Core Concepts

Understand the key concepts behind the TestHelpers SDK.

TestFlow

The main testing orchestrator that wraps your module and provides testing capabilities.

Key Features

• Automatic flow management with start/stop lifecycle
• Message routing between test modules
• Timeout configuration for different testing scenarios
• Multiple output support for complex modules

Creating a TestFlow

var module = new MyModule();
var flow = module.SetupFlow(timeout: 10000, numberOfOutputs: 1);

Parameters:

• timeout - Maximum time to wait for operations in milliseconds (default: 10,000ms)
• numberOfOutputs - Number of output channels to create (default: 1)

Fluent API

The SDK provides a fluent interface for configuring your test environment.

Dependency Injection

Add credentials and resources to your module:

var flow = module.SetupFlow()
    .WithCredential(new MyCredential { Id = credentialId })
    .WithResource(new MyResource { Id = resourceId });

Method Chaining

Build complex test scenarios with method chaining:

var flow = module.SetupFlow(timeout: 30000)
    .WithCredential(credential)
    .WithResource(resource);

await flow.Start();
await flow.Receive(message);
var result = await flow.GetNextResult();
await flow.Stop();

Test Lifecycle

Every test follows a consistent lifecycle:

1. Setup - Create module and configure settings
2. Arrange - Setup test flow with dependencies
3. Start - Initialize and start the module
4. Act - Send messages and retrieve results
5. Stop - Clean shutdown of the module
6. Assert - Verify expected behavior

Lifecycle Example

[Fact]
public async Task TestModuleLifecycle()
{
    // 1. Setup
    var module = new MyModule();
    module.Settings.Property = "value";

    // 2. Arrange
    var flow = module.SetupFlow();

    // 3. Start
    var startResult = await flow.Start();
    Assert.True(startResult.IsSuccess);

    // 4. Act
    await flow.Receive(new FlowMessage());
    var result = await flow.GetNextResult();

    // 5. Stop
    var stopResult = await flow.Stop();
    Assert.True(stopResult.IsSuccess);

    // 6. Assert
    Assert.NotNull(result);
}

Message Flow

Understanding how messages flow through your module during testing:

Test Code → Receive() → Module Processing → Output Queue → GetNextResult()

The TestFlow manages the output queue, allowing you to retrieve results asynchronously without dealing with internal module queues.

>> Testing Guide