andym
Elixir unit tests next to the source file
i prefer to have my unit tests next to the source file instead of a separate folder. when i run mix test it runs the tests only within the test folder. if i remove the test folder, move the test files, and the give the following configuration in the mix.exs configuration
test_paths: ".",
exclude: "deps",
test_pattern: "*_test.exs",
then it seems to do something different and fails with the following error
(Protocol.UndefinedError) protocol Enumerable not implemented for "." of type BitString. This protocol is implemented for the following type(s): DBConnection.PrepareStream, DBConnection.Stream, Date.Range, Ecto.Adapters.SQL.Stream, File.Stream, Floki.HTMLTree, Function, GenEvent.Stream, HashDict, HashSet, IO.Stream, Jason.OrderedObject, List, Map, MapSet, Range, Stream, Timex.Interval
(elixir 1.14.3) lib/enum.ex:1: Enumerable.impl_for!/1
(elixir 1.14.3) lib/enum.ex:166: Enumerable.reduce/3
(elixir 1.14.3) lib/enum.ex:4307: Enum.each/2
(mix 1.14.3) lib/mix/tasks/test.ex:529: Mix.Tasks.Test.do_run/3
(mix 1.14.3) lib/mix/task.ex:421: anonymous fn/3 in Mix.Task.run_task/4
(mix 1.14.3) lib/mix/cli.ex:84: Mix.CLI.run_task/2
i also tried using tag filters
@tag mustexec: true
test "test1" do
end
and then running ix test --only mustexec but i still get the same error
Most Liked
namxam
I completely agree with you. And I would add another point. Having them next to the module which is tested, has three more advantages:
-
I use tests as a documentation tool. They are nice code examples and often better transfer meaning than words. When a library does not have extended documentation, but a good test suite, it helps to check it out.
-
Code / test navigation is much easier, as you do not have to switch between deeply nested folders.
-
When remove obsolete modules, with colocated tests, you only have two remove 2 files or a folder. No need to search in multiple places.
The only thing which is bugging me, that for integration or e2e tests, you still need a test folder or something similar to it.
Right now, I stay with elixirs / phoenix default structure and put all tests in the test folder. But I would still prefer to have them colocated 
sodapopcan
This must be a people who use tree-explorers for navigation versus those who don’t. Any semi-decent modern editor is going to have a “jump to test file and back” hotkey so finding 1:1 tests is a non-issue. I do use a tree-explorer but it’s primarily for getting an overview of module structure so I find it so noisy with file names doubled-up most of the time.
I could bikeshed on this forever so I’ll leave it at that 
ericdouglas
Also not sure why you want to break with the convention as it makes it hard for other people to find your test and understand your project.
It is much easier to find the test files in that way since it is colocated with the file containing the implementation.
Ex:
lib/
module/
file.ex
file_test.exs
another_file.ex
Another advantage is that it becomes super clear which files have tests and which don’t.
moogle19
test_paths expects a list of path, so ["."] should work. But you need a test_helper.exs file in your project directory then.
Also not sure why you want to break with the convention as it makes it hard for other people to find your test and understand your project.
kanishka
BTW, I am sure you are aware, but doctests help you achieve this to some extent.
Popular in Questions
Other popular topics
Latest on Elixir Forum
Sponsor Spotlight
Develop your skills with books, videos, and courses.
Categories:
Sub Categories:
Forums
Our Sponsors
Build Elixir applications with speed and confidence.
Supporting innovation across the BEAM ecosystem.
We build reliable cloud platforms for business-critical systems.
Catch errors, track performance, monitor hosts and more.
Develop your skills with books, videos, and courses.
Enabling companies to succeed by building software people love.
The deployment platform built for Elixir: PaaS ease, VPS control.
Courses that'll move you from confusion to "Aha, now I get it!"