Unit tests in Laravel - Step-by-Step Execution

Concept Flow - Unit tests

Write Test Method

↓

Test Setup

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Run PHPUnit

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Execute Test Code

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Assert Expected Result

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Pass or Fail

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Fix Code or Test

↩Back to Write Test Method

Unit tests in Laravel follow a cycle: write a test method, setup environment, run it, execute code, check results, then fix code or tests based on pass/fail.

Execution Sample

Laravel

public function testAddition()
{
    $sum = 2 + 3;
    $this->assertEquals(5, $sum);
}

This test checks if adding 2 and 3 equals 5 using Laravel's PHPUnit test method.

Execution Table

Step	Action	Code Evaluated	Result	Test Outcome
1	Start testAddition method	public function testAddition()	Method ready to run	N/A
2	Calculate sum	$sum = 2 + 3;	$sum = 5	N/A
3	Assert equals	$this->assertEquals(5, $sum);	5 equals 5	Pass
4	Test ends	Method completes	No errors	Pass

💡 Test ends after assertion passes confirming 2 + 3 equals 5

Variable Tracker

Variable	Start	After Step 2	Final
$sum	undefined	5	5

Key Moments - 2 Insights

Why does the test fail if the expected value in assertEquals is wrong?

Because assertEquals compares the expected value with the actual result. If they differ, the test fails as shown in step 3 of the execution_table.

What happens if the test method name does not start with 'test'?

PHPUnit will not recognize or run the method as a test, so no test execution or assertion happens.

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution_table, what is the value of $sum after step 2?

A 3

B 2

C 5

D undefined

💡 Hint

Check the 'Result' column in row 2 of execution_table

At which step does the test check if the result is correct?

A Step 2

B Step 3

C Step 1

D Step 4

💡 Hint

Look for the 'Assert equals' action in execution_table

If the assertion expected 6 instead of 5, what would happen at step 3?

A Test fails

B Test passes

C Test skips assertion

D Test crashes

💡 Hint

assertEquals compares expected and actual values; mismatch causes failure

Concept Snapshot

Unit tests in Laravel use PHPUnit.
Write test methods starting with 'test'.
Use assertions like assertEquals(expected, actual).
Run tests with php artisan test.
Tests pass if assertions match, fail otherwise.

Full Transcript

Unit tests in Laravel are small pieces of code that check if parts of your app work correctly. You write a test method starting with 'test'. Inside, you run some code and then check the result using assertions like assertEquals. When you run tests, Laravel uses PHPUnit to execute these methods. If the actual result matches the expected, the test passes. If not, it fails and you fix your code or test. This cycle helps keep your app reliable.