Salesforce Apex Test Classes are the backbone of a robust and reliable Salesforce implementation. They ensure your code performs as intended and behaves predictably across various scenarios. By validating the functionality of your Apex code, test classes help maintain system stability, support scalability, and foster seamless integrations. In this blog, we'll delve into the best practices for writing efficient and effective Apex Test Classes, complemented by clear examples to guide your development journey.
To write effective test cases, developers should ensure that the following key elements are thoughtfully incorporated into the test class:-
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Use @isTest Annotation
Start every test class with the @isTest annotation to indicate it is exclusively for testing. This ensures the class does not count against code size limits and cannot be deployed unintentionally.
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Maintain Code Coverage
While 75% code coverage is the minimum requirement for production deployment in Salesforce, it's ideal to aim for 90% or higher. Rather than just focusing on the percentage, ensure all use cases are covered—positive, negative, bulk, and single records. This ensures your code is robust, reliable, and ready for real-world scenarios.
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Use @testSetup
The @testSetup annotation allows you to create test data once in a method and reuse it across all test methods in the test class. This improves test efficiency by eliminating the need to create data repeatedly in each test method.
Test records created with @testSetup are available to all test methods, ensuring consistency and reducing redundancy in your tests.
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Avoid Using SeeAllData=true
Always use @isTest(SeeAllData=false) at the class or method level to ensure your tests are independent of the organization's data. Relying on existing data can lead to inconsistent test results across different environments. With SeeAllData=false, your tests will not access actual org data, making them more reliable and portable.
Test records created with @testSetup are available to all test methods, ensuring consistency and reducing redundancy in your tests.
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Avoid Using Hard-Coded IDs
Never hard-code IDs in your test or Apex code. Always create test records dynamically to ensure your tests are portable and environment-independent. Hard-coded IDs can break when records are modified or removed, leading to unreliable tests. Use dynamic data creation for more robust and flexible code.
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Governor Limits
Governor limits are crucial in Salesforce to ensure resource efficiency. Using Test.startTest() provides a fresh set of governor limits for the execution of your test logic, while Test.stopTest() restores the previous limits.
It’s essential to test for these limits using the Limits class to ensure your code performs efficiently under constraints.
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Testing Exception
Testing exception handling ensures your code works as expected in error situations. By using test data that causes errors, you can check how the system responds and confirm the error messages and types are correct, making your code more reliable.
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Enforcing Record Sharing with System.runAs
Apex runs in system mode by default, which means permissions and record sharing rules are not considered during execution. To test your code with specific user permissions and sharing settings, use System.runAs.
This ensures your code behaves as expected when respecting record-sharing rules.
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Use Assert Statements
In Apex test classes, it's recommended to use one assert statement per method. This helps keep tests clear and manageable. Always include assert statements for both positive and negative tests.
- System.assert(condition, msg): Checks if the condition is true.
- System.assertEquals(expected, actual, msg): Verifies that expected and actual values are equal.
- System.assertNotEquals(expected, actual, msg): Verifies that expected and actual values are not equal.
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TestFactory Class
When building test classes in Salesforce, it’s important to keep in mind that large test data or utility classes can impact your organization's code size limit. To avoid this, you can use a TestFactory class with the @isTest annotation.
The @isTest annotation excludes these classes from being counted towards your organization's code size limit. The TestFactory class helps you generate reusable test data and supports efficient unit testing without contributing to the code limit.
Conclusion
Well-crafted Apex test classes are essential for successful Salesforce development. By adhering to best practices, you ensure not only compliance with Salesforce testing requirements but also the creation of a reliable and maintainable codebase. Remember, thorough testing leads to robust, long-lasting solutions.
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