Java & Spring JDBC: How to simulate table in database doesn't exist for testing (without actually dropping or renaming it)

Question

I have a Java application that talks to a MySQL database using Spring JDBC Templates. In one of my tests I want to simulate a table not being there in an integration test, however I cannot actually temporarily drop/recreate or rename the table in our testing database for a variety of reasons.

I also don't want to mock out the particular DAO method call that would hit the table that throws the error in case going forward we use other methods. I want to do something like intercept the sql before it goes off to the database and replace the table name (if present) with a bogus name--or something else to the same effect.

Test driven development for the win!

Simple. Excecute this test case before the DBA creates the tables. — adarshr
– adarshr, Commented Apr 20, 2012 at 15:45

avandeursen · Accepted Answer · 2012-04-22 08:52:10Z

1

If interception is what you want, using aspects could be a solution.

You'd have to create a pointcut intercepting, e.g., the call to the specific method "sending the sql before it goes off to the database".
Then you can create before/around advice, in which you can manipulate the data ("replace the table name with a bogus name") before you proceed with the call

See aspectj, as well as Aspect Oriented Programming with Spring.

edited Apr 22, 2012 at 8:52

answered Apr 22, 2012 at 8:38

avandeursen

8,7383 gold badges44 silver badges55 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

Comments

aglassman · Accepted Answer · 2012-04-20 15:55:14Z

1

You should use EasyMock for tests like these. There are ways to have a method throw any exception you specify. If you cannot use this, you have not effectively separated your application layers.

Look at: http://www.easymock.org/EasyMock2_2_Documentation.html, under the heading "Working with Exceptions"

answered Apr 20, 2012 at 15:55

aglassman

2,6631 gold badge19 silver badges32 bronze badges

3 Comments

Aaron Silverman Over a year ago

Usually we use easyMock but since the problem is a non-existant table there could be many data access layer functions that would throw exceptions--some perhaps not even written yet.

aglassman Over a year ago

I've never heard of testing for functions that don't even exist yet! This points to that you don't have your data and service layer abstracted enough.

Aaron Silverman Over a year ago

Sorry if I didn't make sense :( Basically if I use one function to interact with that table I could mock it to throw an error. But if somebody makes a new function that depends on that table unless they remember to also mock it to throw an error to test that table not existing we could miss some things.

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

Java & Spring JDBC: How to simulate table in database doesn't exist for testing (without actually dropping or renaming it)

2 Answers 2

Comments

3 Comments

Your Answer

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

2 Answers 2

Comments

3 Comments

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Related