Part 1 - Unit Testing In ASP.NET Core

Introduction to Unit Testing

Unit testing is used to validate that individual components of your software (usually functions or methods) work as expected. 

Purpose of Unit Testing

Here are some key benefits:

1. Verify correctness: Unit tests ensure that the smallest units of code behave as intended, catching bugs early.
2. Improve code quality: Well-tested code is often cleaner and easier to maintain, as unit testing encourages developers to write more modular and clear code.
3. Facilitate refactoring: With a solid suite of unit tests, you can refactor code confidently, knowing the tests will catch any unintended changes or breakages.
4. Ensure reliability: Automated unit tests help reduce the chance of regression, where a new change inadvertently breaks existing functionality.
5. Enable faster development: Once set up, unit tests can be run automatically, speeding up development by reducing the need for manual testing.

In essence, unit testing helps maintain a stable and reliable codebase, making it easier to catch issues early in the development process.

Type of Unit Testing in ASP.NET and Desktop Application In Visual Studio

• xUnit
• NUnit

Philosophy and Design

• xUnit:
  • xUnit is designed with simplicity and extensibility in mind. It enforces best practices by avoiding static test methods and encourages writing isolated, easily testable code.
  • Test methods are usually instance methods, meaning a new instance of the test class is created for each test case. This encourages better isolation between tests.
• NUnit:
• NUnit has a more traditional approach to unit testing. It allows both static and instance test methods, which gives flexibility but can sometimes lead to less isolated tests.
• It is older than xUnit and has a rich set of features built over time.

Part 2 - Using Unit Tests in ASP.NET Core Application (Simple)