---
name: dart-test-fundamentals
description: |-
  Core concepts and best practices for `package:test`.
  Covers `test`, `group`, lifecycle methods (`setUp`, `tearDown`), and
  configuration (`dart_test.yaml`).
license: Apache-2.0
key_features:
  - Package test core concepts
  - Test lifecycle (setUp, tearDown)
  - dart_test.yaml configuration
---

# Dart Test Fundamentals

## When to use this skill

Use this skill when:

- Writing new test files.
- Structuring test suites with `group`.
- Configuring test execution via `dart_test.yaml`.
- Understanding test lifecycle methods.

### When NOT to use (Abstention Guardrails)

Do NOT apply this skill or refactor existing tests when:

- **Legacy Single-Group Churn**: Do NOT remove or reformat existing `group`
  hierarchies in untouched existing tests unless explicitly asked, as this
  causes unwanted diff churn.
- **Alternative Assertion Frameworks**: The package has migrated to
  `package:checks` or a specialized testing framework; do not revert tests back
  to legacy `package:matcher` idioms.
- **Trivial Tests with Zero Setup**: Simple standalone tests with no shared
  state or resources do not need `group`, `setUp`, or `addTearDown`. Do not add
  ceremonial wrapper boilerplate.

## Discovery

To find candidates for improving test structure:

### `try-finally` Cleanup

Search for tests that use `try-finally` for cleanup instead of `addTearDown`:

- **Regex**: `\bfinally\s*\{` (Check if this is used for resource cleanup inside
  a test).

## Core Concepts

### 1. Test Structure (`test` and `group`)

- **`test`**: The fundamental unit of testing.
  ```dart
  test('description', () {
    // assertions
  });
  ```
- **`group`**: Used to organize tests into logical blocks.
  - Groups can be nested.
  - Descriptions are concatenated (e.g., "Group Description Test Description").
  - Helps scope `setUp` and `tearDown` calls.
  - **Naming**: Use `PascalCase` for groups that correspond to a class name
    (e.g., `group('MyClient', ...)`).
  - **Avoid Single Groups**: Do not wrap all tests in a file with a single
    `group` call if it's the only one.
    - **NOTE**: DO NOT remove groups when doing a cleanup on existing code you
      didn't create unless explicitly asked to. This can cause a LOT of churn in
      the DIFF that most engineers won't want!

- **Naming Tests** `test('test name here',`:
  - Avoid redundant "test" prefixes. Use `group` instead.
  - Include the expected behavior or outcome in the description (e.g.,
    `'throws StateError'` or `'adds API key to URL'`).
  - Descriptions should read well when concatenated with their group name.

- **Named Parameters Placement**:
  - For `test` and `group` calls, place named parameters (e.g., `testOn`,
    `timeout`, `skip`) immediately after the description string, before the
    callback closure. This improves readability by keeping the test logic last.
    ```dart
    test('description', testOn: 'vm', () {
      // assertions
    });
    ```

### 2. Lifecycle Methods (`setUp`, `tearDown`)

- **`setUp`**: Runs _before_ every `test` in the current `group` (and nested
  groups).
- **`tearDown`**: Runs _after_ every `test` in the current `group`.
- **`setUpAll`**: Runs _once_ before any test in the group.
- **`tearDownAll`**: Runs _once_ after all tests in the group.

**Best Practice:**

- Use `setUp` for resetting state to ensure test isolation.
- Avoid sharing mutable state between tests without resetting it.

### 3. Cleaning Up Resources

- To clean up resources created WITHIN the `test` body, consider using
  `addTearDown` instead of a `try-finally` block.

**Avoid:**

```dart
test('can create and delete a file', () {
  final file = File('temp.txt');
  try {
    file.writeAsStringSync('hello');
    expect(file.readAsStringSync(), 'hello');
  } finally {
    if (file.existsSync()) file.deleteSync();
  }
});
```

**Prefer:**

```dart
test('can create and delete a file', () {
  final file = File('temp.txt');
  // Register teardown immediately after resource creation intent
  addTearDown(() {
    if (file.existsSync()) file.deleteSync();
  });

  file.writeAsStringSync('hello');
  expect(file.readAsStringSync(), 'hello');
});
```

### 4. Configuration (`dart_test.yaml`)

The `dart_test.yaml` file configures the test runner. Common configurations
include:

#### Platforms

Define where tests run (vm, chrome, node).

```yaml
platforms:
  - vm
  - chrome
```

#### Tags

Categorize tests to run specific subsets.

```yaml
tags:
  integration:
    timeout: 2x
```

Usage in code:

```dart
@Tags(['integration'])
import 'package:test/test.dart';
```

Running tags: `dart test --tags integration`

#### Timeouts

Set default timeouts for tests.

```yaml
timeouts:
  2x # Double the default timeout
```

### 5. File Naming

- Test files **must** end in `_test.dart` to be picked up by the test runner.
- Place tests in the `test/` directory.

### 6. Test Design, Seams & Real Test Doubles

- **Test Seams (`lib/<pkg>.dart` vs. `lib/src/`)**:
  - Import `package:<pkg>/<pkg>.dart` for package-level and integration tests,
    keeping `lib/<pkg>.dart` exports strictly scoped to public consumers.
  - Import `package:<pkg>/src/<subsystem>.dart` directly when unit-testing an
    internal **deep module** (e.g., an unexported parser, state machine, or data
    structure with a simple interface and rich behavior), while testing thin
    single-caller helpers through their owning module's entrypoint.
- **Real Implementations & First-Party Fakes (`Real -> Fake -> Stub`)**:
  - Exercise real dependencies and first-party fakes so tests fail when
    production contracts change: use `package:test_descriptor` (`d.sandbox`,
    `d.dir`, `d.file`) or `Directory.systemTemp.createTempSync()` for filesystem
    I/O, in-memory stores or loopback `HttpServer` instances for services,
    `package:http/testing.dart` (`MockClient`) for HTTP, and hand-written
    fakes/stubs for custom interfaces.
  - Run browser, DOM, and JS/Wasm interop tests on a real browser runtime
    (`@TestOn('browser')`).
- **Behavioral & Execution-Driven Assertions**:
  - **Boundary & Consumer Behavior**: Test the observable outputs and boundary
    conditions of functions that consume constants and models (e.g.,
    `validate('a' * 280)` vs. `validate('a' * 281)`) against concrete expected
    values.
  - **Direct Execution & Rendering**: Verify runtime behavior, control flow, and
    UI/CLI output by invoking functions or rendering components directly. Use
    raw file-text reads (`readAsStringSync()`) specifically for static
    `README.md` `--help` drift checks, `BUILD` / `pubspec.yaml` metadata sync,
    and codegen fixtures.

## Common commands

- `dart test`: Run all tests.
- `dart test test/path/to/file_test.dart`: Run a specific file.
- `dart test --name "substring"`: Run tests matching a description.

## Related Skills

`dart-test-fundamentals` is the core skill for structuring and configuring
tests. For writing assertions within those tests, refer to:

- **[dart-matcher-best-practices]**: Use this if the project sticks with the
  traditional `package:matcher` (`expect` calls).

[dart-matcher-best-practices]:
  https://github.com/kevmoo/dash_skills/blob/main/skills/dart-matcher-best-practices/SKILL.md