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odysseus/tests/README.md
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Alexandre Teixeira e9ff6cde77 docs(tests): document helper conventions
Documentation-only PR continuing #2523. Adds tests/README.md to document helper conventions, validation expectations, and the next test-suite refactor phase.
2026-06-05 14:04:10 +01:00

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# Test Suite Notes
## Purpose
This file documents the shared test helpers and the review expectations that go
with them. The suite is being refactored incrementally, so this is a working
reference for that effort — not a claim that the suite is already fully
organized. Read it before adding a new helper or before reviewing a PR that
touches `tests/helpers/`.
## Core principles
- Keep PRs small and homogeneous: one kind of change per PR.
- Prefer explicit local setup over hidden global fixtures.
- Avoid expanding the root `conftest.py` unless absolutely necessary.
- Do not mix file moves with logic changes in the same PR.
- Do not weaken tests with `skip`/`xfail` just to make CI pass.
- Validate the focused files you changed, plus any neighboring or
order-sensitive groups they interact with.
## Helper conventions
The helpers below live under `tests/helpers/`. They exist to remove repeated
boilerplate that already appeared across multiple tests. Reach for one only when
your test matches its intended use; do not stretch a helper to cover a new case.
### `tests.helpers.cli_loader.load_script`
Use when a test needs to import a script under `scripts/` without repeating
`SourceFileLoader` / `importlib.util` boilerplate.
- Intended for script/CLI tests that load a single file from `scripts/`.
- Not for arbitrary package imports — use a normal `import` for those.
- When migrating an existing test to it, keep the existing stubs and assertions
unchanged. Any `sys.modules` stubs the script needs at import time must still
be injected (e.g. via `monkeypatch`) before calling `load_script`.
### `tests.helpers.import_state.clear_module`
Use when a test must drop one cached module and its parent-package attribute
before a fresh import.
- Clears `sys.modules[name]`.
- Clears the parent-package attribute when present.
- Good replacement for local `sys.modules.pop(...)` + `delattr(parent, child)`
blocks.
### `tests.helpers.import_state.preserve_import_state`
Use when a test temporarily installs stubs into `sys.modules` and needs
deterministic cleanup afterward.
- Context manager: restores both `sys.modules` entries and parent-package
attributes on exit (normal or exception).
- Useful around module-level stubs or temporary imports.
- Prefer narrow, explicit module names over broad ones.
### `tests.helpers.import_state.clear_fake_database_modules`
Use only for the guarded fake/stub database cleanup pattern.
- Preserves a real-looking `core.database` (one with a string `__file__`).
- Removes a fake/stub `core.database` and the related `src.database` state.
- Do not use as a general database reset fixture.
### `tests.helpers.import_state.clear_fake_endpoint_resolver_modules`
Use only for the guarded fake/stub `src.endpoint_resolver` cleanup pattern.
- Preserves real resolver modules (those with a truthy `__file__`).
- Evicts fake/stub resolver modules and the dependent route modules that were
cached against them.
- Accepts explicit extra dependent module names to evict alongside the defaults.
## What not to abstract yet
Some remaining patterns should stay as-is for now rather than being forced into
helpers:
- Large mixed files such as security/review regression files.
- Setup-oriented `sys.modules` stub installers.
- One-off custom module patching.
- DB/session/route setup, until it has been audited separately.
## Validation expectations
Run validation locally before opening or approving a PR. Practical checks:
- `git diff --check` — catch whitespace and conflict-marker errors.
- `python3 -m py_compile <changed files>` — confirm changed files compile.
- Focused `pytest` on the changed test files.
- `pytest` on neighboring or order-sensitive test groups that share import
state with the changed files.
- `grep` for the old boilerplate when replacing it, to confirm no stragglers
remain.
- A fresh audit worktree when changing the helpers themselves, so stale
`__pycache__` or import state cannot mask a regression.
## Current roadmap
1. Import-state cleanup — complete.
2. Document helper conventions (this file).
3. Audit fake DB / `SessionLocal` / route setup duplication.
4. Add tiny helpers only when the repeated semantics are clear.
5. Start low-risk file moves only after helper conventions are documented.
6. Avoid moving high-risk security/route regression files first.