diff --git a/website/src/daily-emails/2022-11-14.md b/website/src/daily-emails/2022-11-14.md new file mode 100644 index 00000000..a8ecb027 --- /dev/null +++ b/website/src/daily-emails/2022-11-14.md @@ -0,0 +1,43 @@ +--- +title: > + Camel-case or snake-case for test methods? +pubDate: 2022-11-14 +permalink: > + archive/2022/11/14/camel-case-or-snake-case-for-test-methods +tags: + - testing +--- + +When writing object-orientated code, particularly in PHP, you usually write method names using camel-case letters - such as: + +```php +public function doSomething(): void { + // ... +} +``` + +This is also true when writing methods within a test class - only that the method name is prefixed with the word `test`: + +```php +public function testSomething(): void { +} +``` + +This is probably expected and complies with the PSR code style standards like PSR-12. + +Something that I've seen some PHP developers and some frameworks prefer is to write their test methods using snake-case letters and commonly removing the `test` prefix in favour of using an annotation: + +```php +/** @test */ +public function the_api_should_return_a_200_response_code_if_everything_is_ok(): void { + // ... +} +``` + +This is something that I've done myself for a while, but now I'm starting to reconsider both options. + +Whilst it's more readable, especially for longer test names (which I like to write), it's not consistent with method names in non-test files or non-test methods in test files; it looks odd if I need to add another annotation (do I keep a single annotation on one line, or just those with multiple annotations on the separate lines), and to do this, I need to disable some code sniffer rules for code to pass the PHPCS checks. + +If I used camel-cased names, I wouldn't need the PHPCS overrides, the annotations would be simpler, and the code would be more consistent - so I think I'll try that way again in the next tests that I write and see how it feels. + +Which do you prefer, and which would you expect to see in your project?