I’m working on a Java project with Mockito for unit testing. I’ve encountered scenarios where some interactions aren’t relevant to the test, but they cause it to fail. I’ve heard about the lenient method in Mockito that might help in such situations. Can anyone explain how to use this method effectively? An example or a real-life scenario would be really helpful.
I ran into this issue last week! You can use lenient when you’re transitioning code or not ready to assert on all interactions. Just use lenient() around the When clause of the mock you’re setting up. It’s great for situations where some setups are needed for system under test, but you’re not directly testing those interactions. For example, lenient().when(service.doTask()).thenReturn(result) helped me keep tests clean without adding unnecessary asserts for interactions I wasn’t directly focused on.
Hey! The lenient method is pretty handy when you’re dealing with ignored interactions in a test. If you have certain mocked behaviors that aren’t relevant to your particular test, lenient can help you prevent unnecessary test failures. You just need to wrap your stubbing like this: lenient().when(mock.doSomething()).thenReturn(value). This way, Mockito won’t complain if doSomething isn’t called. It makes your tests more flexible, especially when cleanup isn’t crucial for every single test run.
From experience, the lenient method can really save your time during refactoring or testing phases where not all interactions are critical. Wrapping your stubs with lenient() allows Mockito to skip verification for those specific calls. For instance, it’s perfect when you’re in the middle of adding new features and haven’t updated all test assertions. This helped my team handle intermediate stages without breaking numerous tests unnecessarily. Just remember, lenient should be used sparingly as it can hide legitimate issues if overused.