Mock object

In object-oriented programming, mock objects are simulated objects that mimic the behavior of real objects in controlled ways. A programmer typically creates a mock object to test the behavior of some other object, in much the same way that a car designer uses a crash test dummy to simulate the dynamic behavior of a human in vehicle impacts.

In a unit test, mock objects can simulate the behavior of complex, real objects and are therefore useful when a real object is impractical or impossible to incorporate into a unit test. If an object has any of the following characteristics, it may be useful to use a mock object in its place:

For example, an alarm clock program which causes a bell to ring at a certain time might get the current time from the outside world. To test this, the test must wait until the alarm time to know whether it has rung the bell correctly. If a mock object is used in place of the real object, it can be programmed to provide the bell-ringing time (whether it is that time or not) so that the alarm clock program can be tested in isolation.

Mock objects have the same interface as the real objects they mimic, allowing a client object to remain unaware of whether it is using a real object or a mock object. Many available mock object frameworks allow the programmer to specify which, and in what order, methods will be invoked on a mock object and what parameters will be passed to them, as well as what values will be returned. Thus, the behavior of a complex object such as a network socket can be mimicked by a mock object, allowing the programmer to discover whether the object being tested responds appropriately to the wide variety of states such mock objects may be in.

Classification between mocks, fakes, and stubs is highly inconsistent across the literature. Consistent among the literature, though, is that they all represent a production object in a testing environment by exposing the same interface.

Which out of mock, fake, or stub is the simplest is inconsistent, but the simplest always returns pre-arranged responses (as in a method stub). On the other side of the spectrum, the most complex object will fully simulate a production object with complete logic, exceptions, etc. Whether or not any of the mock, fake, or stub trio fits such a definition is, again, inconsistent across the literature.

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