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docs(unit testing): improve unit testing guide
This commit adds to the unit testing guide: - add explicit section on additional libraries: Karma, Jasmine and angular-mocks and link to the docs for those projects too. Explain the benefit and use case for each of these libaries - Add more fully featured test examples and add more documentation around them, in particular the controller test - more clearly distinguish between the section on principles of testing and actual tutorial on writing a test This should close #8220.
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docs/content/guide/unit-testing.ngdoc

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@@ -8,28 +8,26 @@ comes with almost no help from the compiler. For this reason we feel very strong
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written in JavaScript needs to come with a strong set of tests. We have built many features into
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Angular which makes testing your Angular applications easy. So there is no excuse for not testing.
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# Separation of Concerns
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## Separation of Concerns
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Unit testing as the name implies is about testing individual units of code. Unit tests try to
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Unit testing, as the name implies, is about testing individual units of code. Unit tests try to
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answer questions such as "Did I think about the logic correctly?" or "Does the sort function order
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the list in the right order?"
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In order to answer such a question it is very important that we can isolate the unit of code under test.
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That is because when we are testing the sort function we don't want to be forced into creating
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related pieces such as the DOM elements, or making any XHR calls in getting the data to sort.
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related pieces such as the DOM elements, or making any XHR calls to fetch the data to sort.
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While this may seem obvious it can be very difficult to call an individual function on a
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typical project. The reason is that the developers often mix concerns resulting in a
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piece of code which does everything. It makes an XHR request, it sorts the response data and then it
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manipulates the DOM.
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With Angular we try to make it easy for you to do the right thing, and so we
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provide dependency injection for your XHR (which you can mock out) and we created abstractions which
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allow you to sort your model without having to resort to manipulating the DOM. So that in the end,
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it is easy to write a sort function which sorts some data, so that your test can create a data set,
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apply the function, and assert that the resulting model is in the correct order. The test does not
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have to wait for the XHR response to arrive, create the right kind of test DOM, nor assert that your
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function has mutated the DOM in the right way.
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provide dependency injection for your XHR requests, which can be mocked, and we provide abstractions which
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allow you to test your model without having to resort to manipulating the DOM. The test can then
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assert that the data has been sorted without having to create or look at the state of the DOM or
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wait for any XHR requests to return data. The individual sort function can be tested in isolation.
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## With great power comes great responsibility
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@@ -182,86 +180,179 @@ Notice that no global variables were harmed in the writing of this test.
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Angular comes with {@link di dependency injection} built-in, making the right thing
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easy to do, but you still need to do it if you wish to take advantage of the testability story.
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## Controllers
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What makes each application unique is its logic, and the logic is what we would like to test. If the logic
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for your application contains DOM manipulation, it will be hard to test. See the example
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below:
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## Additional libraries for testing Angular applications
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For testing Angular applications there are libraries that you should use that will make testing much
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easier to set up and run.
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### Karma
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[Karma](http://karma-runner.github.io/) is a JavaScript command line tool that can be used to spawn
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a web server which loads your application's source code and executes your tests. You can configure
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Karma to run against a number of browsers, which is useful for being confident that your application
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works on all browsers you need to support. Karma is executed on the command line and will display
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the results of your tests on the command line once they have run in the browser.
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Karma is a NodeJS application, and should be installed through npm. Full installation instructions
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are available on [the Karma website](http://karma-runner.github.io/0.12/intro/installation.html).
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### Jasmine
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[Jasmine](http://jasmine.github.io/2.0/introduction.html) is a test driven development framework for
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JavaScript that has become the most popular choice for testing Angular applications. Jasmine
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provides functions to help with structuring your tests and also making assertions. As your tests
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grow, keeping them well structured and documented is vital, and Jasmine helps achieve this.
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In Jasmine we use the `describe` function to group our tests together:
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```js
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function PasswordCtrl() {
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// get references to DOM elements
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var msg = $('.ex1 span');
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var input = $('.ex1 input');
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var strength;
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this.grade = function() {
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msg.removeClass(strength);
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var pwd = input.val();
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password.text(pwd);
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if (pwd.length > 8) {
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strength = 'strong';
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} else if (pwd.length > 3) {
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strength = 'medium';
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} else {
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strength = 'weak';
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}
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msg
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.addClass(strength)
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.text(strength);
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}
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}
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describe("sorting the list of users", function() {
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// individual tests go here
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});
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```
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The code above is problematic from a testability point of view since it requires your test to have the right kind
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of DOM present when the code executes. The test would look like this:
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And then each individual test is defined within a call to the `it` function:
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```js
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var input = $('<input type="text"/>');
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var span = $('<span>');
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$('body').html('<div class="ex1">')
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.find('div')
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.append(input)
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.append(span);
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var pc = new PasswordCtrl();
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input.val('abc');
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pc.grade();
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expect(span.text()).toEqual('weak');
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$('body').empty();
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describe("sorting the list of users", function() {
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it("sorts in descending order by default", function() {
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// your test assertion goes here
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});
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});
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```
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In angular the controllers are strictly separated from the DOM manipulation logic and this results in
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a much easier testability story as the following example shows:
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By grouping related tests within `describe` blocks, and describing each individual test within an
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`it` call, this keeps your tests self documented. Finally, Jasmine provides matchers which let you
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make assertions:
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```js
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function PasswordCtrl($scope) {
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$scope.password = '';
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$scope.grade = function() {
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var size = $scope.password.length;
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if (size > 8) {
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$scope.strength = 'strong';
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} else if (size > 3) {
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$scope.strength = 'medium';
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} else {
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$scope.strength = 'weak';
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}
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};
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}
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describe("sorting the list of users", function() {
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it("sorts in descending order by default", function() {
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var users = ['jack', 'igor', 'jeff'];
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var sorted = sortUsers(users);
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expect(sorted).toEqual(['jeff', 'jack', 'igor']);
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});
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});
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```
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Jasmine comes with a number of matchers that help you make a variety of assertions. You should [read
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the Jasmine documentation](http://jasmine.github.io/2.0/introduction.html#section-Matchers) to see
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what they are.
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### angular-mocks
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Angular also provides the {@link ngMock} module, which provides mocking for your tests. This is used
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to inject and mock Angular services within unit tests. In addition, it is able to extend other
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modules so they are synchronous. Having tests synchronous keeps them much cleaner and easier to work
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with. One of the most useful parts of ngMock is {@link ngMock.$httpBackend}, which lets us mock XHR
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requests in tests, and return sample data instead.
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## Testing a Controller
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Because Angular separates logic from the view layer, it keeps controllers easy to test. Let's take a
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look at how we might test the controller below, which provides `$scope.grade`, which sets a property
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on the scope based on the length of the password.
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```js
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angular
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.module('app')
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.controller('PasswordController', function PasswordController($scope) {
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$scope.password = '';
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$scope.grade = function() {
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var size = $scope.password.length;
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if (size > 8) {
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$scope.strength = 'strong';
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} else if (size > 3) {
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$scope.strength = 'medium';
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} else {
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$scope.strength = 'weak';
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}
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};
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});
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```
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and the test is straight forward:
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The test below assumes that you have your controllers available on the global scope. If this isn't
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the case, you can use {@link angular.mock.inject} to inject the controller into the test. We can use
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Jasmine to structure our test:
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```js
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var $scope = {};
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var pc = $controller('PasswordCtrl', { $scope: $scope });
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$scope.password = 'abc';
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$scope.grade();
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expect($scope.strength).toEqual('weak');
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describe('PasswordController', function() {
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describe('$scope.grade', function() {
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it('sets the strength to "strong" if the password length is >8 chars', function() {
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var $scope = {};
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var ctrl = $controller('PasswordController', { $scope: $scope });
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$scope.password = 'longerthaneightchars';
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$scope.grade();
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expect($scope.strength).toEqual('strong');
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});
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});
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});
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```
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Notice that the test is not only much shorter, it is also easier to follow what is happening. We say
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that such a test tells a story, rather than asserting random bits which don't seem to be related.
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Notice how by nesting the `describe` calls and being descriptive when calling them with strings, the
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test is very clear. It documents exactly what it is testing, and at a glance you can quickly see
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what is happening. Now let's add the test for when the password is less than three characters, which
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should see `$scope.strength` set to "weak":
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## Filters
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```js
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describe('PasswordController', function() {
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describe('$scope.grade', function() {
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it('sets the strength to "strong" if the password length is >8 chars', function() {
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var $scope = {};
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var ctrl = $controller('PasswordController', { $scope: $scope });
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$scope.password = 'longerthaneightchars';
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$scope.grade();
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expect($scope.strength).toEqual('strong');
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});
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it('sets the strength to "weak" if the password length <3 chars', function() {
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var $scope = {};
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var ctrl = $controller('PasswordController', { $scope: $scope });
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$scope.password = 'a';
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$scope.grade();
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expect($scope.strength).toEqual('weak');
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});
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});
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});
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```
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Now we have two tests, but notice the duplication between the tests. Both have to
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create the `$scope` variable and create the controller. As we add new tests, this duplication is
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only going to get worse. Thankfully, Jasmine provides `beforeEach`, which lets us run a function
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before each individual test. Let's see how that would tidy up our tests:
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```js
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describe('PasswordController', function() {
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describe('$scope.grade', function() {
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var $scope, ctrl;
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beforeEach(function() {
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$scope = {};
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ctrl = $controller('PasswordController', { $scope: $scope });
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});
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it('sets the strength to "strong" if the password length is >8 chars', function() {
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$scope.password = 'longerthaneightchars';
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$scope.grade();
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expect($scope.strength).toEqual('strong');
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});
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it('sets the strength to "weak" if the password length <3 chars', function() {
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$scope.password = 'a';
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$scope.grade();
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expect($scope.strength).toEqual('weak');
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});
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});
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});
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```
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The duplication is now gone, and encapsulated within the `beforeEach`. Each individual test now only
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contains the code specific to that test, and not code that is general across all tests. As you
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expand your tests, keep an eye out for locations where you can use `beforeEach` to tidy up tests.
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`beforeEach` isn't the only function of this sort that Jasmine provides, and the [documentation
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lists the others](http://jasmine.github.io/2.0/introduction.html#section-Setup_and_Teardown).
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## Testing Filters
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{@link ng.$filterProvider Filters} are functions which transform the data into a user readable
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format. They are important because they remove the formatting responsibility from the application
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logic, further simplifying the application logic.
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}
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});
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var length = $filter('length');
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expect(length(null)).toEqual(0);
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expect(length('abc')).toEqual(3);
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describe('length filter', function() {
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it('returns 0 when given null', function() {
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var length = $filter('length');
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expect(length(null)).toEqual(0);
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});
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it('returns the correct value when given a string of chars', function() {
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var length = $filter('length');
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expect(length('abc')).toEqual(3);
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});
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});
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```
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## Directives
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## Testing Directives
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Directives in angular are responsible for encapsulating complex functionality within custom HTML tags,
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attributes, classes or comments. Unit tests are very important for directives because the components
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you create with directives may be used throughout your application and in many different contexts.
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```js
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describe('Unit testing great quotes', function() {
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var $compile;
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var $rootScope;
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// Load the myApp module, which contains the directive
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beforeEach(module('myApp'));
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// Store references to $rootScope and $compile
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// so they are available to all tests in this describe block
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beforeEach(inject(function(_$compile_, _$rootScope_){
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// The injector unwraps the underscores (_) from around the parameter names when matching
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$compile = _$compile_;
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$rootScope = _$rootScope_;
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}));
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it('Replaces the element with the appropriate content', function() {
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// Compile a piece of HTML containing the directive
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var element = $compile("<a-great-eye></a-great-eye>")($rootScope);
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// fire all the watches, so the scope expression {{1 + 1}} will be evaluated
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$rootScope.$digest();
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// Check that the compiled element contains the templated content
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expect(element.html()).toContain("lidless, wreathed in flame, 2 times");
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});
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var $compile;
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var $rootScope;
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// Load the myApp module, which contains the directive
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beforeEach(module('myApp'));
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// Store references to $rootScope and $compile
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// so they are available to all tests in this describe block
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beforeEach(inject(function(_$compile_, _$rootScope_){
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// The injector unwraps the underscores (_) from around the parameter names when matching
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$compile = _$compile_;
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$rootScope = _$rootScope_;
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}));
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it('Replaces the element with the appropriate content', function() {
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// Compile a piece of HTML containing the directive
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var element = $compile("<a-great-eye></a-great-eye>")($rootScope);
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// fire all the watches, so the scope expression {{1 + 1}} will be evaluated
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$rootScope.$digest();
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// Check that the compiled element contains the templated content
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expect(element.html()).toContain("lidless, wreathed in flame, 2 times");
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});
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});
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```
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## Sample project
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See the [angular-seed](https://github.com/angular/angular-seed) project for an example.
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