API Testing Guidelines for QDash

This document defines the testing conventions and standards for the QDash API. All contributors should follow these guidelines when writing tests for API endpoints, database models, and workflow components.

Test Directory Structure
Test File Naming
Test Class and Function Naming
Test Structure (AAA Pattern)
Fixtures
Database Testing
API Endpoint Testing
Mocking and Patching
Assertions
Test Data Management
Async Testing
Coverage Guidelines
Quick Reference

Test Directory Structure

Mirror the Source Structure

Tests should mirror the structure of the source code they test:

tests/
├── conftest.py                      # Root fixtures (database, test client)
├── fixtures/                        # Shared fixtures
│   ├── __init__.py
│   ├── database.py                  # Database fixtures
│   └── api.py                       # API fixtures
├── data/                            # Test data
│   ├── __init__.py
│   └── sample_data.py               # Sample data for tests
├── utils/                           # Test utilities
│   └── helpers.py                   # Helper functions
└── qdash/                           # Tests (mirrors src/qdash/)
    ├── api/
    │   ├── __init__.py
    │   └── routers/
    │       ├── __init__.py
    │       ├── test_chip.py         # Tests for chip router
    │       └── test_execution.py    # Tests for execution router
    ├── dbmodel/
    │   ├── conftest.py              # DB model specific fixtures
    │   ├── __init__.py
    │   └── test_chip.py             # Tests for ChipDocument
    └── workflow/
        ├── __init__.py
        ├── helpers/
        │   └── test_flow_helpers.py # Tests for flow helpers
        └── engine/
            └── calibration/
                └── test_cr_scheduler.py

Guidelines

Mirror source structure: tests/qdash/api/routers/ corresponds to src/qdash/api/routers/
Module-specific conftest: Place fixtures in conftest.py at the appropriate level

Test File Naming

Use `test_` Prefix

All test files must start with test_ to be discovered by pytest:

python

# ✅ Good
test_chip.py
test_execution.py
test_flow_helpers.py

# ❌ Bad
chip_test.py           # Wrong suffix position
chip_tests.py          # Wrong suffix
test_chip_tests.py     # Redundant

Match Source File Names

Test files should match the source file they test:

Source File	Test File
`chip.py`	`test_chip.py`
`execution.py`	`test_execution.py`
`flow_helpers.py`	`test_flow_helpers.py`

Test Class and Function Naming

Class Naming

Group related tests using classes with descriptive names:

python

# ✅ Good - Descriptive class names
class TestChipRouter:
    """Tests for chip-related API endpoints."""
    pass

class TestChipRouterListEndpoint:
    """Tests specifically for the list chips endpoint."""
    pass

class TestFlowSessionInitialization:
    """Test FlowSession initialization and basic setup."""
    pass

class TestFlowSessionParameterManagement:
    """Test parameter get/set operations."""
    pass

# ❌ Bad - Vague or incorrect naming
class ChipTests:              # Missing 'Test' prefix
class Test:                   # Too generic
class TestMisc:               # Not descriptive

Function Naming

Test function names should describe the scenario being tested:

python

# ✅ Good - Clear, descriptive names following pattern:
# test_<method>_<scenario>_<expected_result>

def test_list_chips_empty(self):
    """Test listing chips when no chips exist."""
    pass

def test_list_chips_with_data(self):
    """Test listing chips when chips exist."""
    pass

def test_list_chips_filters_by_user(self):
    """Test that listing chips only returns chips for the authenticated user."""
    pass

def test_fetch_chip_not_found(self):
    """Test fetching a non-existent chip returns 404."""
    pass

def test_create_chip_invalid_size(self):
    """Test creating a chip with invalid size returns 400."""
    pass

def test_update_nonexistent_qubit(self):
    """Test updating a non-existent qubit raises ValueError."""
    pass

# ❌ Bad - Vague or unclear names
def test_chip(self):              # Too vague
def test_1(self):                 # Not descriptive
def test_it_works(self):          # Not specific
def chip_list_test(self):         # Wrong prefix

Naming Patterns

Scenario	Pattern	Example
Happy path	`test_<action>_success`	`test_create_chip_success`
Empty/no data	`test_<action>_empty`	`test_list_chips_empty`
With data	`test_<action>_with_data`	`test_list_chips_with_data`
Filtering	`test_<action>_filters_by_<field>`	`test_list_chips_filters_by_user`
Not found	`test_<action>_not_found`	`test_fetch_chip_not_found`
Invalid input	`test_<action>_invalid_<field>`	`test_create_chip_invalid_size`
Duplicate/conflict	`test_<action>_duplicate`	`test_create_chip_duplicate`
Permission/access	`test_<action>_wrong_user`	`test_fetch_chip_wrong_user`
Exception	`test_<action>_raises_<exception>`	`test_update_nonexistent_qubit`

Test Structure (AAA Pattern)

Arrange-Act-Assert

All tests should follow the AAA (Arrange-Act-Assert) pattern:

python

def test_list_chips_with_data(self, test_client):
    """Test listing chips when chips exist."""
    # Arrange: Set up test data and preconditions
    chip = ChipDocument(
        chip_id="test_chip_001",
        username="test_user",
        size=64,
        qubits={},
        couplings={},
        system_info=SystemInfoModel(),
    )
    chip.insert()

    # Act: Execute the code under test
    response = test_client.get(
        "/api/chip",
        headers={"X-Username": "test_user"},
    )

    # Assert: Verify the results
    assert response.status_code == 200
    data = response.json()
    assert len(data) == 1
    assert data[0]["chip_id"] == "test_chip_001"
    assert data[0]["size"] == 64

Guidelines

Arrange: Set up all preconditions and inputs
Act: Execute the single action being tested
Assert: Verify the expected outcomes
Comments: Use # Arrange, # Act, # Assert comments for complex tests
Single action: Each test should test one thing only

Fixtures

Root Fixtures (`conftest.py`)

Define common fixtures at the root level:

python

# tests/conftest.py

import pytest
from dataclasses import dataclass

@dataclass
class TestSettings:
    """Test configuration settings."""
    mongo_test_dsn: str = os.getenv("MONGO_TEST_DSN", "mongodb://root:example@mongo:27017")
    mongo_test_db: str = os.getenv("MONGO_TEST_DB", "qdash_test")


@pytest.fixture(scope="session")
def test_settings() -> TestSettings:
    """Get test settings."""
    return TestSettings()


@pytest.fixture(scope="session")
def mongo_client(test_settings: TestSettings) -> Generator[MongoClient, None, None]:
    """Create MongoDB client for testing (session-scoped)."""
    client: MongoClient = MongoClient(test_settings.mongo_test_dsn)
    yield client
    client.close()


@pytest.fixture
def init_db(mongo_client: MongoClient, test_settings: TestSettings) -> Generator[Database, None, None]:
    """Initialize Bunnet with test database."""
    from qdash.api.db.session import set_test_client

    set_test_client(mongo_client, db_name=test_settings.mongo_test_db)
    db = mongo_client[test_settings.mongo_test_db]
    yield db

    # Clean up: drop all collections after each test
    for collection_name in db.list_collection_names():
        db.drop_collection(collection_name)


@pytest.fixture
def test_client(init_db):
    """FastAPI test client with test MongoDB."""
    from fastapi.testclient import TestClient
    from qdash.api.main import app

    return TestClient(app)

Fixture Scopes

Scope	Use Case	Example
`function`	Default; fresh fixture per test	`test_client`, `init_db`
`class`	Shared within test class	Class-specific setup
`module`	Shared within test file	Module-specific setup
`session`	Shared across entire test session	`mongo_client`, `test_settings`

Fixture Naming

python

# ✅ Good - Descriptive fixture names
@pytest.fixture
def test_client():
    """FastAPI test client."""
    pass

@pytest.fixture
def system_info():
    """Create test system info."""
    pass

@pytest.fixture
def sample_chip():
    """Create a sample chip for testing."""
    pass

# ❌ Bad - Vague names
@pytest.fixture
def data():
    pass

@pytest.fixture
def fixture1():
    pass

Autouse Fixtures

Use autouse=True sparingly, for setup that must run for every test:

python

@pytest.fixture(autouse=True)
def _init_db(mongodb_client: MongoClient) -> None:
    """Initialize database before each test."""
    init_bunnet(
        database=mongodb_client.test_db,
        document_models=[ChipDocument],
    )
    # Clear collection before each test
    try:
        ChipDocument.get_motor_collection().drop()
    except Exception:
        pass

Database Testing

Using Docker Compose MongoDB

Tests connect to the MongoDB instance running in Docker Compose:

python

@pytest.fixture(scope="session")
def mongo_client(test_settings: TestSettings) -> Generator[MongoClient, None, None]:
    """Create MongoDB client for testing (session-scoped)."""
    client: MongoClient = MongoClient(test_settings.mongo_test_dsn)
    yield client
    client.close()

Database Cleanup

Always clean up test data:

python

@pytest.fixture
def init_db(mongo_client: MongoClient, test_settings: TestSettings):
    """Initialize and clean up test database."""
    # Setup
    set_test_client(mongo_client, db_name=test_settings.mongo_test_db)
    db = mongo_client[test_settings.mongo_test_db]
    yield db

    # Cleanup: drop all collections after each test
    for collection_name in db.list_collection_names():
        db.drop_collection(collection_name)

API Endpoint Testing

Basic Endpoint Test

python

class TestChipRouter:
    """Tests for chip-related API endpoints."""

    def test_list_chips_empty(self, test_client):
        """Test listing chips when no chips exist."""
        response = test_client.get(
            "/api/chip",
            headers={"X-Username": "test_user"},
        )
        assert response.status_code == 200
        assert response.json() == []

Testing with Authentication

Always include required headers:

python

def test_fetch_chip_success(self, test_client):
    """Test fetching a specific chip by ID."""
    # Arrange
    chip = ChipDocument(
        chip_id="test_chip_fetch",
        username="test_user",
        size=144,
        system_info=SystemInfoModel(),
    )
    chip.insert()

    # Act
    response = test_client.get(
        "/api/chip/test_chip_fetch",
        headers={"X-Username": "test_user"},  # Required auth header
    )

    # Assert
    assert response.status_code == 200

Testing Error Responses

python

def test_fetch_chip_not_found(self, test_client):
    """Test fetching a non-existent chip returns 404."""
    response = test_client.get(
        "/api/chip/nonexistent_chip",
        headers={"X-Username": "test_user"},
    )

    assert response.status_code == 404
    assert "not found" in response.json()["detail"].lower()


def test_create_chip_invalid_size(self, test_client):
    """Test creating a chip with invalid size returns 400."""
    response = test_client.post(
        "/api/chip",
        headers={"X-Username": "test_user"},
        json={"chip_id": "invalid_chip", "size": 100},  # Invalid size
    )

    assert response.status_code == 400

Testing Access Control

python

def test_fetch_chip_wrong_user(self, test_client):
    """Test that fetching another user's chip returns 404."""
    # Arrange: Create a chip for user1
    chip = ChipDocument(
        chip_id="user1_chip",
        username="user1",
        size=64,
        system_info=SystemInfoModel(),
    )
    chip.insert()

    # Act: Try to fetch as user2
    response = test_client.get(
        "/api/chip/user1_chip",
        headers={"X-Username": "user2"},
    )

    # Assert: Should not find the chip (access control)
    assert response.status_code == 404

Mocking and Patching

Using monkeypatch

Use pytest's monkeypatch fixture for patching:

python

def test_flow_session_attributes(self, monkeypatch):
    """Test that FlowSession initializes with correct attributes."""

    # Mock ExecutionManager to avoid DB dependencies
    class MockExecutionManager:
        def __init__(self, **kwargs):
            for key, value in kwargs.items():
                setattr(self, key, value)
            self.calib_data_path = kwargs.get("calib_data_path", "")
            self.calib_data = type("obj", (object,), {"qubit": {}, "coupling": {}})()

        def save(self):
            return self

        def start_execution(self):
            return self

    class MockSession:
        def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
            pass

        def connect(self):
            pass

    # Patch the imports
    monkeypatch.setattr(
        "qdash.workflow.helpers.flow_helpers.ExecutionManager",
        MockExecutionManager,
    )
    monkeypatch.setattr(
        "qdash.workflow.helpers.flow_helpers.create_backend",
        lambda **kwargs: MockSession(),
    )

    # Create session
    session = FlowSession(
        username="test_user",
        execution_id="20240101-001",
        chip_id="chip_1",
    )

    # Verify
    assert session.username == "test_user"

Mock Class Pattern

Create reusable mock classes:

python

class MockExecutionManager:
    """Mock ExecutionManager for testing."""

    def __init__(self, **kwargs):
        self.calib_data_path = kwargs.get("calib_data_path", "")
        self.calib_data = type("obj", (object,), {"qubit": {}, "coupling": {}})()
        self.completed = False

    def save(self):
        return self

    def start_execution(self):
        return self

    def complete_execution(self):
        self.completed = True
        return self

Assertions

Use Descriptive Assertion Messages

python

# ✅ Good - With descriptive messages
assert retrieved_chip is not None, f"Chip with id '{chip_id}' should exist"
assert retrieved_chip.chip_id == chip_id, "Chip ID should match"
assert retrieved_chip.size == expected_size, f"Size should be {expected_size}"
assert len(retrieved_chip.qubits) == 2, "Should have 2 qubits"

# ❌ Bad - No messages
assert retrieved_chip is not None
assert retrieved_chip.chip_id == chip_id

Common Assertion Patterns

python

# Status code assertions
assert response.status_code == 200
assert response.status_code == 404
assert response.status_code == 400

# JSON response assertions
data = response.json()
assert len(data) == 1
assert data[0]["chip_id"] == "test_chip_001"
assert "not found" in response.json()["detail"].lower()

# Collection assertions
assert "Q0" in retrieved_chip.qubits, "Q0 should exist in qubits"
assert all(chip.username == username for chip in chips), "All chips should belong to user"

# Exception assertions
with pytest.raises(ValueError, match=f"Qubit {qubit_id} not found"):
    chip.update_qubit(qubit_id, new_qubit)

with pytest.raises(RuntimeError, match="No active calibration session"):
    get_session()

Test Data Management

Test Constants

Define constants at the module level:

python

# Test constants
TEST_DATE = "2024-01-01T00:00:00Z"
TEST_USERNAME = "test_user"

Helper Functions

Create helper functions for test data creation:

python

def create_test_qubit(qid: str, x_180_length: float = 30.0) -> QubitModel:
    """Helper function to create a test qubit."""
    return QubitModel(
        username=TEST_USERNAME,
        chip_id="test_chip",
        status="active",
        qid=qid,
        data={"x_180_length": x_180_length},
    )


def create_test_coupling(qid: str) -> CouplingModel:
    """Helper function to create a test coupling."""
    return CouplingModel(
        username=TEST_USERNAME,
        chip_id="test_chip",
        status="active",
        qid=qid,
        data={},
    )

Fixtures for Test Data

python

@pytest.fixture
def system_info() -> SystemInfoModel:
    """Create test system info."""
    return SystemInfoModel(
        created_at=TEST_DATE,
        updated_at=TEST_DATE,
    )


@pytest.fixture
def sample_chip(system_info) -> ChipDocument:
    """Create a sample chip for testing."""
    return ChipDocument(
        chip_id="sample_chip",
        username=TEST_USERNAME,
        size=64,
        qubits={
            "Q0": create_test_qubit("Q0"),
            "Q1": create_test_qubit("Q1"),
        },
        system_info=system_info,
    )

Async Testing

Configure pytest-asyncio

python

# In conftest.py
pytest_plugins = ("pytest_asyncio",)
pytest.mark.asyncio_default_fixture_loop_scope = "function"

Async Test Functions

python

import pytest

@pytest.mark.asyncio
async def test_async_operation():
    """Test an async operation."""
    result = await some_async_function()
    assert result is not None

Async Fixtures

python

@pytest.fixture
async def async_client():
    """Create async test client."""
    async with AsyncClient(app=app, base_url="http://test") as client:
        yield client

Coverage Guidelines

Minimum Coverage Targets

Component	Target Coverage
API Routers	80%
Database Models	90%
Workflow Helpers	75%
Utility Functions	90%

What to Test

Always test:

Happy path (successful operations)
Error conditions (404, 400, validation errors)
Edge cases (empty lists, boundary values)
Access control (user isolation)
Input validation

Skip testing:

Third-party library internals
Simple getters/setters without logic
Trivial one-line functions

Running Coverage

bash

# Run tests with coverage
pytest --cov=src/qdash

# Generate HTML report
pytest --cov=src/qdash --cov-report=html

# Check specific module
pytest --cov=src/qdash/api tests/qdash/api/

Quick Reference

Test Structure Checklist

[ ] Test file named test_<module>.py
[ ] Test class named Test<Component>
[ ] Test function named test_<action>_<scenario>
[ ] Follows AAA pattern (Arrange-Act-Assert)
[ ] Has descriptive docstring
[ ] Uses appropriate fixtures

Fixture Checklist

[ ] Defined at appropriate scope
[ ] Has descriptive name
[ ] Has docstring explaining purpose
[ ] Cleans up resources properly

API Test Checklist

[ ] Tests happy path (200 OK)
[ ] Tests not found (404)
[ ] Tests validation errors (400)
[ ] Tests access control
[ ] Uses test client fixture
[ ] Includes required headers

Database Test Checklist

[ ] Uses test database (not production)
[ ] Cleans up data after test
[ ] Tests CRUD operations
[ ] Tests query filters
[ ] Tests error cases

Assertion Checklist

[ ] Uses descriptive messages
[ ] Checks status codes
[ ] Verifies response data
[ ] Uses pytest.raises for exceptions

Example Complete Test File

python

"""Tests for chip router endpoints."""

import pytest
from qdash.datamodel.system_info import SystemInfoModel
from qdash.dbmodel.chip import ChipDocument


class TestChipRouter:
    """Tests for chip-related API endpoints."""

    def test_list_chips_empty(self, test_client):
        """Test listing chips when no chips exist."""
        response = test_client.get(
            "/api/chip",
            headers={"X-Username": "test_user"},
        )
        assert response.status_code == 200
        assert response.json() == []

    def test_list_chips_with_data(self, test_client):
        """Test listing chips when chips exist."""
        # Arrange
        chip = ChipDocument(
            chip_id="test_chip_001",
            username="test_user",
            size=64,
            qubits={},
            couplings={},
            system_info=SystemInfoModel(),
        )
        chip.insert()

        # Act
        response = test_client.get(
            "/api/chip",
            headers={"X-Username": "test_user"},
        )

        # Assert
        assert response.status_code == 200
        data = response.json()
        assert len(data) == 1
        assert data[0]["chip_id"] == "test_chip_001"
        assert data[0]["size"] == 64

    def test_fetch_chip_not_found(self, test_client):
        """Test fetching a non-existent chip returns 404."""
        response = test_client.get(
            "/api/chip/nonexistent_chip",
            headers={"X-Username": "test_user"},
        )

        assert response.status_code == 404
        assert "not found" in response.json()["detail"].lower()

    def test_create_chip_success(self, test_client):
        """Test creating a new chip."""
        response = test_client.post(
            "/api/chip",
            headers={"X-Username": "test_user"},
            json={"chip_id": "new_chip", "size": 64},
        )

        assert response.status_code == 200
        data = response.json()
        assert data["chip_id"] == "new_chip"
        assert data["size"] == 64

API Testing Guidelines for QDash ​

Table of Contents ​

Test Directory Structure ​

Mirror the Source Structure ​

Guidelines ​

Test File Naming ​

Use test_ Prefix ​

Match Source File Names ​

Test Class and Function Naming ​

Class Naming ​

Function Naming ​

Naming Patterns ​

Test Structure (AAA Pattern) ​

Arrange-Act-Assert ​

Guidelines ​

Fixtures ​

Root Fixtures (conftest.py) ​

Fixture Scopes ​

Fixture Naming ​

Autouse Fixtures ​

Database Testing ​

Using Docker Compose MongoDB ​

Database Cleanup ​

API Endpoint Testing ​

Basic Endpoint Test ​

Testing with Authentication ​

Testing Error Responses ​

Testing Access Control ​

Mocking and Patching ​

Using monkeypatch ​

Mock Class Pattern ​

Assertions ​

Use Descriptive Assertion Messages ​

Common Assertion Patterns ​

Test Data Management ​

Test Constants ​

Helper Functions ​

Fixtures for Test Data ​

Async Testing ​

Configure pytest-asyncio ​

Async Test Functions ​

Async Fixtures ​

Coverage Guidelines ​

Minimum Coverage Targets ​

What to Test ​

Running Coverage ​

Quick Reference ​

Test Structure Checklist ​

Fixture Checklist ​

API Test Checklist ​

Database Test Checklist ​

Assertion Checklist ​

Example Complete Test File ​

References ​

API Testing Guidelines for QDash

Table of Contents

Test Directory Structure

Mirror the Source Structure

Guidelines

Test File Naming

Use `test_` Prefix

Match Source File Names

Test Class and Function Naming

Class Naming

Function Naming

Naming Patterns

Test Structure (AAA Pattern)

Arrange-Act-Assert

Guidelines

Fixtures

Root Fixtures (`conftest.py`)

Fixture Scopes

Fixture Naming

Autouse Fixtures

Database Testing

Using Docker Compose MongoDB

Database Cleanup

API Endpoint Testing

Basic Endpoint Test

Testing with Authentication

Testing Error Responses

Testing Access Control

Mocking and Patching

Using monkeypatch

Mock Class Pattern

Assertions

Use Descriptive Assertion Messages

Common Assertion Patterns

Test Data Management

Test Constants

Helper Functions

Fixtures for Test Data

Async Testing

Configure pytest-asyncio

Async Test Functions

Async Fixtures

Coverage Guidelines

Minimum Coverage Targets

What to Test

Running Coverage

Quick Reference

Test Structure Checklist

Fixture Checklist

API Test Checklist

Database Test Checklist

Assertion Checklist

Example Complete Test File

References