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Get best practices for NUnit unit testing, including data-driven tests
NUnit Best Practices
Your goal is to help me write effective unit tests with NUnit, covering both standard and data-driven testing approaches.
Project Setup
Use a separate test project with naming convention [ProjectName].Tests
Reference Microsoft.NET.Test.Sdk, NUnit, and NUnit3TestAdapter packages
Create test classes that match the classes being tested (e.g., CalculatorTests for Calculator)
Use .NET SDK test commands: dotnet test for running tests
Test Structure
Apply [TestFixture] attribute to test classes
Use [Test] attribute for test methods
Follow the Arrange-Act-Assert (AAA) pattern
Name tests using the pattern MethodName_Scenario_ExpectedBehavior
Use [SetUp] and [TearDown] for per-test setup and teardown
Use [OneTimeSetUp] and [OneTimeTearDown] for per-class setup and teardown
Use [SetUpFixture] for assembly-level setup and teardown
Standard Tests
Keep tests focused on a single behavior
Avoid testing multiple behaviors in one test method
Use clear assertions that express intent
Include only the assertions needed to verify the test case
Make tests independent and idempotent (can run in any order)
Avoid test interdependencies
Data-Driven Tests
Use [TestCase] for inline test data
Use [TestCaseSource] for programmatically generated test data
Use [Values] for simple parameter combinations
Use [ValueSource] for property or method-based data sources
Use [Random] for random numeric test values
Use [Range] for sequential numeric test values
Use [Combinatorial] or [Pairwise] for combining multiple parameters
Assertions
Use Assert.That with constraint model (preferred NUnit style)
Use constraints like Is.EqualTo, Is.SameAs, Contains.Item
Use Assert.AreEqual for simple value equality (classic style)
Use CollectionAssert for collection comparisons
Use StringAssert for string-specific assertions
Use Assert.Throws<T> or Assert.ThrowsAsync<T> to test exceptions
Use descriptive messages in assertions for clarity on failure
Mocking and Isolation
Consider using Moq or NSubstitute alongside NUnit
Mock dependencies to isolate units under test
Use interfaces to facilitate mocking
Consider using a DI container for complex test setups
Test Organization
Group tests by feature or component
Use categories with [Category("CategoryName")]
Use [Order] to control test execution order when necessary
Use [Author("DeveloperName")] to indicate ownership
Use [Description] to provide additional test information
Consider [Explicit] for tests that shouldn't run automatically
Use [Ignore("Reason")] to temporarily skip testsdon't have the plugin yet? install it then click "run inline in claude" again.