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Key Abstractions
The core of the framework consists of the TestContextManager
class and the
TestContext
, TestExecutionListener
, and SmartContextLoader
interfaces. A
TestContextManager
is created for each test class (for example, for the execution of
all test methods within a single test class in JUnit Jupiter). The TestContextManager
,
in turn, manages a TestContext
that holds the context of the current test. The
TestContextManager
also updates the state of the TestContext
as the test progresses
and delegates to TestExecutionListener
implementations, which instrument the actual
test execution by providing dependency injection, managing transactions, and so on. A
SmartContextLoader
is responsible for loading an ApplicationContext
for a given test
class. See the javadoc and the
Spring test suite for further information and examples of various implementations.
TestContext
TestContext
encapsulates the context in which a test is run (agnostic of the
actual testing framework in use) and provides context management and caching support for
the test instance for which it is responsible. The TestContext
also delegates to a
SmartContextLoader
to load an ApplicationContext
if requested.
TestContextManager
TestContextManager
is the main entry point into the Spring TestContext Framework and is
responsible for managing a single TestContext
and signaling events to each registered
TestExecutionListener
at well-defined test execution points:
-
Prior to any “before class” or “before all” methods of a particular testing framework.
-
Test instance post-processing.
-
Prior to any “before” or “before each” methods of a particular testing framework.
-
Immediately before execution of the test method but after test setup.
-
Immediately after execution of the test method but before test tear down.
-
After any “after” or “after each” methods of a particular testing framework.
-
After any “after class” or “after all” methods of a particular testing framework.
TestExecutionListener
TestExecutionListener
defines the API for reacting to test-execution events published by
the TestContextManager
with which the listener is registered. See TestExecutionListener
Configuration.
Context Loaders
ContextLoader
is a strategy interface for loading an ApplicationContext
for an
integration test managed by the Spring TestContext Framework. You should implement
SmartContextLoader
instead of this interface to provide support for component classes,
active bean definition profiles, test property sources, context hierarchies, and
WebApplicationContext
support.
SmartContextLoader
is an extension of the ContextLoader
interface that supersedes the
original minimal ContextLoader
SPI. Specifically, a SmartContextLoader
can choose to
process resource locations, component classes, or context initializers. Furthermore, a
SmartContextLoader
can set active bean definition profiles and test property sources in
the context that it loads.
Spring provides the following implementations:
-
DelegatingSmartContextLoader
: One of two default loaders, it delegates internally to anAnnotationConfigContextLoader
, aGenericXmlContextLoader
, or aGenericGroovyXmlContextLoader
, depending either on the configuration declared for the test class or on the presence of default locations or default configuration classes. Groovy support is enabled only if Groovy is on the classpath. -
WebDelegatingSmartContextLoader
: One of two default loaders, it delegates internally to anAnnotationConfigWebContextLoader
, aGenericXmlWebContextLoader
, or aGenericGroovyXmlWebContextLoader
, depending either on the configuration declared for the test class or on the presence of default locations or default configuration classes. A webContextLoader
is used only if@WebAppConfiguration
is present on the test class. Groovy support is enabled only if Groovy is on the classpath. -
AnnotationConfigContextLoader
: Loads a standardApplicationContext
from component classes. -
AnnotationConfigWebContextLoader
: Loads aWebApplicationContext
from component classes. -
GenericGroovyXmlContextLoader
: Loads a standardApplicationContext
from resource locations that are either Groovy scripts or XML configuration files. -
GenericGroovyXmlWebContextLoader
: Loads aWebApplicationContext
from resource locations that are either Groovy scripts or XML configuration files. -
GenericXmlContextLoader
: Loads a standardApplicationContext
from XML resource locations. -
GenericXmlWebContextLoader
: Loads aWebApplicationContext
from XML resource locations.