@BeforeClass and inheritance - order of execution

Question

I have an abstract base class, which I use as a base for my unit tests (TestNG 5.10). In this class, I initialize the whole environment for my tests, setting up database map

Answer 1

I've faced a similar issue today, the only difference was a Base class was not abstract

Here's my case

public class A {
    @BeforeClass
    private void doInitialization() {...}
}

public class B extends A {
    @BeforeClass
    private void doSpecificInitialization() {...}

    @Test
    public void doTests() {...}
}

It occurred that a @BeforeClass method from class A was never executed.

• A.doInitialization() -> THIS WAS NEVER EXECUTED silently
• B.doSpecificInitialization()
• B.doTests()

Playing with privacy modifiers I found that TestNG will not execute a @BeforeClass annotated method from inherited class if a method is not visible from a class-inheritor

So this will work:

public class A {
    @BeforeClass
    private void doInitialization() {...}
}

public class B extends A {
    @BeforeClass
    //Here a privacy modifier matters -> please make sure your method is public or protected so it will be visible for ancestors
    protected void doSpecificInitialization() {...}

    @Test
    public void doTests() {...}
}

As a result following happens:

• A.doInitialization()
• B.doSpecificInitialization()
• B.doTests()