Grouping related tests in PyTest - Framework Patterns

Framework Mode - Grouping related tests

Folder Structure

tests/
├── unit/
│   ├── test_math_operations.py
│   └── test_string_utils.py
├── integration/
│   ├── test_api_endpoints.py
│   └── test_database.py
├── functional/
│   ├── test_user_login.py
│   └── test_shopping_cart.py
├── conftest.py
└── pytest.ini

Test Framework Layers

• Tests: Organized by type (unit, integration, functional) inside tests/ folder.
• Fixtures: Defined in conftest.py for shared setup and teardown.
• Configuration: pytest.ini for test markers and options.
• Utilities: Helper functions or modules imported by tests if needed.

Configuration Patterns

• pytest.ini: Define markers to group tests, e.g., [pytest] with markers = unit: Unit tests, integration: Integration tests, functional: Functional tests.
• conftest.py: Place fixtures here to share setup across grouped tests.
• Command line: Run grouped tests by marker, e.g., pytest -m unit to run all unit tests.
• Environment variables: Use if needed to switch configurations for different test groups.

Test Reporting and CI/CD Integration

• Use pytest built-in reports with clear grouping by markers.
• Generate JUnit XML reports for CI tools to parse and display grouped test results.
• Integrate with CI/CD pipelines (GitHub Actions, Jenkins) to run specific groups on different triggers.
• Use plugins like pytest-html for readable HTML reports showing grouped test outcomes.

Best Practices for Grouping Related Tests

1. Use markers: Mark tests clearly with @pytest.mark.unit, @pytest.mark.integration, etc., for easy selection.
2. Organize folders: Group tests by type or feature in separate folders for clarity.
3. Shared fixtures: Use conftest.py to avoid duplication and share setup among grouped tests.
4. Keep tests independent: Ensure grouped tests do not depend on each other to avoid flaky results.
5. Run groups selectively: Use command line options to run only needed groups during development or CI.

Self Check

Where in this framework structure would you add a new test file for API integration tests?

Key Result

Organize tests by folders and markers, use shared fixtures, and run groups selectively with pytest.