How Can I Avoid Test Code Duplication in Go Packages with Multiple Files?

Handling Shared Test Code in Go Packages with Multiple Files

In Go packages with multiple files, it's common to create separate test files for each source file. However, this can lead to code duplication when the tests require shared helper functions.

The Solution: Utilizing Test Package Shared Identifiers

To avoid code replication, Go allows test files within the same package clause to refer to each other's exported and unexported identifiers without explicit import statements. This means that you can place shared test code in any of the test files, and it will be accessible to all other test files within the same package.

Example Structure

Consider a package with the following files:

mypackage/
    mypackage.go
    mypackage_test.go
    helper_test.go

You can define shared test helper functions in helper_test.go without polluting the production code.

Explanation

Even though helper_test.go is not directly imported into mypackage_test.go, it still belongs to the same test package due to the matching package clause (package mypackage_test). This allows mypackage_test.go to access the identifiers declared in helper_test.go, enabling code sharing and test maintainability.

Additional Notes

• You're not required to create a test file for every source file.
• Test files without matching source files are also supported.
• Test files belong to different test packages if their package clauses differ.

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