JavaScript Testing: Jasmine customization

JavaScript Testing: Jasmine customization

posted in javascript on • last updated on

Make your Jasmine experience even more luscious with custom matchers and global convenience methods.
Mock global variables in your modules with jasmine.getGlobal().pi = 3.14.

Custom equality testers

If custom equality testers are provided, they will be checked first before the default equality logic when calling toEqual().

beforeEach(function() {
  const myCustomEquality = function(first, second) {
    if (first === 'everything' && typeof second === 'number') {
      // return true or false as final result of .toEqual()
      return second === 42;
    }
    // return undefined to let the next equality tester give it a shot
    return undefined;
  };

  jasmine.addCustomEqualityTester(myCustomEquality);
});

it('should use myCustomEquality', function() {
  expect('everything').toEqual(42);
});

it('should not use myCustomEquality', function() {
  expect('something').not.toEqual(42);
});

Custom matchers

beforeEach(function() {
  const customMatchers = {
    toBeDivisibleBy: function(util, customEqualityTesters) {
      return {
        compare: function(actual, expected) {
          var result = {pass: (actual % expected) === 0};
          if (!result.pass) {
            // failure message
            result.message = `${actual} is not divisible by ${expected} (mod: ${actual % expected})`;
          } else {
            // failure message - when .not.toBeDivisibleBy() fails
            // if a negativeCompare function is provided, this message will never be displayed
            result.message = `${actual} is divisible by ${expected} (mod: ${actual % expected})`;
          }
          return result;
        },
        // Optional function when you need more control for the .not case
        //negativeCompare: function(actual, expected) {}
      };
    }
  };

  jasmine.addMatchers(customMatchers);
});

it('is divisible by 2', function() {
  // The parameter names of the compare function
  const actual = 14;
  const expected = 2;
  expect(actual).toBeDivisibleBy(expected);
});

The customMatcher functions parameters are util and customEqualityTesters, the latter is passed to utils functions.

const util = {
  equals: function(a, b, customEqualityTesters, diffBuilder),
  contains: function(haystack, needle, customEqualityTesters),
};

Environment and globals

Files included in the jasmine.json “helpers” wildcard(s) can provide convenience functions, global variables as well as custom equality testers and matchers.

Helpers.js:

beforeEach(function() {
  // Custom equality testers and matchers
  const myExternalCustomEquality = function(first, second) {
    if (first === 'wuuk' && typeof second === 'number') {
      return second === 42;
    }
  };

  jasmine.addCustomEqualityTester(myExternalCustomEquality);
  //jasmine.addMatchers(customMatchers);


  // Convenience fuctions, available in it, beforeEach, etc
  this.yourHelper = function() {
    return 'as defined';
  };


  // Mock global variables in required modules
  jasmine.getGlobal().t = t => t;
});

Some suite:

describe('Convenience stuff loaded by spec/helpers/helpers.js', function() {
  it('should use myExternalCustomEquality', function() {
    expect('wuuk').toEqual(42);
  });


  it('can provide helper functions', function() {
    expect(this.yourHelper()).toBe('as defined');
  });


  it('can set global variables on jasmine.getGlobal()', function() {
    const globalz = require('./global.js');
    //global.js:
    // module.exports = {aGlobalUsingFunction: val => t(val)};
    //helpers.js:
    // jasmine.getGlobal().t = t => t;
    expect(globalz.aGlobalUsingFunction('ouch')).toBe('ouch');
  });
});

Some global Jasmine settings:

it('has default timeout of 5000ms', function() {
  expect(jasmine.DEFAULT_TIMEOUT_INTERVAL).toBe(5000);
});

it('can change the pretty printing limits', function() {
  expect(jasmine.MAX_PRETTY_PRINT_ARRAY_LENGTH).toBe(50);
  expect(jasmine.MAX_PRETTY_PRINT_DEPTH).toBe(8);
  expect(jasmine.MAX_PRETTY_PRINT_CHARS).toBe(1000);
});

it('has its own jasmine.getEnv()', function() {
  expect(Object.keys(jasmine.getEnv())).toContain('beforeEach');
});

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Updates
  • 28 March 2023 : Updated to Jasmine 4.3.0.
Tags: tutorial testing