Testing your digital products helps you improve code quality and makes software much less likely to have bugs.
Likewise, testing is key in making refactoring possible to improve code maintainability.
It’s no surprise that it’s a top-tier skill among Software Developers!
Yet, there may be different testing categories depending on the programming language, framework, or library used.
As a general category, testing falls into two main types: manual and automated.
Yet, there’s also unit, continuous integration, and snapshot testing, among others.
That’s why this article will focus on the popular Typescript test frameworks devs use to perform automated testing.
Let’s put it to the test!
What is Unit Testing?
Unit Testing libraries work with small units to ensure everything does what’s intended to do.
What's more, these units do not communicate with each unit and other pieces of code.
These tests must not connect to, for instance, a database or receive compatible API calls or external dependency injections.
As a result, unit testing addresses configuration file bugs quickly and improves code quality and maintainability.
What is TypeScript Unit Testing?
When discussing TS vs JS, Typescript is often referred to as a JavaScript superset.
Among devs, Typescript boosts JS features while adding extra functionality.
Among what makes Typescript a JavaScript superset is its IDE support, static typing, better code readability and developer tooling.
Consequently, TS allows devs and teams to make fewer mistakes, meaning there may not be the need for as many tests.
Best Typescript Unit Testing Frameworks
1. Jest
A main reason why Jest is a favorite is that it’s perfect for testing React web apps.
It also does wonders with Node.js and Vue.js!
Jest is also quite easy to integrate with JavaScript tools like Babel, Webpack and ESLint.
Likewise, Jest requires zero configuration and can execute multiple tests in parallel.
This makes it a great choice for larger projects as it streamlines the testing process to a large extent.
2. Vitest
Launched in 2022, Vitest is often seen as an improved version of Jest.
It comes with all of Jest’s key built-in features while also including out-of-the-box TS support.
As Vitest has Jest-compatible Snapshot along with Expect and coverage, it’s often better suited for modern projects.
Vitest also makes migrating from Jest a direct process.
We have an article dedicated to compare Jest vs Vitest. Take a look at it!
3. Storybook
This one goes for all our UX/UI-savvies!
Storybook focuses on UI components to inspect and debug components without logic or app context interference.
In fact, Storybook’s name comes from the fact that it can save every subtle UI variation as a "story."
With this logic, teams can access those stories and use them in both dev and testing.
Storybooks help simplify dev processes’ increasing complexity with a zero-configuration TS setup.
That's key in a landscape with so many user interfaces!
4. Mocha
Mocha is often used for more complex projects than the other mentioned Typescript testing frameworks.
A keyreason for it is that it allows teams to work with external assertion libraries like Chai.
Mocha tests run sequentially (offering more flexibility), support asynchronous testing, and further Test-Driven Development.
A key advantage is its report accuracy, which comes in handy when tracking test coverage and failing tests.
Tip: If you’re using Mocha or Jasmine, you must typets-nodeto add TypeScript support to your test suite. If you're using Jest, you must start withts-Jest. You should also place source JS/TS in the src folder and test files in the test folder.
Conclusion
With Unit Testing, all elements are analyzed individually while ensuring a smooth functioning as a whole.
Make sure to consider all edges to make a smart choice that is aligned with your development requirements!
