@SpringBootTest for integration tests - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What is the purpose of the @SpringBootTest annotation in Spring Boot?

@SpringBootTest tells Spring Boot to start the full application context for integration testing. It helps test how different parts of the app work together.

intermediate

How does @SpringBootTest differ from unit testing annotations like @WebMvcTest?

@SpringBootTest loads the entire application context, while @WebMvcTest loads only web layer components for focused controller tests.

intermediate

What does the webEnvironment attribute in @SpringBootTest control?

It controls how the embedded web server starts during tests. Options include MOCK (no real server), RANDOM_PORT, DEFINED_PORT, or NONE.

beginner

Why is @SpringBootTest considered slower than unit tests?

Because it loads the full Spring application context, which takes more time than loading only small parts for unit tests.

intermediate

How can you use @SpringBootTest to run tests with a random port?

Use @SpringBootTest(webEnvironment = SpringBootTest.WebEnvironment.RANDOM_PORT) to start the server on a random port for real HTTP testing.

What does @SpringBootTest do in a test class?

A Loads the full Spring application context for integration testing

B Mocks only the web layer components

C Runs unit tests without Spring context

D Starts a database server

@SpringBootTest loads the full Spring context to test integration of components.

Which webEnvironment option starts a real server on a random port?

A MOCK

B RANDOM_PORT

C NONE

D DEFINED_PORT

RANDOM_PORT starts the embedded server on a random port for HTTP tests.

Why might @SpringBootTest tests run slower than unit tests?

A Because they load the full application context

B Because they use more CPU

C Because they skip database setup

D Because they don't use Spring

Loading the full Spring context takes more time than isolated unit tests.

Which annotation is better for testing only Spring MVC controllers?

A @DataJpaTest

B @SpringBootTest

C @WebMvcTest

D @MockBean

@WebMvcTest loads only web layer beans for focused controller tests.

Can @SpringBootTest be used to test database integration?

A Only if combined with @DataJpaTest

B No, it only tests web controllers

C No, it mocks database calls

D Yes, because it loads full context including database beans

It loads the full context, so database integration can be tested.

Explain what @SpringBootTest does and when you would use it.

Think about testing the whole app, not just one part.

Describe the difference between @SpringBootTest and @WebMvcTest.

One tests everything, the other tests only controllers.