Unit Test MVC with ASP.NET Dev Server

Question

I want to confirm that my "HomeController" class is being selected by the route I've created. So I have a test like this:

    [TestMethod]
    [UrlToTest("http://localhost:14478/home")]
    [HostType("ASP.NET")]
    [AspNetDevelopmentServerHost("$(SolutionDir)\\MvcBuildApp")]
    public void MyTest()
    {
        System.Diagnostics.Debugger.Break();

        RouteCollection routes = new RouteCollection();
        MvcApplication.RegisterRoutes(routes);
        MvcApplication.RegisterGlobalFilters(GlobalFilters.Filters);
        //This fetches DefaultControllerFactory (for now, anyway...)
        var factory = ControllerBuilder.Current.GetControllerFactory();
        //mock a context...
        var httpContext = CreateHttpContext("http://localhost:14478/home", "GET");
        RouteData route = routes.GetRouteData(httpContext);

        var ctrlInstance = factory.CreateController(new RequestContext(httpContext, route), (string)route.Values["controller"]);

        //ASSERT the instance is of type "HomeController"
        //...
     }

It fails, saying that 'http://localhost:14478/home' completed successfully without running the test.

I noticed that in the VS output window, there is also this message No connection could be made because the target machine actively refused it 127.0.0.1:14478. I figured Cassini must not be active. So I chose to launch the site being tested (ctrl+F5) before launching the unit test. It then changed the VS output to this:

WebTestAdapter.ConnectToHostAdapter: unexpected exception occured. Microsoft.VisualStudio.TestTools.HostAdapters.AbortTestExecutionException: Error in the application. at Microsoft.VisualStudio.TestTools.HostAdapters.WebTestAdapter.ConnectToHostAdapter()

To try to resolve this, I've followed the advice of these articles:

Debug while running a test in ASP.NET solution
Unit Tests for ASP.NET web services: this discusses the "completed successfully without running a test" error.
Configuring ASP.NET Unit Tests: I got the $(SolutionDir) idea from this article.

...but I still get the error no matter what I do. Suggestions?

UPDATE/CLARIFICATION
This question is not about testing MVC routes. The purpose of this question is to discover how to make ASP.NET MVC properly initialized to allow more "in depth" automated testing. I have chosen a "route testing" scenario, against the DefaultControllerFactory, merely as an example. In this example, the DefaultControllerFactory does not behave properly unless ASP.NET MVC is properly initialized.

Jupaol · Accepted Answer · 2012-05-08 02:47:53Z

1

This is a common requirement when testing MVC applications, and lucky you, there is a framework that will simplify your life when testing MVC controllers:

The tools is:

http://mvccontrib.codeplex.com/

And as an example you can create tests with just one line:

"~/".ShouldMapTo<HomeController>(controller => controller.Index());

As a reference:

http://geekswithblogs.net/thomasweller/archive/2009/11/02/unit-testing-asp.net-mvc-routes.aspx

http://www.arrangeactassert.com/how-to-unit-test-asp-net-mvc-controllers/

answered May 8, 2012 at 2:47

Jupaol

21.4k9 gold badges71 silver badges101 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

1 Comment

Brent Arias Over a year ago

I've updated my question to clarify that I'm not actually asking about route testing. You'll notice that my example test uses the DefaultControllerFactory and has a comment about replacing that factory. Once the factory is replaced, the MVCContrib TestHelper which you referenced will no longer benefit me.

Jesse · Accepted Answer · 2012-05-08 20:18:57Z

0

You may be interested in reviewing Steve Sandersons MVC testing framework. If you download the source you will have a great example on how to initialize the MVC framwork:

http://blog.codeville.net/2009/06/11/integration-testing-your-aspnet-mvc-application/

answered May 8, 2012 at 20:18

Jesse

8,4236 gold badges55 silver badges82 bronze badges

1 Comment

Brent Arias Over a year ago

Steven's approach, expressed in the link you provided, is absolutely brilliant. I could not hardly hope for anything better. It doesn't answer my question of how I can use the AspNetDevelopmentServerHost and HostType annotations, but it does something equivalent or better - as far as I'm concerned.

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

Unit Test MVC with ASP.NET Dev Server

2 Answers 2

1 Comment

1 Comment

Your Answer

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

2 Answers 2

1 Comment

1 Comment

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Related