how to validate a form using phpunit test?

Question

In below code a feedback form takes input for 3 fields like name, email id & comments. So validation needs to be tested using phpunit test. please help on this. I am new to php syntax altogether. how to assert & check valdiation to give report in phunit testing.

  if($_POST){
     //echo $sRc;
     //print "<pre>";print_r($_POST);exit;
     require_once(CLASSPATH."/utility.class.php");
     $oUtility      = new utility();
     $sRc           = base64_decode($_COOKIE['Rc_cf']);
     $sEmail            = trim($_POST['emailid']);
     $scomment      = trim($_POST['comment']);
     $syour_name        = trim($_POST['your_name']);
     $sOthereSubject = trim($_POST['subject']);

     $sName         = trim(strip_tags($oUtility->nonxmlcharreplace($_REQUEST['your_name'])));
     $sEmail            = trim(strip_tags($oUtility->nonxmlcharreplace($_REQUEST['emailid'])));
     $sComments     = trim(strip_tags($oUtility->nonxmlcharreplace($_REQUEST['comment'])));

     $iError=0;
     $sErrorMsg="";

     if(strlen($sName)==0){
        $sErrorMsg="Your name cannot be blank.";
        $iError=1;
    }     else if(strlen($sEmail)==0){
        $sErrorMsg="Email address cannot be blank.";
        $iError=1;
    }else if(strlen($sEmail)>0){

        $iValid = $oUtility->isValidEmail($sEmail);
        if($iValid!=1){
             $sErrorMsg="Please enter valid email address.";    
             $iError=1;
         }      
      }
      if(empty($sComments) && strlen($sErrorMsg)==0){
         $sErrorMsg="Comment cannot be blank.";
         $iError=1;
     }

     if(strlen($sErrorMsg)==0){
         require_once(CLASSPATH."feedback.class.php");      
         $oFeedback     = new feedback();

         if($iError==0){
            $aParameters=Array('name'=>$sName,'email'=>$sEmail,'comments'=>$sComments,'cdate'=>'now()',     'is_active'=>1,'cdate'=>'now()','udate'=>'now()');
            $iRes = $oFeedback->addUpdFeedback($aParameters);
            $sInserMsg = 1;
            $sEmail = $sName = $scomment='';

         }

      }

Alexandre Butynski · Accepted Answer · 2013-06-11 14:29:17Z

1

Your method should be hard to test because it's too long. To build your test you have to follow three steps :

Setup the context (here, define some input data)
Execute the function (here, a big function with a if statement in the middle)
Assert that the expected behavior happens (here, the validation fail or pass and other things happen in your big function)

The goal of unit testing is to test small things, unit things. So in your case it's very hard to write your test because it's hard to define a different input $_POST in a test context. It's also hard because your function do a lot of different things.

So you have to cut your big function into smaller ones and just test this functions one by one.

For example, something like that :

$errorsArray = $this->validation($_POST);
if (count($errorsArray) == 0) {
     require_once(CLASSPATH."feedback.class.php");      
     $oFeedback     = new feedback();
     $aParameters=Array('name'=>$sName,'email'=>$sEmail,'comments'=>$sComments,'cdate'=>'now()',     'is_active'=>1,'cdate'=>'now()','udate'=>'now()');
     $iRes = $oFeedback->addUpdFeedback($aParameters);
     $sInserMsg = 1;
     $sEmail = $sName = $
}

//

public static function validation($input)
{
    //Your validation here, return an array of error messages
}

Then, you will just have to write somme test cases like this ones :

public function testValidationOk()
{
    $input = array('name' => 'John', 'email' => '[email protected]');
    $errorsArray = MyClass::validation($input);
    assertCount(0, $errorsArray);
}

public function testValidationFailWithoutName()
{
    $input = array('name' => '', 'email' => '[email protected]');
    $errorsArray = MyClass::validation($input);
    assertCount(1, $errorsArray);
}

public function testValidationFailWithInvalidEmail()
{
    $input = array('name' => 'John', 'email' => 'john.com');
    $errorsArray = MyClass::validation($input);
    assertCount(1, $errorsArray);
}

The rest of your function will be tested in other tests cases. Small methods is the key of testability, readability and maintainability.

answered Jun 11, 2013 at 14:29

Alexandre Butynski

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2 Comments

shalini Over a year ago

Thanks will try out with above suggestions.

Alexandre Butynski Over a year ago

Are you ok with the test of your code ? If you don't need more explanation about that, don't forget to close your question :)

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