TinyBots testing best practices and assertion patterns for writing integration tests
When writing tests for TinyBots repositories, follow these guidelines for consistent, maintainable test code.
deep.include for Object AssertionsPrefer expect(obj).to.deep.include({...}) over checking individual fields one by one. This provides a balance between conciseness and flexibility.
// ❌ Avoid: Verbose individual field checks
expect(res.body.id).to.equal(scheduledExecutionId)
expect(res.body.executionType).to.equal('scheduled')
expect(res.body.executedAt).to.equal(plannedIso)
expect(res.body.schedule.scheduleId).to.equal(880011)
// ✅ Prefer: deep.include for partial matching
expect(res.body).to.deep.include({
id: scheduledExecutionId,
executionType: 'scheduled',
executedAt: plannedIso,
schedule: { scheduleId: 880011 }
})
deep.includedeep.equal| Benefit | Description |
|---|---|
| Ignores dynamic fields | Doesn't fail on createdAt, updatedAt, etc. |
| Less brittle | Won't break if new fields are added to the response |
| Validates structure | Still validates nested object structure correctly |
Use separate assertions when you need:
// Combine deep.include with specific checks
expect(res.body).to.deep.include({ id: expectedId, status: 'active' })
expect(res.body.items).to.be.an('array').with.lengthOf(3)
it('should return execution details', async () => {
// Arrange - setup test data
const executionId = await createTestExecution()
// Act - perform the action
const res = await request(app)
.get(`/v6/scripts/user/robots/1/executions/${executionId}`)
.set('x-authenticated-userid', '1')
// Assert - verify results
expect(res.status).to.equal(200)
expect(res.body).to.deep.include({
id: executionId,
executionType: 'triggered'
})
})
should prefix for clarity// ✅ Good
it('should return 404 when execution does not exist')
it('should return paginated results when limit is specified')
// ❌ Avoid
it('test execution endpoint')
it('works correctly')
IMPORTANT: All TinyBots tests must run inside Docker containers via
justcommands. Seedevdocs/agent/rules/tinybots/run-tests.mdfor execution instructions.
# Run tests for a specific repository
just -f devtools/tinybots/local/Justfile test-<repo>