How to mock python's datetime.now() in a class method for unit testing?

Question

I\'m trying to write tests for a class that has methods like:

import datetime
import pytz

class MyClass:
    def get_now(self, timezone):
        return dat         


        

Answer 1

You'd create a function that returns a specific datetime, localized to the timezone passed in:

import mock

def mocked_get_now(timezone):
    dt = datetime.datetime(2012, 1, 1, 10, 10, 10)
    return timezone.localize(dt)

@mock.patch('path.to.your.models.MyClass.get_now', side_effect=mocked_get_now)
def your_test(self, mock_obj):
    # Within this test, `MyClass.get_now()` is a mock that'll return a predictable
    # timezone-aware datetime object, set to 2012-01-01 10:10:10.

That way you can test if the resulting timezone-aware datetime is correctly being handled; results elsewhere should show the correct timezone but will have a predictable date and time.

You use the mocked_get_now function as a side-effect when mocking get_now; whenever code calls get_now the call is recorded by mock, and mocked_get_now is called, and it's return value used as the value returned to the caller of get_now.