Can You Call Go Test Functions From Non-Test Files?

Calling Test Functions from Non-Test Files

In Go, testing relies on specific conventions and methodologies. One of these conventions is that tests should be separated into their own test files, which must end with the "_test.go" suffix.

Can Test Functions be Called from Non-Test Files?

Short answer: No.

Contrary to your question, test functions cannot be directly invoked from non-test Go files. This separation ensures that testing remains distinct and independent from the code under test.

Testing Patterns in Go

Go primarily employs two types of unit testing:

• Black-box testing: Evaluating public, exported functions, mimicking how external callers would interact with them.
• White-box testing: Evaluating private, unexported functions within the same package, providing deeper insights into internal operations.

Example

Consider the following "example" package with an exported "Sum" function and an unexported "add" function:

package example

func Sum(nums ...int) int {
    sum := 0
    for _, num := range nums {
        sum = add(sum, num)
    }
    return sum
}

func add(a, b int) int {
    return a + b
}

Black-box testing (example_test.go):

package example_test

import (
    "testing"

    "example"
)

func TestSum(t *testing.T) {
    tests := []struct {
        nums []int
        sum  int
    }{
        {nums: []int{1, 2, 3}, sum: 6},
        {nums: []int{2, 3, 4}, sum: 9},
    }

    for _, test := range tests {
        s := example.Sum(test.nums...)
        if s != test.sum {
            t.FailNow()
        }
    }
}

White-box testing (example_internal_test.go):

package example_test

import "testing"

func TestAdd(t *testing.T) {
    tests := []struct {
        a   int
        b   int
        sum int
    }{
        {a: 1, b: 2, sum: 3},
        {a: 3, b: 4, sum: 7},
    }

    for _, test := range tests {
        s := add(test.a, test.b)
        if s != test.sum {
            t.FailNow()
        }
    }
}

In conclusion, calling test functions from non-test files violates the principles of Go testing. Separate test packages should be used for unit testing purposes, adhering to the established workflow and conventions.

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