The Grumpy Programmer's Guide To Testing PHP Applications
The Grumpy Programmer's Guide To Testing PHP Applications
16 years of testing advice to help you learn to test your PHP code no matter what framework you use
About the Book
I’ve been trying to help people test their PHP code for a very long time, probably before some of you reading this even got started in programming. PHPUnit didn’t exist, the most commonly-used version of PHP was 5.0, and social media wasn’t a thing. GMail had just started being used. My first search engine was Altavista. Yes, I learned to test uphill, both ways, in the snow.
I feel that testing, as a concept, is hard to explain to beginning programmers: “we are going to write code that is going to make sure your other code works as expected”. The assumption that underlies all this is that you already understand how to write computer programs in your chosen language! This makes it very difficult to teach to beginner or inexperienced programmers. When you combine this with how PHP does not force any particular structure on you, you have an environment where only the folks who are really motivated end up learning about testing.
The Grumpy Programmer's Guide To Testing PHP Applications is my way to try and provide some help for developers who are looking to become more test-centric and reap the benefits of automated testing and related tooling like static analysis and automation. I believe that by learning the skills (both technical and core) surrounding testing you will be able to write tests using almost any testing framework and almost any PHP application.
The book combines all the material from my previous books, adds new material, and revisits some old topics where my experiences have changed my thoughts. I break the vast topic of testing into smaller chunks, along with providing lots of examples and explanations of how I approach testing applications. Some of the things I cover are:
- Test-Driven development
- Strategies for Test-After practices
- Test refactoring strategies
- How PHPUnit itself works
- Complementary tools and approaches like static analysis and mutation testing
- Learning the core skills you need to get other people testing their code
The Grumpy Programmer's Guide To Testing PHP Applications is designed to be the book you refer to over and over again to not only learn how to test your PHP applications but to also remind yourself about techniques and tools that lead to successful outcomes. All I've ever wanted to do is get more people testing their code so we can concentrate on solving problems instead of constantly fixing bugs that we might've caught earlier.
About the Author
Bundles that include this book
Table of Contents
- Introduction
-
Changing How We Think About Tests
-
- It’s A Funnel, Not A Pyramid.
- Customer Tests and Developer Tests
-
-
What Are Tests?
-
- Prerequisites
- Manual Tests
- Semi-Automated Tests Using Real Dependencies
- Semi-Automated Tests Using Test Doubles
- Automated Tests
- Final Thoughts
-
-
How PHPUnit Works
-
- High-Level Overview
- How Do We Install PHPUnit?
- The PHPUnit Test Runner
- PHPUnit Test Cases
-
-
Test Double
-
- What Is a Test Double?
- Dummies
- Test Stub
- Mock Objects and Test Spies
- Fakes
- Final Thoughts
-
-
Test-Driven Development by Example
-
- Tooling
- Getting Started
- First Test
- Next Test
- Building Further Test Cases
- Refactoring The Tests
- Handling Non-Valid Input
- Final Thoughts
-
-
Test-After Development by Example
-
- What’s the Difference?
- What Is the Expected Behavior?
- How Am I Going to Test This?
-
- Refactoring Helpers
-
Testing APIs
-
- Response Validation
- API Schema Validation
-
-
Data Providers
-
- Why You Should Use Data Providers
- Look at All Those Tests
- Creating Data Providers
- More Complex Examples
- Data Provider Tricks
- Final Thoughts
-
-
Wrappers
-
- Wrappers From Up High
-
-
Metatesting
-
- Mature Testing Tools Are Available
- Open Source Drives Acceptance
- Proof Exists to Back the Promises
- Testing Moves Bug Fixing to a Cheaper Part of the Cycle
- Well-Documented Build Systems Encourage Continuous Deployment
- There Are Awesome Complementary Tools
-
-
Building a Testing Culture
-
- Primary Goal
- Tests as First Class Components
- Tests for Bugs
- Tests for New Features
- Tests for Refactoring
- Commitment to Peer Review
- Consistency in Development Environments
- Automation Is Your Friend
- Same Languages and Tools
- Same Practices
- Trust
-
-
Bootstrapping
-
- Test Environment Bootstrapping
- Auto-Wiring Bootstrapping
-
-
No Tests? No Problem!
-
- How Did We End Up Without Any Tests?
- Bug Fixes Need Proof
- New Features Require Proof
- Test Suites Are Not Bulletproof
-
-
Nobody Is Running the Tests!
-
- Time Pressure
- Tests Are Too Slow
- Monolithic Bootstrapping
- Shared Testing Environments
- Testing Is Part of the Job
- Lost Opportunity Costs
-
-
It’s About People
-
- Like Kids on a Playground
- Lack of Good Docs
- Convincing People About Time
- Cowboys Above Me
-
The Leanpub 60-day 100% Happiness Guarantee
Within 60 days of purchase you can get a 100% refund on any Leanpub purchase, in two clicks.
See full terms
Do Well. Do Good.
Authors have earned$12,151,660writing, publishing and selling on Leanpub, earning 80% royalties while saving up to 25 million pounds of CO2 and up to 46,000 trees.
Learn more about writing on Leanpub
Free Updates. DRM Free.
If you buy a Leanpub book, you get free updates for as long as the author updates the book! Many authors use Leanpub to publish their books in-progress, while they are writing them. All readers get free updates, regardless of when they bought the book or how much they paid (including free).
Most Leanpub books are available in PDF (for computers) and EPUB (for phones, tablets and Kindle). The formats that a book includes are shown at the top right corner of this page.
Finally, Leanpub books don't have any DRM copy-protection nonsense, so you can easily read them on any supported device.
Learn more about Leanpub's ebook formats and where to read them
Top Books
- #1
Ansible for DevOps
Jeff GeerlingAnsible is a simple, but powerful, server and configuration management tool. Learn to use Ansible effectively, whether you manage one server—or thousands.
- #2
CCIE Service Provider Version 4 Written and Lab Exam Comprehensive Guide
Nicholas RussoThe service provider landscape has changed rapidly over the past several years. Networking vendors are continuing to propose new standards, techniques, and procedures for overcoming new challenges while concurrently reducing costs and delivering new services. Cisco has recently updated the CCIE Service Provider track to reflect these changes; this book represents the author's personal journey in achieving that certification.
- #3
CCIE SP v5.0
Łukasz Bromirski, Piotr Jablonski, and Nicholas RussoAre you striving to prepare to and pass CCIE SP lab exam? Take the opportunity and get this workbook! With the attached initial cfg files you will prepare yourself for the CCIE SP exam as well as learn SP technologies applicable to all kinds of today modern networks! This workbook covers blueprint topics and provides challenging examples.
- #4
Functional Programming Made Easier
Charles ScalfaniA Functional Programming book from beginner to advanced without skipping a single step along the way.
In my 40 years of programming, I've felt that programming books always let me down, especially Functional Programming books. So, I wrote the book I wish I had 5 years ago.
Functional Programming will never be easy, but it can be easier.
- #5
C++20 - The Complete Guide
Nicolai M. JosuttisAll new language and library features of C++20 (for those who know previous C++ versions).
The book presents all new language and library features of C++20. Learn how this impacts day-to-day programming, to benefit in practice, to combine new features, and to avoid all new traps.
Buy early, pay less, free updates.
Other books:
- #6
Windows 11 Field Guide
Rafael Rivera and Paul ThurrottThe Windows 11 Field Guide is a full-length e-book about the latest version of Microsoft Windows, aimed at those users who will upgrade from Windows 10 or acquire Windows 11 with a new PC.
- #7
Production Haskell
Matt ParsonsAre you excited about Haskell, but don't know where to begin? Are you thrilled by the technical advantages, but worried about the unknown pitfalls? This book has you covered.
- #8
The PowerShell Scripting and Toolmaking Book
Don Jones and Jeff HicksLearn the patterns, practices, and details of PowerShell Scripting and Toolmaking from the industry's two most recognized experts on the subject.
- #9
Jetpack Compose internals
Jorge CastilloJetpack Compose is the future of Android UI. Master how it works internally and become a more efficient developer with it. You'll also find it valuable if you are not an Android dev. This book provides all the details to understand how the Compose compiler & runtime work, and how to create a client library using them.
- #10
The Art of Functional Programming
Minh Quang Tran, PhDA master class on the fundamentals and principles of functional programming. It contains 20 programming challenges with detailed solutions and 44 quizzes with answers and explanations. Moreover, 84 diagrams graphically illustrate how concepts and techniques work. Two real-world use cases show how to apply functional programming in practice.
Top Bundles
- #1
CCIE Service Provider Ultimate Study Bundle
2 Books
Piotr Jablonski, Lukasz Bromirski, and Nick Russo have joined forces to deliver the only CCIE Service Provider training resource you'll ever need. This bundle contains a detailed and challenging collection of workbook labs, plus an extensively detailed technical reference guide. All of us have earned the CCIE Service Provider certification... - #3
1500 QUIZ COMMENTATI (3 libri)
3 Books
Tre libri dei QUIZ MMG Commentati al prezzo di DUE! I QUIZ dei concorsi ufficiali di Medicina Generale relativi agli anni: 2000-2001-2003-2012-2013-2014-2015-2016-2017-2018-2019-2020-2021 +100 inediti Raccolti in unico bundle per aiutarvi nello studio e nella preparazione al concorso. All'interno di ogni libro i quiz sono stati suddivisi per... - #4
Pattern-Oriented Memory Forensics and Malware Detection
2 Books
This training bundle for security engineers and researchers, malware and memory forensics analysts includes two accelerated training courses for Windows memory dump analysis using WinDbg. It is also useful for technical support and escalation engineers who analyze memory dumps from complex software environments and need to check for possible... - #5
Growing Agile: The Complete Coach's Guide
7 Books
Growing Agile: Coach's Guide Series This bundle provides a collection of training and workshop plans for a variety of agile topics. The series is aimed at agile coaches, trainers and ScrumMasters who often find themselves needing to help teams understand agile concepts. Each book in the series provides the plans, slides, handouts and activity... - #9
Statistics - All Lee Baker's Books
10 Books
This bundle includes all of the statistics books that Lee Baker has published at LeanPub 13 Statistics Books*1 PlaceNo Hassle! All in both epub and mobi formats - perfect for all devices and screen sizes. --------------------------------------------------------- *The book listed as Getting Started With Statistics is a bundle of 4 books...
