Unit Test fatalError in Swift

Question

How to implement unit test for a fatalError code path in Swift?

For example, I\'ve the following swift code

func divide(x: Float, by y:          


        

Answer 1

Thanks to nschum and Ken Ko for the idea behind this answer.

Here is a gist for how to do it.

Here is an example project.

This answer is not just for fatal error. It's also for the other assertion methods (assert, assertionFailure, precondition, preconditionFailure and fatalError)

1. Drop ProgrammerAssertions.swift to the target of your app or framework under test. Just besides your source code.

ProgrammerAssertions.swift

import Foundation

/// drop-in replacements

public func assert(@autoclosure condition: () -> Bool, @autoclosure _ message: () -> String = "", file: StaticString = __FILE__, line: UInt = __LINE__) {
    Assertions.assertClosure(condition(), message(), file, line)
}

public func assertionFailure(@autoclosure message: () -> String = "", file: StaticString = __FILE__, line: UInt = __LINE__) {
    Assertions.assertionFailureClosure(message(), file, line)
}

public func precondition(@autoclosure condition: () -> Bool, @autoclosure _ message: () -> String = "", file: StaticString = __FILE__, line: UInt = __LINE__) {
    Assertions.preconditionClosure(condition(), message(), file, line)
}

@noreturn public func preconditionFailure(@autoclosure message: () -> String = "", file: StaticString = __FILE__, line: UInt = __LINE__) {
    Assertions.preconditionFailureClosure(message(), file, line)
    runForever()
}

@noreturn public func fatalError(@autoclosure message: () -> String = "", file: StaticString = __FILE__, line: UInt = __LINE__) {
    Assertions.fatalErrorClosure(message(), file, line)
    runForever()
}

/// Stores custom assertions closures, by default it points to Swift functions. But test target can override them.
public class Assertions {

    public static var assertClosure              = swiftAssertClosure
    public static var assertionFailureClosure    = swiftAssertionFailureClosure
    public static var preconditionClosure        = swiftPreconditionClosure
    public static var preconditionFailureClosure = swiftPreconditionFailureClosure
    public static var fatalErrorClosure          = swiftFatalErrorClosure

    public static let swiftAssertClosure              = { Swift.assert($0, $1, file: $2, line: $3) }
    public static let swiftAssertionFailureClosure    = { Swift.assertionFailure($0, file: $1, line: $2) }
    public static let swiftPreconditionClosure        = { Swift.precondition($0, $1, file: $2, line: $3) }
    public static let swiftPreconditionFailureClosure = { Swift.preconditionFailure($0, file: $1, line: $2) }
    public static let swiftFatalErrorClosure          = { Swift.fatalError($0, file: $1, line: $2) }
}

/// This is a `noreturn` function that runs forever and doesn't return.
/// Used by assertions with `@noreturn`.
@noreturn private func runForever() {
    repeat {
        NSRunLoop.currentRunLoop().run()
    } while (true)
}

2. Drop XCTestCase+ProgrammerAssertions.swift to your test target. Just besides your test cases.

XCTestCase+ProgrammerAssertions.swift

import Foundation
import XCTest
@testable import Assertions

private let noReturnFailureWaitTime = 0.1

public extension XCTestCase {

    /**
     Expects an `assert` to be called with a false condition.
     If `assert` not called or the assert's condition is true, the test case will fail.

     - parameter expectedMessage: The expected message to be asserted to the one passed to the `assert`. If nil, then ignored.
     - parameter file:            The file name that called the method.
     - parameter line:            The line number that called the method.
     - parameter testCase:        The test case to be executed that expected to fire the assertion method.
     */
    public func expectAssert(
        expectedMessage: String? = nil,
        file: StaticString = __FILE__,
        line: UInt = __LINE__,
        testCase: () -> Void
        ) {

            expectAssertionReturnFunction("assert", file: file, line: line, function: { (caller) -> () in

                Assertions.assertClosure = { condition, message, _, _ in
                    caller(condition, message)
                }

                }, expectedMessage: expectedMessage, testCase: testCase) { () -> () in
                    Assertions.assertClosure = Assertions.swiftAssertClosure
            }
    }

    /**
     Expects an `assertionFailure` to be called.
     If `assertionFailure` not called, the test case will fail.

     - parameter expectedMessage: The expected message to be asserted to the one passed to the `assertionFailure`. If nil, then ignored.
     - parameter file:            The file name that called the method.
     - parameter line:            The line number that called the method.
     - parameter testCase:        The test case to be executed that expected to fire the assertion method.
     */
    public func expectAssertionFailure(
        expectedMessage: String? = nil,
        file: StaticString = __FILE__,
        line: UInt = __LINE__,
        testCase: () -> Void
        ) {

            expectAssertionReturnFunction("assertionFailure", file: file, line: line, function: { (caller) -> () in

                Assertions.assertionFailureClosure = { message, _, _ in
                    caller(false, message)
                }

                }, expectedMessage: expectedMessage, testCase: testCase) { () -> () in
                    Assertions.assertionFailureClosure = Assertions.swiftAssertionFailureClosure
            }
    }

    /**
     Expects an `precondition` to be called with a false condition.
     If `precondition` not called or the precondition's condition is true, the test case will fail.

     - parameter expectedMessage: The expected message to be asserted to the one passed to the `precondition`. If nil, then ignored.
     - parameter file:            The file name that called the method.
     - parameter line:            The line number that called the method.
     - parameter testCase:        The test case to be executed that expected to fire the assertion method.
     */
    public func expectPrecondition(
        expectedMessage: String? = nil,
        file: StaticString = __FILE__,
        line: UInt = __LINE__,
        testCase: () -> Void
        ) {

            expectAssertionReturnFunction("precondition", file: file, line: line, function: { (caller) -> () in

                Assertions.preconditionClosure = { condition, message, _, _ in
                    caller(condition, message)
                }

                }, expectedMessage: expectedMessage, testCase: testCase) { () -> () in
                    Assertions.preconditionClosure = Assertions.swiftPreconditionClosure
            }
    }

    /**
     Expects an `preconditionFailure` to be called.
     If `preconditionFailure` not called, the test case will fail.

     - parameter expectedMessage: The expected message to be asserted to the one passed to the `preconditionFailure`. If nil, then ignored.
     - parameter file:            The file name that called the method.
     - parameter line:            The line number that called the method.
     - parameter testCase:        The test case to be executed that expected to fire the assertion method.
     */
    public func expectPreconditionFailure(
        expectedMessage: String? = nil,
        file: StaticString = __FILE__,
        line: UInt = __LINE__,
        testCase: () -> Void
        ) {

            expectAssertionNoReturnFunction("preconditionFailure", file: file, line: line, function: { (caller) -> () in

                Assertions.preconditionFailureClosure = { message, _, _ in
                    caller(message)
                }

                }, expectedMessage: expectedMessage, testCase: testCase) { () -> () in
                    Assertions.preconditionFailureClosure = Assertions.swiftPreconditionFailureClosure
            }
    }

    /**
     Expects an `fatalError` to be called.
     If `fatalError` not called, the test case will fail.

     - parameter expectedMessage: The expected message to be asserted to the one passed to the `fatalError`. If nil, then ignored.
     - parameter file:            The file name that called the method.
     - parameter line:            The line number that called the method.
     - parameter testCase:        The test case to be executed that expected to fire the assertion method.
     */
    public func expectFatalError(
        expectedMessage: String? = nil,
        file: StaticString = __FILE__,
        line: UInt = __LINE__,
        testCase: () -> Void) {

            expectAssertionNoReturnFunction("fatalError", file: file, line: line, function: { (caller) -> () in

                Assertions.fatalErrorClosure = { message, _, _ in
                    caller(message)
                }

                }, expectedMessage: expectedMessage, testCase: testCase) { () -> () in
                    Assertions.fatalErrorClosure = Assertions.swiftFatalErrorClosure
            }
    }

    // MARK:- Private Methods

    private func expectAssertionReturnFunction(
        functionName: String,
        file: StaticString,
        line: UInt,
        function: (caller: (Bool, String) -> Void) -> Void,
        expectedMessage: String? = nil,
        testCase: () -> Void,
        cleanUp: () -> ()
        ) {

            let expectation = expectationWithDescription(functionName + "-Expectation")
            var assertion: (condition: Bool, message: String)? = nil

            function { (condition, message) -> Void in
                assertion = (condition, message)
                expectation.fulfill()
            }

            // perform on the same thread since it will return
            testCase()

            waitForExpectationsWithTimeout(0) { _ in

                defer {
                    // clean up
                    cleanUp()
                }

                guard let assertion = assertion else {
                    XCTFail(functionName + " is expected to be called.", file: file.stringValue, line: line)
                    return
                }

                XCTAssertFalse(assertion.condition, functionName + " condition expected to be false", file: file.stringValue, line: line)

                if let expectedMessage = expectedMessage {
                    // assert only if not nil
                    XCTAssertEqual(assertion.message, expectedMessage, functionName + " called with incorrect message.", file: file.stringValue, line: line)
                }
            }
    }

    private func expectAssertionNoReturnFunction(
        functionName: String,
        file: StaticString,
        line: UInt,
        function: (caller: (String) -> Void) -> Void,
        expectedMessage: String? = nil,
        testCase: () -> Void,
        cleanUp: () -> ()
        ) {

            let expectation = expectationWithDescription(functionName + "-Expectation")
            var assertionMessage: String? = nil

            function { (message) -> Void in
                assertionMessage = message
                expectation.fulfill()
            }

            // act, perform on separate thead because a call to function runs forever
            dispatch_async(dispatch_get_global_queue(QOS_CLASS_USER_INITIATED, 0), testCase)

            waitForExpectationsWithTimeout(noReturnFailureWaitTime) { _ in

                defer {
                    // clean up
                    cleanUp()
                }

                guard let assertionMessage = assertionMessage else {
                    XCTFail(functionName + " is expected to be called.", file: file.stringValue, line: line)
                    return
                }

                if let expectedMessage = expectedMessage {
                    // assert only if not nil
                    XCTAssertEqual(assertionMessage, expectedMessage, functionName + " called with incorrect message.", file: file.stringValue, line: line)
                }
            }
    }
}

3. Use assert, assertionFailure, precondition, preconditionFailure and fatalError normally as you always do.

For example: If you have a function that does a division like the following:

func divideFatalError(x: Float, by y: Float) -> Float {

    guard y != 0 else {
        fatalError("Zero division")
    }

    return x / y
}

4. Unit test them with the new methods expectAssert, expectAssertionFailure, expectPrecondition, expectPreconditionFailure and expectFatalError.

You can test the 0 division with the following code.

func testFatalCorrectMessage() {
    expectFatalError("Zero division") {
        divideFatalError(1, by: 0)
    }
}

Or if you don't want to test the message, you simply do.

func testFatalErrorNoMessage() {
    expectFatalError() {
        divideFatalError(1, by: 0)
    }
}