Writing unit tests for Lombok-annotated classes

Unit testing is an essential part of software development as it helps ensure that individual units of code are working as expected. In this article, we will explore how to write unit tests for classes that are annotated with Lombok annotations.

Lombok is a popular Java library that helps reduce boilerplate code by automatically generating getter, setter, equals, hashCode, and toString methods, among others. However, when it comes to unit testing, Lombok can sometimes present a challenge due to the generated methods and fields.

To write unit tests for Lombok-annotated classes, you need to consider a few important points. Let's dive into each of them:

Include Lombok dependency in your testing environment

Firstly, ensure that you have the Lombok dependency included in your testing environment. Lombok provides annotations that are used to generate code at compile-time. Without Lombok in your testing environment, the code generation will not occur, resulting in failing tests.

Use @Data annotation for generating required methods

The @Data annotation is a convenient way to generate the necessary methods for unit testing, such as equals, hashCode, and toString. By adding @Data to your class, Lombok will automatically generate these methods.

@Data
public class MyClass {
    private String name;
    private int age;
}

Test the generated methods

Since Lombok generates code for various methods, it is essential to test their behavior. For example, when using the @Data annotation, you can write tests to ensure that the generated equals and hashCode methods function as expected.

public class MyClassTest {

    @Test
    public void testEquals() {
        MyClass obj1 = new MyClass();
        obj1.setName("John");
        obj1.setAge(25);

        MyClass obj2 = new MyClass();
        obj2.setName("John");
        obj2.setAge(25);

        assertEquals(obj1, obj2); // Test object equality
    }

    @Test
    public void testHashCode() {
        MyClass obj1 = new MyClass();
        obj1.setName("John");
        obj1.setAge(25);

        MyClass obj2 = new MyClass();
        obj2.setName("John");
        obj2.setAge(25);

        assertEquals(obj1.hashCode(), obj2.hashCode()); // Test hash code equality
    }
}

Test class instantiation with Lombok annotations

In addition to the generated methods, it is crucial to test the basic functionality of a class instantiated with Lombok annotations. For example, if you have used @AllArgsConstructor, ensure that passing the constructor arguments correctly initializes the class fields.

@Data
@AllArgsConstructor
public class MyClass {
    private String name;
    private int age;
}

public class MyClassTest {

    @Test
    public void testConstructor() {
        MyClass obj = new MyClass("John", 25);

        assertEquals("John", obj.getName());
        assertEquals(25, obj.getAge());
    }
}

Conclusion

Writing unit tests for Lombok-annotated classes involves considering the code generated by Lombok and testing the behavior of that generated code. By following the steps outlined in this article and ensuring that Lombok is included in your testing environment, you can effectively test your classes annotated with Lombok annotations. Proper unit testing not only enhances the reliability of your code but also ensures that any changes made to the annotated classes don't break their expected behavior.