Go Testing Code Guide

Go Testing Code Guide

Test File Structure

One-to-one matching with the file under test. Test files should be located in the same directory as the target file.

File Naming

Format: {target-file-name}_test.go.

Example: user.go → user_test.go

Test Hierarchy

Organize by method (function) unit as major sections, and by test case as minor sections. Complex methods can have intermediate sections by scenario.

Test Coverage Selection

Omit obvious or overly simple logic (simple getters, constant returns). Prioritize testing business logic, conditional branches, and code with external dependencies.

Test Case Composition

At least one basic success case is required. Focus primarily on failure cases, boundary values, edge cases, and exception scenarios.

Test Independence

Each test should be executable independently. No test execution order dependencies. Initialize shared state for each test.

Given-When-Then Pattern

Structure test code in three stages—Given (setup), When (execution), Then (assertion). Separate stages with comments or blank lines for complex tests.

Test Data

Use hardcoded meaningful values. Avoid random data as it causes unreproducible failures. Fix seeds if necessary.

Mocking Principles

Mock external dependencies (API, DB, file system). For modules within the same project, prefer actual usage; mock only when complexity is high.

Test Reusability

Extract repeated mocking setups, fixtures, and helper functions into common utilities. Be careful not to harm test readability through excessive abstraction.

Integration/​E2E Testing

Unit tests are the priority. Write integration/​E2E tests when complex flows or multi-module interactions are difficult to understand from code alone. Place in separate directories (tests/​integration, tests/​e2e).

Test Naming

Test names should clearly express "what is being tested". Recommended format: "should do X when Y". Focus on behavior rather than implementation details.

Assertion Count

Multiple related assertions in one test are acceptable, but separate tests when validating different concepts.

Test Functions

Format: func TestXxx(t *testing.T). Write TestMethodName functions per method, compose subtests with t.Run().

Subtests

Pattern: t.Run("case name", func(t *testing.T) {...}). Each case should be independently executable. Call t.Parallel() when running in parallel.

Table-Driven Tests

Recommended when multiple cases have similar structure. Define cases with []struct{ name, input, want, wantErr }.

Example:

tests := []struct {
    name    string
    input   int
    want    int
    wantErr bool
}{
    {"normal case", 5, 10, false},
    {"negative input", -1, 0, true},
}
for _, tt := range tests {
    t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
        got, err := Func(tt.input)
        if (err != nil) != tt.wantErr { ... }
        if got != tt.want { ... }
    })
}

Mocking

Utilize interface-based dependency injection. Prefer manual mocking; consider gomock for complex cases. Define test-only implementations within _test.go.

Error Verification

Use errors.Is() and errors.As(). Avoid string comparison of error messages; verify with sentinel errors or error types instead.

Setup/​Teardown

Use TestMain(m *testing.M) for global setup/​teardown. For individual test preparation, do it within each test function or extract to helper functions.

Test Helpers

Extract repeated setup/​verification into testXxx(t *testing.T, ...) helpers. Receive *testing.T as first argument and call t.Helper().

Benchmarks

Write func BenchmarkXxx(b *testing.B) for performance-critical code. Loop with b.N and use b.ResetTimer() to exclude setup time.