootScope.$apply() or $digest() called
• Scope Cleanup: Resources cleaned up
• Scope Isolation: Controller scope is isolated

Assertions

• Assertions Meaningful: Verify intended behavior
• Type Checks: toBeDefined(), toBeNull()
• Value Checks: toBe(), toEqual()
• Array/Object Checks: toContain(), deep equality
• Error Checks: toThrow(), error messages
• Spy Checks: Function calls verified
• Negation Used: .not. when appropriate

Error Testing

• Error Paths Tested: Happy path AND error cases
• Error Messages Verified: Clear, helpful messages
• Error Recovery: Service recovers gracefully
• Edge Cases: Empty arrays, null values, invalid input
• Boundary Values: Min/max values tested
• Invalid Data: Type mismatches handled
• Exception Handling: Uncaught exceptions prevented

Coverage & Quality

• Coverage 80%+: Adequate code coverage
• Line Coverage Good: Most lines executed
• Branch Coverage: Both if/else branches tested
• Function Coverage: All functions called
• No Dead Code: All code is tested
• Conditional Branches: All conditions tested
• Error Branches: Error handling tested

Maintainability

• Fixtures Used: Test data centralized
• Helpers Created: Common operations extracted
• DRY Principle: No code duplication
• Clear Variable Names: Intent obvious
• Documented: Complex logic explained
• Constants Used: Magic numbers avoided
• Consistent Style: Team conventions followed

Performance

• Tests Run Fast: Under 100ms per test
• No Unnecessary Mocks: Only mock when needed
• Efficient Assertions: Quick validations
• Async Operations: Properly handled
• Database Mocked: No real DB access
• External APIs Mocked: No real API calls
• Resource Cleanup: No memory leaks

Integration Testing

• Component Interaction: Multiple components tested
• Data Flow: Data flows correctly through system
• Event Propagation: Events propagate correctly
• Service Integration: Services work together
• Router Integration: Navigation works
• HTTP Integration: Real HTTP scenarios tested
• End-to-End: Full workflow tested

Debugging

• Errors Understandable: Clear error messages
• Test Names Descriptive: Easy to find failing test
• Assertions Clear: Obvious what failed
• No Silent Failures: Failures are visible
• Logging Minimal: Debug logs removed
• Focus/Skip Used: For debugging specific tests
• Browser DevTools: Tests debuggable

CI/CD Integration

• Tests Run in CI: Automated test execution
• Coverage Reported: Coverage data tracked
• Failures Caught: CI catches test failures
• Build Blocked: Failed tests block merge
• Reports Generated: HTML/coverage reports
• Artifacts Saved: Test results archived
• Notifications Sent: Team notified of failures

Documentation

• README Updated: Testing instructions included
• Test Examples: Sample tests documented
• Setup Documented: How to run tests explained
• Coverage Report: Coverage goals documented
• Common Issues: Troubleshooting guide provided
• Best Practices: Team guidelines documented
• Tools Listed: Testing tools and versions listed

Scoring

Calculate your test quality score:

Item	Yes(1)	Partial(0.5)	No(0)
Pre-test planning (7 items)	?	?	?
Test organization (7 items)	?	?	?
Test structure (7 items)	?	?	?
Mocking (7 items)	?	?	?
HTTP testing (7 items)	?	?	?
Async operations (7 items)	?	?	?
Scope & events (7 items)	?	?	?
Assertions (7 items)	?	?	?
Error testing (7 items)	?	?	?
Coverage (7 items)	?	?	?

Score Calculation: (Total Points / 70) × 100

• 90-100: Excellent test quality ✓
• 75-89: Good test quality - improve coverage
• 60-74: Fair quality - address gaps
• <60: Poor quality - significant improvements needed

Quick Checklist for Code Review

Before committing tests:

• Tests run locally without errors
• Coverage meets 80% target
• All edge cases tested
• No flaky tests
• No console.log statements
• No pending/skipped tests
• Naming follows conventions
• All assertions meaningful
• Error scenarios tested
• Mocks are realistic

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Last Updated: January 10, 2026